Court upholds Indiana's 'God' plates

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the constitutionality of the state's "In God We Trust" license plates.

In Monday's ruling, the appeals court rejected a claim that people who buy the plates should have to pay the $15 administrative fee charged for other specialty plates.

The court found that state lawmakers acted correctly in creating a license plate classification system that exempts the "In God We Trust" plate from the administrative fee.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana had challenged the "God" plate fees on behalf of an Allen County resident who has an Environmental Trust plate for which he had to pay extra fees.

The ACLU lawsuit claimed the state gave preferential treatment to motorists wanting the "God" plates. But the court found that the General Assembly's license plate system "is reasonably related to the inherent characteristics of the license plates."