
A vegan in Maine with a “tofu” custom license plate is among the drivers affected by a crackdown on vulgar license plates. While motorists across the United States can pay extra to personalize plates, this may cause issues for state officials who have to approve the content. Maine recently recalled 274 plates that it considers inappropriate, rejecting even appeals from drivers, including a vegan with a tofu-related plate that officials considered a reference to sex. The state has re-established rules for vetting about 120,000 vanity license plates. The new restricted license plates will not include derogatory references to age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability, language that incites violence, or obscene content. The state has only faced 13 appeals so far.