31-2-217. Special plates; Pearl Harbor survivors; national guard members; armed forces veterans; purple heart recipients.

(a) The county treasurer shall issue one (1) set of special license plates to each applicant for either a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, handicapped motorcycle or motor home owned or leased by a survivor of Pearl Harbor, a member of the Wyoming army or air national guard a purple heart recipient or honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces in accordance with this section for the year 1990 and thereafter. For the year 1993 and thereafter, the county treasurer shall issue one (1) set of special license plates to each applicant for either a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, handicapped motorcycle or motor home owned by a purple heart recipient. These license plates shall be displayed upon the vehicle for which they are issued.

(b) Application for license plates under subsection (a) of this section shall be annually made to the county treasurer as provided by this article. Application forms shall be available at all county treasurer's offices. The registration fees prescribed by W.S. 31-3-101 shall accompany each application, except as provided in subsection (j), no additional fee shall be charged for the license plates provided by this section.

(c) Any person eligible under subsection (e) of this section for the special license plate provided by this section may apply for additional special license plates upon the payment of any fees required by this act.

(d) The special license plates shall be the same color as regular motor vehicle license plates, but shall bear a distinctive symbol or letters identifying the registrant as a survivor of Pearl Harbor, a member of the Wyoming army or air national guard, a purple heart recipient or as a veteran of the United States armed forces. The armed forces license plate shall specify the branch of service in which the applicant served, or is serving. The department shall prescribe the symbol or letters which need not include arabic numerals designating the county. The symbol or letters for a survivor of Pearl Harbor license plate shall be different from the symbol or letters for a national guard member, and for the armed forces license plate as well as a purple heart recipient license plate.

(e) Any person who is a Wyoming resident at the time of application may apply under this section for:

(i) A national guard license plate if he presents documentation that he:

(A) Is currently serving in an active or retired status of the Wyoming national guard; or

(B) Is the surviving spouse of a deceased Wyoming national guard member who was issued a license plate under this paragraph prior to death and the spouse is drawing a military survivor annuity.

(ii) A Pearl Harbor survivor license plate if he presents documentation that he:

(A) Was a member of the United States Armed Forces on December 7, 1941;

(B) Was on station on December 7, 1941, during the hours of 7:55 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Hawaii time at Pearl Harbor, the island of Oahu, or offshore at a distance not to exceed three (3) miles; and

(C) Received an honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces; or

(D) Is the surviving spouse of a deceased survivor of Pearl Harbor otherwise complying with subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph.

(iii) A purple heart recipient license plate if he is an official recipient of the United States military purple heart award with document proof thereof. The surviving spouse of a deceased purple heart award recipient who was issued a license plate under this paragraph prior to death shall be permitted to retain the license plate until the license plate is required to be replaced with a new license plate;

(iv) An armed forces license plate by presenting documentation that he is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces.

(f) Vehicles registered under this section are subject to all other provisions of this article except those relating to the type of number license plates under W.S. 31-2-204.

(g) All applications for special license plates provided by this section shall be made directly to the county treasurer at least thirty (30) days before registration of the vehicle expires. The department may prepare any special forms and issue any rules and regulations necessary to carry out this section.

(h) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 48, § 2.

(j) Each applicant for an armed forces special license plate shall submit an application fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) upon which the Wyoming veteran's commission shall issue a written statement establishing the applicant's eligibility to receive an armed forces license plate from the county treasurer. Fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited into the veterans' commission expendable trust fund. Application for and any renewal of an armed forces special license plate shall be subject to the requirements of this article and the payment of the fee required by W.S. 31-3-102(a)(viii).

(k) The department of transportation shall include within its biennial budget request submitted under W.S. 9-2-1013 a report identifying the actions taken and monies expended pursuant to this section for each of the immediately preceding two (2) fiscal years.