Background
George and Maxine Maynard, Jehovah's Witnesses from New Hampshire, repeatedly covered up the state motto "Live Free or Die" on their license plates because they believed the slogan conflicted with their religious beliefs about violence and war. New Hampshire law required all non-commercial vehicles to display license plates bearing this motto and made it a misdemeanor to obscure the state slogan. Maynard was arrested and fined multiple times for covering the motto, leading to this constitutional challenge.Legal Question
Does a state law requiring citizens to display an ideological message on their license plates violate the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech and religion when the message conflicts with their sincerely held beliefs?Holding
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that New Hampshire's law violated the First Amendment by compelling speech. The Court held that the right to speak freely includes the right to refrain from speaking, and the government cannot force individuals to be "mobile billboards" for messages they find objectionable. Chief Justice Burger's majority opinion emphasized that the state had not demonstrated a compelling interest sufficient to override this fundamental right, and that the law effectively made private vehicles into forums for the state's ideological message.Significance
Wooley v. Maynard established the important principle that the First Amendment protects not only the right to speak, but also the right to remain silent or refuse to convey government messages. This "compelled speech" doctrine has been applied in numerous subsequent cases involving everything from mandatory pledge recitations to required disclosures by businesses. The decision strengthened protections for religious minorities and political dissenters by confirming that the government cannot force citizens to serve as vehicles for official ideology, even in seemingly minor contexts like license plates.Key Statutes & Provisions
- First Amendment Free Speech Clause
- First Amendment Free Exercise Clause
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 262:27-c (license plate display requirement)
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 262:27-d (penalty provision for obscuring license plates)
- Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses
Official Documents
Wooley v. Maynard is a Free Speech & Religion case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1977. The court held that the government cannot require citizens to display a slogan on their license plates that conflicts with their beliefs.
## Background
George and Maxine Maynard, Jehovah’s Witnesses from New Hampshire, repeatedly covered up the state motto “Live Free or Die” on their license plates because they believed the slogan conflicted with their religious beliefs about violence and war. New Hampshire law required all non-commercial vehicles to display license plates bearing this motto and made it a misdemeanor to obscure the state slogan. Maynard was arrested and fined multiple times for covering the motto, leading to this constitutional challenge.
## Legal Question
Does a state law requiring citizens to display an ideological message on their license plates violate the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech and religion when the message conflicts with their sincerely held beliefs?
## Holding
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that New Hampshire’s law violated the First Amendment by compelling speech. The Court held that the right to speak freely includes the right to refrain from speaking, and the government cannot force individuals to be “mobile billboards” for messages they find objectionable. Chief Justice Burger’s majority opinion emphasized that the state had not demonstrated a compelling interest sufficient to override this fundamental right, and that the law effectively made private vehicles into forums for the state’s ideological message.
## Significance
Wooley v. Maynard established the important principle that the First Amendment protects not only the right to speak, but also the right to remain silent or refuse to convey government messages. This “compelled speech” doctrine has been applied in numerous subsequent cases involving everything from mandatory pledge recitations to required disclosures by businesses. The decision strengthened protections for religious minorities and political dissenters by confirming that the government cannot force citizens to serve as vehicles for official ideology, even in seemingly minor contexts like license plates.
## Key Statutes & Provisions
– First Amendment Free Speech Clause
– First Amendment Free Exercise Clause
– New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 262:27-c (license plate display requirement)
– New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 262:27-d (penalty provision for obscuring license plates)
– Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses