Custom license plates offer car owners a unique opportunity to showcase their individuality. These individuals who are willing to pay an additional fee can personalize their license plates with custom messages or combinations of letters and numbers. Vanity plates provide an opportunity for people to showcase their creativity and express themselves in a unique way.
However, there are instances when state governments and their departments of motor vehicles disapprove of contentious language, resulting in the rejection of a vanity plate application.
Wendy Auger recently discovered that her vanity plate, which she had proudly displayed for fifteen years, was unexpectedly rejected due to a word on the plate. Her vanity plate was quite amusing, with the phrase “PB4WEGO,” bringing smiles to the faces of many as she cruised along the highways and remote roads of her home in New Hampshire. Auger, a bartender from the Gonic neighborhood in Rochester, New Hampshire, was taken aback by the DMV’s perception of the situation as offensive.
Auger strongly feels that the state is attempting to suppress her freedom of speech, a fundamental right. In addition, she believes that the expression “pe* before we go” is not an inappropriate phrase to have on a vanity plate. She sees it as a piece of practical advice that parents commonly give to their children.
Auger had not acquired the plate on a whim. After tirelessly searching for it for years, she eagerly anticipated its long-awaited availability. Seizing the opportunity, she eagerly chose to display “PB4WEGO” on her New Hampshire license plate. The reason behind this change was the state’s decision to increase the character limit on its vanity license plates from six to seven.
The state mentioned that the changes were made years ago due to a court order from the NH Supreme Court, and now the rules are very specific.
Should Auger be required to replace her fifteen-year-old license plate?