Senate passes Sen. Diamond bill to set standards for vanity license plates

AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, the Senate approved a bill from Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, to strengthen the standards Maine’s Secretary of State uses to issue vanity license plates. An amended version of LD 130, “An Act To Create Appropriate Standards for the Secretary of State To Follow When Approving the Assignments of Vanity Registration Plates,” received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Senate.

“I’m grateful to my colleagues for recognizing that action needs to be taken on this issue. I’ve heard from so many constituents about their disappointment in the plates that are allowed on Maine’s roadways today,” said Sen. Diamond. “This isn’t about limiting free speech – by all means, put any bumper sticker you want on your car. This is about putting reasonable limits on what is allowed on state-owned plates. This bill will help make our roadways more safe and family-friendly for all Mainers.”

Sen. Diamond served as Maine’s Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997, during which time Maine’s vanity plate program was first implemented. In 2015, Maine repealed restrictions on license plates that could be considered obscene, contemptuous, profane or prejudicial, or which promoted abusive or unlawful activity. Maine law currently prohibits plates that encourage violence, may result in an act of violence or spur other unlawful activities.

As amended, LD 130 would allow the Secretary of State to reject applications for plates and to recall existing plates under a narrowly tailored set of guidelines. This includes plates that are profane or obscene; plates that connote genitalia or that relate to sexual acts; and plates that make a derogatory reference to protected classes under the Maine Human Rights Act, including age, race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry or national origin, religion, or physical or mental disability. License plates with slang terms, abbreviations, phonetic spellings or mirror images of words or terms that are prohibited are also not allowed. The amended bill also adds an appeals process for rejected applications or for recalled plates.

The bill faces further votes in the Legislature.