55-4-253 - Honorably discharged veterans.
55-4-253. Honorably discharged veterans.
(a) An owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who is a resident of this state and who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces, upon complying with state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles and upon paying the regular fee applicable to the motor vehicle and the fee provided in § 55-4-203, shall be issued an honorably discharged veteran registration plate for a motor vehicle authorized by § 55-4-210(c).
(b) All applications pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by orders or a statement of discharge from the appropriate branch of the United States armed forces, classifying the applicant as an honorably discharged veteran; provided, that, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces shall be required to submit documentation of honorable discharge status only when initially applying for registration plates under this section and subsequent registration plates under this section shall be issued to that person without the repeated presentation of honorable discharge status documentation.
(c) (1) The registration plates provided for in this section shall be designed in consultation with the commissioner of veterans' affairs.
(2) The design of registration plates that are issued pursuant to this section shall bear the name of the county of issue on the lower edge of the tag.
(3) For honorably discharged veterans, the American flag shall be in the center of the tag.
(4) For Vietnam veterans, who are honorably discharged, the center emblem shall be crossed American and Republic of Vietnam flags. A Southeast Asia campaign medal shall have been awarded in order to obtain the Vietnam Veteran plate.
(5) For World War II veterans, the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read WW II Veteran, and the symbol on the left shall be the Honorable Service Lapel Pin, also known as the ruptured duck. Proof of honorable military service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, shall be required to obtain this plate.
(6) For Korean War veterans, the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read Korean War Veteran, and the symbol on the left shall be crossed American and Republic of Korea flags. A Korean Service Medal shall have been awarded for an honorably discharged veteran to obtain this plate.
(7) For Operation Desert Storm veterans, the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read Desert Storm Veteran, and the symbol on the left shall be crossed American and Kuwait flags. Award of the Southwest Asia Service medal and proof of honorable service shall be required for a veteran to obtain this plate.
(8) For veterans of the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, the plate shall be designed by the commissioner of veterans' affairs' in consultation with the commissioner of revenue. The commissioner of veterans' affairs shall also set proof of service requirements for honorably discharged veterans to obtain this plate.
(9) For honorably discharged veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and active members of the United States armed forces serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the plate shall be designed by the commissioner of veterans affairs in consultation with the commissioner of revenue. The commissioner of veterans affairs shall also set proof of service requirements for veterans who have served or who are still serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom to obtain the plate.
(10) For honorably discharged veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and active members of the United States armed forces serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, the plate shall be designed by the commissioner of veterans affairs in consultation with the commissioner of revenue. The commissioner of veterans affairs shall also set proof of service requirements for veterans who have served or who are still serving in Operation Enduring Freedom to obtain the plate.
(d) The commissioner of revenue is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section. All rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
[Acts 1998, ch. 1063, § 1; 2006, ch. 964, §§ 13, 14; 2007, ch. 484, § 56; 2007, ch. 604, § 20.]