Custom license plates provide car owners with a distinctive way to express their personality. For an extra fee, they can personalize their plates with specific messages or combinations of letters and numbers, allowing for a creative display that reflects something meaningful about them. However, state governments and motor vehicle departments sometimes reject certain plate requests if the content is deemed inappropriate or controversial.

Wendy Auger recently faced an unexpected situation after proudly displaying her vanity license plate for fifteen years. The plate, which humorously read “PB4WEGO,” had often brought smiles to those who saw it as she drove through the highways and backroads of her New Hampshire hometown. As a bartender from the Gonic neighborhood in Rochester, New Hampshire, Auger was surprised when the DMV suddenly deemed her plate offensive.

For Auger, this felt like an infringement on her freedom of speech, a fundamental right. She argues that the phrase “pee before we go” is a common piece of advice parents give to their children and sees nothing inappropriate about it.

Auger’s decision to acquire the license plate wasn’t made on a whim. After an extensive search, she was excited to find that it was finally available. She quickly opted for the “PB4WEGO” plate for her New Hampshire vehicle, especially since the state had recently expanded the character limit for vanity plates from six to seven.

The state explained that these changes were made several years ago following a court order from the New Hampshire Supreme Court, which led to stricter regulations for vanity plates.

Now, the question arises: Should Auger be required to replace her fifteen-year-old license plate?