31-2-213. Department to supply registration certificates, plates and stickers; removable windshield placards.

(a) The department on or before November 1 of each year shall furnish a sufficient quantity of plates or stickers, registration certificates fully completed and ready for reregistration of vehicles registered the previous year and a "vehicle register" to each county treasurer. Each county treasurer shall check and receipt to the department for all plates received and on December 31 of each year shall furnish an abstract showing the number of plates or stickers received and disposed of during the preceding year and the balance on hand which shall be held subject to instructions from the department.

(b) The department may issue license plates, except dealer and antique motor vehicle license plates, which shall be valid for not more than eight (8) years if annual validation stickers are attached in the upper left corner of the license plate with the month and year of expiration clearly visible. Department authorized license plates and annual stickers shall be of colors that are readily distinguishable from the previous year.

(c) The department shall issue a special tamper resistant removable windshield placard to an applicant submitting a letter from his physician or advanced practice registered nurse stating the applicant has a disability that is expected to last a minimum of twelve (12) months which limits or impairs the ability to walk, or to any person responsible for the regular transportation of eligible persons with a disability that is expected to last a minimum of twelve (12) months which limits or impairs the ability to walk who submits such a letter on behalf of an eligible person. The placard shall display the international symbol of access. When a vehicle is parked in an area reserved for the handicapped, the placard shall be suspended from the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, so as to be in plain view of any person looking through the front windshield of the vehicle from the sidewalk or roadside. For motor vehicles which do not have rearview mirrors, the placard shall be displayed on the dashboard of the parked vehicle, on the side nearest the curb or roadside. Upon request, one (1) additional placard shall be issued to applicants who have not been issued special license plates.

(d) As used in this section:

(i) "International symbol of access" means the symbol adopted by rehabilitation international in 1969 at its eleventh world congress on rehabilitation of the disabled;

(ii) "Eligible person" means a person with disabilities which limit or impair the ability to walk as determined by a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse, including:

(A) An inability to walk two hundred (200) feet without stopping to rest;

(B) An inability to walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistive device;

(C) A restriction by lung disease to such an extent that the person's forced expiratory volume for one (1) second when measured by spirometry is less than one (1) liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty (60) mm/hg on room air at rest;

(D) Requires use of portable oxygen;

(E) Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV according to standards established by the american heart association;

(F) A severe limitation on the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition; or

(G) A severe visual or audio impairment that limits the person's mobility.

(iii) "Special license plate" means a license plate that displays the international symbol of access:

(A) In a color that contrasts to the background; and

(B) The plate shall consist of the arabic numerals designating the county in which issued at the left, followed by the bucking horse and rider emblem and a distinctive combination of up to three (3) numbers and letters as determined by the department, followed by the international symbol of access. After the county number on the left-hand end, the license plate may also contain a distinctive symbol or letters, as determined by the department, indicating the vehicle type. A special license plate issued for a motorcycle shall not be less than three (3) inches wide and six (6) inches long and shall contain the international symbol of access and appropriate identification which may be in lieu of the bucking horse and rider emblem.

(iv) "Removable windshield placard" means a two (2) sided, tamper resistant, hooked placard which includes on each side:

(A) The international symbol of access, which is at least three (3) inches in height, centered on the placard and is blue or white on a contrasting white or blue background;

(B) An identification number;

(C) The seal or other identification of the issuing authority;

(D) An expiration date.

(e) Application forms for removable windshield placards shall contain the following information:

CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS

1. This placard is nontransferable. It is unlawful to loan this placard to any person for any reason, regardless of whether that person is handicapped.

2. The placard shall be suspended from the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, so as to be in plain view of any person looking through the windshield of the vehicle from the sidewalk or roadside. For motor vehicles which do not have rearview mirrors, the placard shall be displayed on the dashboard of the parked vehicle, on the side nearest the curb or roadside.

3. Any fraudulent or other misuse of the placard may result in withdrawal of the placard from the holder pursuant to subsection (k) of this section.

4. The placard shall be surrendered to the issuing authority upon death of the holder or when the holder is no longer disabled.

(f) Applications for temporary and special removable windshield placards and special license plates, shall be submitted as provided by rules and regulations of the department. The rules and regulations shall conform to federal regulations adopted pursuant to P.L. 100-641, 102 Stat. 3335.

(g) The department shall issue a temporary removable windshield placard under the same procedures and subject to the same conditions as provided in subsections (c) through (e) of this section except:

(i) The disability which limits or impairs the ability to walk shall be one expected to last not more than six (6) months;

(ii) The temporary placard shall:

(A) Be of a design readily distinguishable from that of the special placard by having the word "temporary" overprinted on the placard; and

(B) Expire on and bear an expiration date which shall be visible from outside the vehicle when the card is properly displayed under subsection (c) of this section and be based on the information in the physician's letter.

(h) Effective January 1, 1993, any person eligible for a special placard under subsection (c) of this section may apply to the county treasurer for special license plates for a motor vehicle owned by that person. Special license plates shall not be issued to any person who is eligible only for a temporary removable windshield placard under subsection (g) of this section. Special plates issued under this subsection are subject to the following:

(i) The plates shall be displayed only upon the vehicle for which issued;

(ii) The plates shall be the same color as regular motor vehicle license plates and shall display the international symbol of access;

(iii) Repealed by Laws 1995, ch. 127, § 2.

(iv) Repealed By Laws 2011, Ch. 111, § 2.

(v) Any vehicle registered under this subsection is subject to this article except for provisions under W.S. 31-2-204 prescribing the type of number for license plates;

(vi) The department shall prepare necessary forms and adopt necessary rules and regulations to implement this subsection;

(vii) Any individual who is issued special license plates under this subsection may be issued one (1) placard;

(viii) The county treasurer shall issue a set of plates for each vehicle and a special license plate for each motorcycle registered to a qualified applicant under this subsection upon payment of required fees.

(j) Special license plates or removable windshield placards displaying the international symbol of access, as adopted by rehabilitation international in 1969 at its eleventh world congress on rehabilitation of the disabled, is the only symbol recognized in Wyoming for identification of vehicles used for transporting any eligible person under this section. Wyoming recognizes and grants reciprocity to licenses and placards displaying the international symbol of access which have been issued by other states or countries.

(k) Any person who is guilty of fraudulent or other misuse of the permit issued under this section is subject to a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first offense. Upon receiving notice of a conviction under this subsection from the court, the department shall suspend the handicapped parking permit for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days. For a subsequent conviction under this subsection, an individual is subject to a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) and the department shall suspend the handicapped parking permit for a period not to exceed six (6) months.