AUSTIN -- Texans like to make a splash, but apparently not when it comes to displaying personalized license plates.

Texas is last in the nation in the percentage of drivers with vanity plates, according to a new study by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Virginia was first, with more than 16 percent of vehicles bearing personalized plates.

In Texas, less than a percent of the state's 21 million vehicles had them.

There are a few possible reasons: they couldn't be purchased online until recently, a low-key marketing approach and the state's crackdown on naughty words. State officials say they don't allow sayings connected to sex or alcohol.

"What is fun to you can be offensive to another," said Kim Sue Lia Perkes, a Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman.

Until last week, Texans ordering personalized plates had to go through a time-consuming application process and wait to find out by mail or phone whether their preferred phrases were already taken. Now, motorists can order via the Web.

Another boost in sales may come through a contract the state signed Thursday with My Plates Inc. of Austin to market specialty license plates bearing unique designs and colors, Perkes said.

On those specialty plates, customers can order personalized wording of up to seven letters or numbers. On regular Texas plates, a personalized message can total only six characters, another reason Texas may lag behind other states, she said.

What remains the same is the vigilance of the transportation department in banning messages considered vulgar, whether it comes in on a motorist's application or as the subject of a citizen complaint.

"We are very strict," Perkes said. "We want people to have fun, we want them to express themselves. But we have to be careful."

If you're a wine connoisseur, don't try to put VINO on your plate. If your letters have a double meaning that includes a possible sexual connotation, even if it's your own four-letter nickname, consider the request rejected.

If you think you can get by with a nasty word in some language besides English, think again. Your message won't be lost in translation with the screeners, Perkes said.

Those in charge of personalized plates say they aren't trying to bust up the party. Some have personalized plates themselves.

Rebecca Davio, director of the vehicle titles and registration division, which issues vanity plates, has one that reads: PL8 LDY.

She said she expects the personalized plate business to grow and produce more money for the state with specialty marketing by the newly contracted firm. The state and the company each will get a share of the profits generated.

In fiscal year 2006, the latest yearly figures available, Texas had revenues of $3.73 million from personalized license plates.

The cost for a personalized plate in Texas remains $40. That's higher than Virginia's $10, but lower than the $78 charged in Illinois. Ordering a specialty plate in Texas featuring the name of an organization or sports team incurs a charge, too, depending on the design.

There are approximately 98,000 vanity plates in Texas. Most are in the big population center of Harris County, followed by Tarrant and Bexar counties.

For those who do indulge, the reason seems obvious.

"One thing we know about Texans," Perkes said, "is they love being Texans, but they also take great pride in their individuality."