In CO, there isn't an online search. When you apply, you have to list your top options and hope one is available. I'm also not a normal person. I'm an engineer and this was not good enough for me.
I emailed government employees until I figured out who was responsible for license plate records. I submitted a CORA (Colorado Open Records Request) for the entirety of their dataset. I had hoped to get the data on some regular cadence to build a simple online service for others. Unfortunately, they flat out refused and wouldn't discuss options.
When I told my family what license plate I wanted, they laughed at me and said "No one has that, just go get it". And so I did and it worked. I now have what I consider to be the best possible license plate in Colorado: "LCNZPLT"
Occasionally I'll see someone walk by my car, see the plate, think for a few seconds and then start laughing. Mission accomplished!
I had the opportunity to tiredly stumble upon Mark's display on my way out of a pinball expo. The quality and care that went into the displays move them beyond a learning tool and curiosity piece into a creative artistic expression. There's obviously a human who cares deeply about the exhibit. In this case, he was sitting in the back of the room near a mountain of travel crates, offering occasional encouragement and insight.
The message that I got was, "This is important to me, and I want to share it with you". It was not built out of a CEO's metrics and mandates asking me, "How many dollars are you?". It helped that there was literally a human behind the display, but maybe that same sense comes across via the website as well.
Regardless, it was refreshing. I stayed and browsed the whole display. Thank you, again, Mark!