(a) All registration plates issued under this part shall be issued in one (1) of the following categories:

(1) Antique motor vehicle;

(2) Cultural;

(3) Dealer;

(4) Disabled;

(5) Emergency;

(6) Firefighter;

(7) General assembly;

(8) Government service;

(9) Judiciary;

(10) Legislator Emeritus;

(11) Memorial;

(12) National Guard;

(13) New specialty earmarked;

(14) OEM headquarters company;

(15) Off-highway vehicles:

(A) Class I off-highway vehicles; and

(B) Class II off-highway vehicles;

(16) Sheriff;

(17) Specialty earmarked;

(18) United States house of representatives;

(19) United States judge; and

(20) United States senate.

(b)

(1) Registration plates currently provided under the “dealer,” “government service,” “disabled,” and “national guard” categories shall be issued in design configurations and colors which distinguish the plates from those of other categories, and in a manner which would avoid confusion with any other registration plates.

(2) Registration plates issued in any other category shall be issued in a design configuration distinctive to that category and determined by the commissioner, and shall bear at the top of the plate the word “Tennessee” or “Tenn” and at the bottom the name of the category. In addition, the plates in each category may bear identifying letter prefixes to distinguish the group within the category, and shall bear identifying number suffixes to identify the individual registrant.

(c) The groups within each category having multiple plates shall be as follows:

(1) Emergency:

(A) Amateur radio;

(B) Auxiliary police;

(C) Civil air patrol;

(D) Civil defense;

(E) Rescue squad;

(F) Emergency services squad, including, but not limited to, emergency medical technicians and paramedics;

(G) Police officer;

(H) Trauma physicians;

(I) Trauma nurses;

(J) On-call surgical personnel;

(K) Constables;

(L) Tennessee state guard; and

(M) United States coast guard auxiliary;

(2) Judiciary:

(A) Supreme court;

(B) Court of appeals;

(C) Court of criminal appeals;

(D) Chancery court;

(E) Circuit court;

(F) Probate court;

(G) Juvenile court;

(H) General sessions court;

(I) Retired judges of courts, not-of-record;

(J) Municipal court judges; and

(K) Magistrates;

(3) National Guard:

(A) Enlisted;

(B) Honorably discharged members;

(C) Officers; and

(D) Retirees;

(4) Memorial:

(A) Air Force Cross recipient;

(B) Air Medal (Valor) recipients;

(C) Bronze Star (Valor) recipients;

(D) Disabled veteran;

(E) Distinguished Flying Cross recipients;

(F) Distinguished Service Cross recipient;

(G) Former prisoner of war;

(H) Gold star family;

(I) Holder of the Purple Heart;

(J) Medal of honor recipient;

(K) Navy Cross recipient; and

(L) Silver Star recipients;

(5) Cultural:

(A) Antique Auto (unrestricted use);

(B) Arts, as provided for in § 55-4-217 and § 55-4-240;

(C) Collegiate, as defined in § 55-4-201:

(i) Bryan College;

(ii) Cumberland University [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(iii) Penn State University;

(iv) University of Arkansas;

(v) University of Florida;

(vi) University of Mississippi;

(vii) All collegiate plates issued as cultural motor vehicle registration plates prior to July 1, 1998; and

(viii) All collegiate plates administratively issued by the department on or after July 1, 1998, pursuant to § 55-4-210;

(D) Honorary consular;

(E) Metropolitan council;

(F) Military:

(i) 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne);

(ii) Air Medal (Meritorious) recipients;

(iii) Blue star family;

(iv) Bronze Star (Meritorious) recipients;

(v) Combat veterans;

(vi) “Enemy Evadees” as certified by the department of veterans services;

(vii) Honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces;

(viii) Legion of Merit recipients;

(ix) Marine Corps League;

(x) Paratrooper;

(xi) Pearl Harbor survivors;

(xii) Rakkasans;

(xiii) Submarine veteran;

(xiv) Tennessee woman veteran, pursuant to § 55-4-267;

(xv) United States military, active forces, pursuant to § 55-4-252;

(xvi) United States military, honorably discharged members, pursuant to § 55-4-252;

(xvii) United States military, retired forces, pursuant to § 55-4-252;

(xviii) United States reserve forces, pursuant to § 55-4-254;

(xix) United States reserve forces, honorably discharged members, pursuant to § 55-4-252;

(xx) United States reserve forces, retired, pursuant to § 55-4-252; and

(xxi) Women Veterans of Color;

(G) Personalized, pursuant to §§ 55-4-210 and 55-4-214;

(H) Police Benevolent Association; and

(I) Retired female firefighter;

(6) Specialty earmarked:

(A) Agriculture;

(B) Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority;

(C) Alpha Phi Alpha;

(D) CHILDREN FIRST!;

(E) Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.;

(F) Ducks Unlimited;

(G) Environmental;

(H) Friends of Great Smoky Mountains;

(I) Helping school volunteer;

(J) Kappa Alpha Psi;

(K) Nongame and endangered wildlife species or “Watchable Wildlife”;

(L) Omega Psi Phi;

(M) Phi Beta Sigma;

(N) Supporters of Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital; and

(O) Zeta Phi Beta; and

(7) New specialty earmarked plates, as defined in § 55-4-201:

(A) A Soldier's Child [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(B) Alzheimer's Association [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(C) AMVETS;

(D) Animal Friendly;

(E) Appalachian Trail;

(F) Autism Awareness;

(G) Baylor School [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(H) BE NICE [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(I) Blood Donor;

(J) Boone Lake Association [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(K) Boy Scouts of America [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(L) Chattanooga Football Club [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(M) Childhood Cancer Awareness [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(N) Childhood Hunger Awareness [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(O) Children's Hospital at Erlanger;

(P) Choose Life;

(Q) Civil War Preservation;

(R) Combat Action [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(S) Cystic Fibrosis Awareness [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(T) D.A.R.E. [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(U) Diabetes Awareness [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(V) Dollywood Foundation;

(W) Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(X) Down Syndrome Awareness;

(Y) “Driving To A Cure” (Pink Ribbon);

(Z) Eagle Foundation;

(AA) East Tennessee Children's Hospital;

(BB) Eastern Star [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(CC) Fallen Linemen [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(DD) Fallen Police and Firefighters [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(EE) Fighting for At-Risk Youth;

(FF) Fish and wildlife species;

(GG) Fraternal Order of Police;

(HH) Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms;

(II) Friends of Sycamore Shoals Historic Area, Inc.;

(JJ) Germantown Charity Horse Show;

(KK) Greene County School System;

(LL) Historic Collierville [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(MM) Historic Franklin;

(NN) Historic Maury [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(OO) Historic Whitehaven [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(PP) I Stand with Israel [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(QQ) In Remembrance [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(RR) International Association of Firefighters;

(SS) Jackson State University;

(TT) Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail State Park [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(UU) Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF);

(VV) Kiwanis International [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(WW) Knights of Columbus;

(XX) Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center;

(YY) Linemen Power Tennessee;

(ZZ) Louisiana State University [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(AAA) Lung Cancer Awareness [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(BBB) Make-A-Wish Foundation [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(CCC) Martin Luther King, Jr.;

(DDD) Masons;

(EEE) Memphis Grizzlies;

(FFF) Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum;

(GGG) Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare;

(HHH) Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt;

(III) Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(JJJ) Mountain Tough [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(KKK) Nashville Parks Foundation [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(LLL) Nashville Predators;

(MMM) National Rifle Association;

(NNN) National Wild Turkey Federation;

(OOO) Niswonger Children's Hospital;

(PPP) North Carolina State University [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(QQQ) Nurses;

(RRR) Ohio State University [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(SSS) Order of The Eastern Star;

(TTT) Pat Summitt Foundation;

(UUU) Police Activities League [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(VVV) Prostate Cancer Awareness [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(WWW) Protecting Rivers and Clean Waters;

(XXX) Radnor Lake;

(YYY) Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The MED);

(ZZZ) Rotary International [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(AAAA) Save the Bees;

(BBBB) Service Dogs;

(CCCC) Share the Road;

(DDDD) Smallmouth bass;

(EEEE) Sons of Confederate Veterans;

(FFFF) Sportsman;

(GGGG) Strictly Vettes [Obsolete. See the Compiler’s Notes.];

(HHHH) Suicide Prevention [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(IIII) Support Our Troops;

(JJJJ) Tennessee Association of Realtors;

(KKKK) Tennis Memphis;

(LLLL) Tennessee School Nutrition Association [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(MMMM) Tennessee Sheriffs' Association;

(NNNN) Tennessee Tech University [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(OOOO) Tennessee Titans;

(PPPP) Tennessee Voices for Victims;

(QQQQ) Tennessee Walking Horse;

(RRRR) Tennessee Wildlife Federation;

(SSSS) Tennessee Wildlife Federation nongame and education programs;

(TTTT) The Center for Living and Learning, Inc.;

(UUUU) The Fairgrounds Nashville [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(VVVV) TN Back the Blue [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(WWWW) Trout Unlimited;

(XXXX) University of South Carolina [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(YYYY) University of Tennessee Health Science Center;

(ZZZZ) University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers' NCAA National Championships;

(AAAAA) University of Tennessee National Championship;

(BBBBB) VFW [Obsolete. See Compiler's Notes.];

(CCCCC) Whitehaven High School;

(DDDDD) Youth Villages.

(d)

(1) No registration plate shall be issued under this section unless authorized by this part. Registration under this part is supplemental to the motor vehicle title and registration law, compiled in chapters 1-6 of this title, and nothing in this part shall be construed as abridging or amending that law. An applicant with more than one (1) motor vehicle titled or leased in that applicant's name, or applicants with more than one (1) motor vehicle jointly titled and/or leased in their names are entitled to an unlimited number of registration plates under the applicable provision of law, as long as all other special fees and regular costs are paid by the applicant and all requirements set out in parts 1 and 2 of this chapter are followed.

(2) No qualified person shall receive more than one (1) free plate, unless the issuance of additional free plates is specifically authorized by the statute creating the cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked plate, memorial plate or special purpose plate.

(e) Registration plates issued to United States judges, United States senators, and members of the United States house of representatives pursuant to subdivisions (a)(9) and (a)(16)-(18) shall be of a distinctive design approved by the department and shall bear, as applicable, the district number of house members, the number “1” or “2” for senators, based on seniority, and the appropriate number for judges, based on seniority of appointment. Unless a conflict exists with other designs, the designs used before July 1, 1984, shall be used.

(f) Whenever a spouse having a cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked plate, memorial plate or special purpose plate is divorced and no longer entitled to the plate, the spouse no longer entitled to that plate shall deliver the plate to the county clerk, and the county clerk shall issue a regular plate valid for the same period as the cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked plate, memorial plate or special purpose plate.

(g)

(1) Registration plates issued to honorary consulars pursuant to subdivision (c)(5)(C) shall be of a distinctive design approved by the department and shall bear, as applicable, the words “Honorary Consul” and an appropriate number.

(2) The revised honorary consular plates issued pursuant to this section shall be delivered to qualified persons upon renewal of registration of the vehicle to which the plates are issued. No person with honorary consular plates shall be required to exchange the plates until the renewal of registration of the vehicle to which the plates are issued.