(a) On and after January 1, 1993, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall issue Long Island Sound commemorative number plates of a design to enhance public awareness of the state's effort to restore and protect Long Island Sound. Said design shall be determined by agreement between the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. No use shall be made of such plates except as official registration marker plates.

(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall establish, by regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54, a fee to be charged for Long Island Sound commemorative number plates in addition to the regular fee or fees prescribed for the registration of a motor vehicle. The fee shall be for such number plates with letters and numbers selected by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may establish a higher fee for: (1) Such number plates which contain letters in place of numbers as authorized by section 14-49, in addition to the fee or fees prescribed for plates issued under said section; and (2) such number plates which are low number plates, in accordance with section 14-160, in addition to the fee or fees prescribed for plates issued under said section. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall establish, by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, an additional voluntary lighthouse preservation donation which shall be deposited in the Connecticut Lighthouse Preservation account established under section 22a-27n*. All fees established and collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Long Island Sound account established pursuant to section 22a-27v.

(c) Except as provided by subsection (d) of this section, no additional renewal fee shall be charged for renewal of registration for any motor vehicle bearing Long Island Sound commemorative number plates which contain letters in place of numbers, or low number plates, in excess of the renewal fee for Long Island Sound commemorative number plates with letters and numbers selected by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. No transfer fee shall be charged for transfer of an existing registration to or from a registration with Long Island Sound commemorative number plates.

(d) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may request an additional voluntary donation of fifteen dollars at the time of registration renewal for any motor vehicle bearing a Long Island Sound commemorative number plate. Five dollars of the donation may be dedicated to the administrative costs of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Ten dollars of such donation shall be deposited in the habitat restoration matching subaccount, established pursuant to section 22a-27v.

(e) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish standards and procedures for the issuance, renewal and replacement of Long Island Sound commemorative number plates.

(P.A. 92-133, S. 4, 9; P.A. 97-221, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 392; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 187; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; 11-246, S. 1.)

*Note: Section 22a-27n was repealed effective October 1, 2009, by section 513 of public act 09-3 of the June special session.

History: P.A. 97-221 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re voluntary lighthouse preservation donation; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) to require deposit of fees in General Fund, rather than Long Island Sound account; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (b) to require deposit of fees into Long Island Sound account established pursuant to Sec. 22a-27v, rather than General Fund, effective October 5, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-246 amended Subsec. (c) to add exception re new Subsec. (d), added new Subsec. (d) re voluntary habitat restoration donation and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e), effective July 13, 2011.