(CNN) A judge has ordered the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to pay more than $150,000 for the attorneys' fees of a man who was denied of his request for a license plate that read "IM GOD."

Hart, who says he is an atheist, told CNN affiliate WXIX that he drove around Ohio with "IM GOD" on his plate for more than a decade.

So when he moved to Kenton County, Kentucky, in 2016, he put in a request to keep the same license plate.

But instead, transportation officials sent him a letter denying his request, saying his request was "not in good taste and would create the potential of distraction to other drivers and possibly confrontations," according to court documents.

In response, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the ACLU of Kentucky filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hart in November 2016, alleging a violation of his First Amendment rights.

Read More