⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Seventh Circuit considers Wisconsin's personalized-plate rules under the First Amendment. In 2001, Michael Nichols received a Pontiac Trans Am plate displaying R, D, R, R, A, G, and E. After acquiring another Trans Am, he requested the same plate in 2019; the Wisconsin D M V denied it and added the text to its objectionable list. The D M V denied him again in 2023. Wisconsin law permits the department to reject text that may carry connotations offensive to good taste or decency. Nichols and his company sued, arguing that the rule facially discriminates by viewpoint. The district court held that personalized plate characters are government speech, so the Free Speech Clause did not apply, and ruled for the state. The appeal asks whether the characters convey private or government speech and, if they are private speech, whether Wisconsin's rule is constitutional.

M J Nichols Company, Inc. v. Kristina Boardman (No. 26-1043) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, argued September 17, 2026.