(A) The director of veterans services in conjunction with the registrar of motor vehicles shall develop and maintain a program to establish and issue nonstandard license plates recognizing military service and military honors pertaining to valor and service.

(B) The director and the registrar shall jointly adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for purposes of establishing the program under this section. The director and registrar shall adopt the rules as soon as possible after June 29, 2018, but not later than nine months after June 29, 2018. The rules shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish nonstandard license plates recognizing military service;

(2) Establish nonstandard license plates recognizing military honors pertaining to valor and service;

(3) Establish eligibility criteria that apply to each nonstandard license plate issued under this section;

(4) Establish requirements governing any necessary documentary evidence required to be presented by an applicant for a nonstandard license plate issued under this section;

(5) Establish guidelines for the designs, markings, and inscriptions on a nonstandard license plate established under this section;

(6) Establish procedures for altering the designs, markings, or inscriptions on a nonstandard license plate established under this section;

(7) Prohibit nonstandard license plates established under this section from recognizing achievement awards or unit awards;

(8) Establish any other procedures or requirements that are necessary for the implementation and administration of this section.

(C) The rules adopted under division (B) of this section shall provide for the establishment of the military nonstandard license plates created under sections 4503.431, 4503.432, 4503.433, 4503.434, 4503.436, 4503.48, 4503.481, 4503.53, 4503.532, 4503.533, 4503.536, 4503.537, 4503.538, 4503.54, 4503.541, 4503.543, 4503.544, 4503.547, 4503.548, 4503.581, 4503.59, and 4503.731 of the Revised Code as those sections existed prior to June 29, 2018.

(D)

(1) Any person who meets the applicable qualifications for the issuance of a nonstandard license plate established by rule adopted under division (B) of this section may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for the registration of any passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other vehicle the person owns or leases of a class approved by the registrar. The application may be combined with a request for a special reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code.

(2) (a) Except as provided in division (D)(2)(b) of this section, upon receipt of an application for registration of a motor vehicle under this section and the required taxes and fees, compliance with all applicable laws relating to the registration of a motor vehicle, and, if necessary, upon presentation of the required documentary evidence, the registrar shall issue to the applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set of license plates and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code.

(b) Any disabled veteran who qualifies to apply to the registrar for the registration of a motor vehicle under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code without the payment of any registration taxes or fees, may apply instead for registration of the motor vehicle under this section. The disabled veteran applying for registration under this section is not required to pay any registration taxes or fees as required by sections 4503.038, 4503.04, 4503.10, 4503.102, and 4503.103 of the Revised Code, any local motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, or any fee charged under section 4503.19 of the Revised Code for up to two motor vehicles, including any motor vehicle registered under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code. Upon receipt of an application for registration of the motor vehicle and presentation of any documentation the registrar may require by rule, the registrar shall issue to the applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set of license plates authorized under this section and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code.

(3) The license plates shall display county identification stickers that identify the county of registration as required under section 4503.19 of the Revised Code.

(E) Sections 4503.77 and 4503.78 of the Revised Code do not apply to license plates issued under this section.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.

Added by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 194, §1, eff. 6/29/2018.