Maine Will Remove the Profanity From Vanity Plates
Jane Lu
· 4 min read
License plates
are a great way to express witty sayings, heartfelt messages, or just something personal to the owner—like a nickname.Maine
, it's also a way to express profanity. Or it was until a law was passed which will remove plates with offensive language and imagery. So what types of words were on Maine license plates, and how did this practice start?
When did Maine license plates start including profanity?
Profanity on license plates isn't exactly the norm in most states. And just a few years ago, it wasn't normal in Maine. That all changed in 2015.
Maine had a review process for license plates to determine which sayings would be approved and which would not. In 2015, the state decided to let anything and everything go through.
This led to people getting license plates with f-bombs, suggestive positions, and insults. It became so prevalent that it's suspected there are 400 plates that will be recalled soon. The fight to remove the plates was more than a little difficult, however, and there might just be a loophole.
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Secretary of State Shenna Bellows pushed for the new law banning profanity, according to
Autoblog
. It wasn't an easy task, however. As it turns out, the first amendment made getting the law pushed through somewhat difficult because some might interpret this as impeding free speech.This means that while the profanity will be removed from the plates, Maine will still allow its residents to freely express themselves. It will just have to be in a less offensive manner.
In the meantime, vanity plates with curse words that are waiting to be approved will be put on hold. They will most likely be rejected, so those who applied will have to get a new plate.
It's unclear if there will be problems upholding this law in the future, as states like
California
have faced lawsuits related to this issue in the past. The Golden State must now be very careful to only target plates that contain blatant profanity, hate speech, or obscenities.Bellows is determined to uphold the first amendment rights of Maine's citizens, while still cleaning up the plate situation. "If you can't say it on the 6 o'clock news, it shouldn't be on a license plate," Bellows said. "The license plate is the property of the state. If you really want an offensive slogan on your car, then you can use a bumper sticker."
When will the law go into effect?
Those who have one of the license plates which will be recalled may be wondering when they'll have to turn in their plate for something a little more bland. Others who enjoy traveling through Maine and reading the plates may be curious as well.
The good news, depending on your viewpoint, is that it seems like the plates will still be around for a while. Trying to recall 400 plates is no easy task, especially when there are a lot of potential plates which will need to be vetoed. Even so, Bellows believes that the wheels could begin turning this winter.
Maine isn't ready to go back to dull license plates, however. It's focused on supporting the growing outdoor recreation industry with its Adventure plates. It features a canoe, lake, trees, mountains, and a hawk catching a fish. The new Maine Adventure logo puts a fun twist on a clean plate.
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