<\/p>\n
Aaron Williams wanted to renew his license. However, he ran into difficulties when he, as a Pastafarian, refused to remove the strainer from his head.<\/p>\n
South Brunswick police officers responded to the MVC facility on Route 130 on a call that a man renewing his driver’s license refused to remove the strainer on his head, according to a police report. The incident occurred about noon on Saturday, Feb. 2.<\/p>\n
The man, Aaron Williams, 25, who gave an Egg Harbor Township<\/a> address, told motor vehicle workers the strainer was a religious head covering and he had a right to wear it in his driver\u2019s license photo.<\/p>\n
Williams said he practices Pastafarianism.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Williams says he’s a serious Pastafarian.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take it as seriously as anybody else when it comes to religious beliefs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to a police report, an motor vehicle employee told Williams head coverings can\u2019t be worn in license photos unless it\u2019s for religious reasons.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Eventually Williams (reluctantly) agreed to take his the standard license pic, sans the strainer. He’s the second person, that I know of, to bring Pastafarianism into the DMV.<\/p>\n
In Austria, self-described Pastafarian Niko Alm fought for three years for the right to wear a pasta strainer on his head in his driver’s license photo. He won his fight after officials performed a mental-health check, according to NPR.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n