Indianapolis, USA - The Bureau of Motor Vehicles has reversed an earlier ruling and decided that a woman may have a personalized license plate carrying the words "BE GODS."
The reversal came after Liz Ferris sued the BMV in federal court for refusing to issue a new plate carrying the same words she had on other plates for several years. Ferris contended in her lawsuit that the BMV was discriminating against her for expressing her beliefs.
The agency told Ferris that it prohibits vanity plates referring to race, religion, deity, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or political party or affiliation.
Her suit was filed the same day the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the state's "In God We Trust" license plate.
Ferris had the same plate on her car for eight or nine years but forgot to renew it on time for 2008. When she submitted a new personalized plate application, the BMV denied her request due to a recent policy change banning any references to religion or a deity on new personalized plates.
That policy took effect in November 2007, just after the renewal deadline passed for Ferris.
Commissioner Ron Stiver said in a statement released Tuesday that the BMV would give Ferris a new plate bearing her old message — which she intended to mean "Be God's" or "belong to God."
"After reviewing Ms. Ferris' request, it is clear that she attempted to reserve her PLP prior to November 6," Stiver wrote.