Members of the group chat and Facebook mums rejoice: we’re one step closer to integrating emojis IRL. A new bill introduced in the Vermont House of Representatives would – if passed – allow the addition of the symbols on vehicle license plates.

Specifically, drivers would be allowed to pick from a pretty small range of six symbols, though the actual six symbols in question haven’t yet been revealed. (The “horny” emojis banned by Facebook and Instagram probably aren’t likely contenders, so don’t get any ideas.)

Obviously, the emojis also won’t be able to stand on their own as a license plate: instead, they’ll be in addition to the letters and numbers featured on a normal or personalised license plate.

While Vermont would be leading this very important charge in the US, they wouldn’t actually be the first to allow emoji license plates internationally. Queensland, Australia has beaten them to that, allowing people to add one of five emojis since early 2019.

This relatively new trend follows what might be seen as the legitimisation of emojis as an integral part of language in 2018, when they were added to the dictionary.

It’s also, of course, a way for whoever hands out the number plates to make more money, but no one’s going to stay cynical for long when they could be spicing their car up with a sunglasses emoji, are they?