(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, at the request of any member or former member of the armed forces, as defined in section 27-103, who is a former prisoner of war, shall register, without charge, any passenger motor vehicle, camper or passenger and commercial motor vehicle owned or leased by such person, provided no more than two such registrations may be issued to any such person. The commissioner shall issue a special certificate of registration and a number plate or set of number plates in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 14-21b for each such vehicle. Each application for such special registration and number plate shall be accompanied by proof from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that such person is a former prisoner of war. The surviving spouse of a former prisoner of war issued such special registration may retain any such registration and number plates without charge for his or her lifetime or until such time as he or she remarries.

(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, at the request of any recipient of the congressional medal of honor, shall register, without charge, any passenger motor vehicle, camper or passenger and commercial motor vehicle owned or leased by such person, provided no more than two such registrations may be issued to any such person. The commissioner shall issue a special certificate of registration and a number plate or set of number plates in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 14-21b for each such vehicle. The surviving spouse of a recipient of the congressional medal of honor issued such special registration may retain any such registration and number plates without charge for his or her lifetime or until such time as he or she remarries.

(P.A. 82-405, S. 1–3; P.A. 83-303; P.A. 86-388, S. 25, 31; P.A. 89-313, S. 4, 5; P.A. 91-408, S. 9, 18; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11, S. 1, 70; P.A. 97-236, S. 5, 27; P.A. 18-72, S. 25.)

History: P.A. 83-303 permitted the commissioner to register, without charge, at the request of a former prisoner of war or a congressional medal of honor recipient, in addition to a passenger motor vehicle, a camper or passenger and commercial motor vehicle, provided a maximum of two free registrations may be issued; P.A. 86-388 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b), including reference to issuance of a set of number plates in accordance with provisions of Sec. 14-21b(a); P.A. 89-313 amended Subsec. (a) to permit the surviving spouse of a former prisoner of war to retain the prisoner of war registration without charge for lifetime or until remarriage; P.A. 91-408 amended Subsec. (b) to permit the surviving spouse of a recipient of the congressional medal of honor to retain the special registration without charge for lifetime or until remarriage; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11 made technical changes by rephrasing language; P.A. 97-236 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to extend provisions to leased vehicles, effective June 24, 1997; P.A. 18-72 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to Veterans' Administration with reference to United States Department of Veterans Affairs.