Case Overviews

Railway Express Agency v. New York (S.Ct. 1949)

Facts:

New York City prohibited advertising on business delivery vehicles unless the advertisement was for the owner’s business. P sold space on its trucks for advertising that was unconnected with its own business.

Issue:

Do practical road-safety regulations that discriminate against some motor vehicle operators violate the Equal Protection Clause?

Rule:

(Douglas, J.) When a classification is rationally related to the accomplishment of a valid objective and is of a type not barred by the equal protection analysis, the regulation does not violate the Equal Protection Clause.