60-3,122.04. Military Honor Plates; fee; eligibility; delivery; transfer; fee.

(1) An eligible person may apply to the department for Military Honor Plates in lieu of regular license plates on an application prescribed and provided by the department for any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, except for a motor vehicle or trailer registered under section 60-3,198. An applicant receiving a Military Honor Plate for a farm truck with a gross weight of over sixteen tons shall affix the appropriate tonnage decal to the plate. The department shall make forms available for such applications through the county treasurers. The license plates shall be issued upon payment of the license fee described in subsection (2) of this section and verification by the department of an applicant's eligibility using the registry established by the Department of Veterans' Affairs pursuant to section 80-414. To be eligible an applicant shall be (a) active duty or reserve duty armed forces personnel serving in any of the armed forces listed in subsection (2) of section 60-3,122.03, (b) a veteran of any of such armed forces who was discharged or otherwise separated with a characterization of honorable or general (under honorable conditions), (c) a current or former commissioned officer of the United States Public Health Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who has been detailed directly to any branch of such armed forces for service on active or reserve duty and who was discharged or otherwise separated with a characterization of honorable or general (under honorable conditions) as proven with valid orders from the United States Department of Defense, a statement of service provided by the United States Public Health Service, or a report of transfer or discharge provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or (d) a person who is serving or has served in the armed forces of the United States and who has been awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, or Vietnam Service Medal. Any person using Military Honor Plates shall surrender the plates to the county treasurer if such person is no longer eligible for the plates. Regular plates shall be issued to any such person upon surrender of the Military Honor Plates for a three-dollar transfer fee and forfeiture of any of the remaining annual fee. The three-dollar transfer fee shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund.

(2)(a) In addition to all other fees required for registration under the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance or renewal of alphanumeric Military Honor Plates shall be accompanied by a fee of five dollars. County treasurers collecting fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit them to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit five dollars of the fee to the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund.

(b) In addition to all other fees required for registration under the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance or renewal of personalized message Military Honor Plates shall be accompanied by a fee of forty dollars. County treasurers collecting fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit them to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit twenty-five percent of the fee for initial issuance and renewal of such plates to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and seventy-five percent of the fee to the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund.

(3)(a) When the department receives an application for Military Honor Plates, the department may deliver the plates and registration certificate to the applicant by United States mail or to the county treasurer of the county in which the motor vehicle or trailer is registered and the delivery of the plates and registration certificate shall be made through a secure process and system. The county treasurer or the department shall issue Military Honor Plates in lieu of regular license plates when the applicant complies with the other provisions of the Motor Vehicle Registration Act for registration of the motor vehicle or trailer. If Military Honor Plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated, the licensee shall be issued replacement license plates upon request pursuant to section 60-3,157.

(b) This subdivision applies beginning on an implementation date designated by the director. The director shall designate an implementation date that is on or before January 1, 2021. The county treasurer or the department may issue temporary license stickers to the applicant under this section for the applicant to lawfully operate the vehicle pending receipt of the license plates. No charge in addition to the registration fee shall be made for the issuance of a temporary license sticker under this subdivision. The department shall furnish temporary license stickers for issuance by the county treasurer at no cost to the counties. The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations regarding the design and issuance of temporary license stickers.

(4) The owner of a motor vehicle or trailer bearing Military Honor Plates may apply to the county treasurer to have such plates transferred to a motor vehicle or trailer other than the motor vehicle or trailer for which such plates were originally purchased if such motor vehicle or trailer is owned by the owner of the plates. The owner may have the unused portion of the fee for the plates credited to the other motor vehicle or trailer which will bear the plates at the rate of eight and one-third percent per month for each full month left in the registration period. Application for such transfer shall be accompanied by a fee of three dollars. Fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund.

(5) If the cost of manufacturing Military Honor Plates at any time exceeds the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102, any money to be credited to the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund shall instead be credited first to the Highway Trust Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the manufacturing costs of Military Honor Plates and the amount charged pursuant to section 60-3,102 with respect to such plates and the remainder shall be credited to the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund.

(6) If the director discovers evidence of fraud in an application for Military Honor Plates or that the holder is no longer eligible to have Military Honor Plates, the director may summarily cancel the plates and registration and send notice of the cancellation to the holder of the license plates.

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