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A governor intervened so this mom could keep her hilarious license plate

One mom was always telling her kids to use the bathroom before getting in the car, so she put the slogan on a license plate.
funny vanity license plate
Courtesy of Wendy Auger

It's the mantra of every parent: "Pee before we go!"

Wendy Auger, a New Hampshire mom of four, is all too familiar with telling her kids to use the bathroom before leaving the house (or the store, or the restaurant, or any other location).

So she put it on a license plate.

Auger has had the plate for 15 years, and said that before now, she's gotten nothing but positive reactions.

"(People) think it's funny," she told TODAY Parents. "I get thumbs-ups, honks on the highway, people yelling 'Awesome plate!' in drive-through lines. It brings a chuckle and a smile to the people who can figure it out."

However, in early August, she received a letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles, saying that the vanity plate was being recalled for referring to "sexual or excretory acts or functions."

Auger showed TODAY the letter, saying that she was surprised to hear that the plate was being recalled under the rule cited.

Courtesy of Wendy Auger

"I was completely shocked," Auger said. "I was on my way out the door to go to work, and at every stoplight and stop sign I kept taking (the notice) out and looking at it again. I just couldn't believe what I was reading."

Auger immediately appealed the recall.

After a few days of fighting to keep her license plate, Governor Chris Sununu heard about the situation from a mutual friend at a local grocery store. It didn't take long for the governor to intervene.

"Upon this being brought to my attention, I reached out to the Division of Motor Vehicles and strongly urged them to allow Wendy to keep the license plate she has had for the last 15 years," Sununu said in a statement. "I recently left a message on her phone to share the good news that her plate will not be recalled."

"I'm glad, now that there's been a resolution," said Auger. "It makes me happy, but I was still shocked. It was a couple weeks of going 'What the heck?'. It's just crazy. I mean, I could see if it was offensive in some manner, but clearly in 15 years I haven't offended anybody with the plate."

Auger said that the relatable plate gets great reactions, and that her family loves it.
Auger said that the relatable plate gets great reactions, and that her family loves it.

Auger said that she intended to keep the plate, even though her kids were growing up and no longer needed the reminder.

"They love it!" she said, explaining that she'd considered changing the plate before getting a new car a few years ago. "The kids wanted to keep it."