SF 3045

1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to motor vehicles; creating special Gold Star Family license plates
for family members of military personnel who have died in active military
service; exempting motor vehicle registration fee for certain survivors; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 168.12, subdivision 2a; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 168.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 168.12, subdivision 2a,
is amended to read:

Subd. 2a.

Personalized plates; rules.

(a) The commissioner shall issue personalized
plates or, if requested for special plates issued under section 168.123 for veterans,
168.124 for medal of honor recipients, or 168.125 for former prisoners of war, applicable
personalized special veterans plates, to an applicant who:

(1) is an owner of a passenger automobile including a passenger automobile
registered as a classic car, pioneer car, collector car, or street rod; any truck with a
manufacturer's nominal rated capacity of one ton or less and resembling a pickup truck; a
motorcycle, including a classic motorcycle; or a recreational deleted text begin motor deleted text end vehicle;

(2) pays a onetime fee of $100 and any other fees required by this chapter;

(3) new text begin pays a onetime surcharge of $3, to be titled the "Gold Star Family Plate
Surcharge," the proceeds of which must be deposited in the highway user tax distribution
fund;
new text end

new text begin (4) new text end pays the registration tax required by this chapter for the motor vehicle; and

deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end complies with this chapter and rules governing registration of motor vehicles
and licensing of drivers.

(b) The commissioner shall charge a replacement fee for personalized license plates
and personalized special veterans plates issued under section 168.123 as specified in
subdivision 5. This fee must be paid by the applicant whenever the personalized plates are
required to be replaced by law, except that as provided in section 168.124, subdivision
3, and 168.125, subdivision 1b, no fee may be charged to replace plates issued under
those sections.

(c) In lieu of the registration number assigned as provided in subdivision 1,
personalized plates and personalized special veterans plates must have imprinted on them
a series of not more than seven numbers and letters, or five numbers and letters for
personalized special veterans plates, in any combination and, as applicable, satisfy the
design requirements of section 168.123, 168.124, or 168.125. When an applicant has once
obtained personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates, the applicant shall
have a prior claim for similar personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates in
the next succeeding year as long as current motor vehicle registration is maintained.

(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules in the manner provided by chapter 14,
regulating the issuance and transfer of personalized plates and personalized special
veterans plates. No words or combination of letters placed on these plates may be used
for commercial advertising, be of an obscene, indecent, or immoral nature, or be of a
nature that would offend public morals or decency. The call signals or letters of a radio or
television station are not commercial advertising for the purposes of this subdivision.

(e) Despite the provisions of subdivision 1, personalized plates and personalized
special veterans plates issued under this subdivision may be transferred to another motor
vehicle listed in paragraph (a) and owned by the applicant, upon the payment of a fee of $5.

(f) The commissioner may by rule specify the format for notification.

(g) A personalized plate or personalized special veterans plate issued for a classic
car, pioneer car, collector car, street rod, or classic motorcycle may not be transferred
to a vehicle not eligible for such a plate.

(h) Despite any law to the contrary, if the personalized license plates are lost, stolen,
or destroyed, the applicant may apply and must be issued duplicate license plates bearing
the same combination of letters and numbers and the same design as (1) the former
personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates under section 168.123 upon
the payment of the fee required by section 168.29 or (2) the former personalized special
veterans plates issued under section 168.124 or 168.125, without charge.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2006.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [168.1253] GOLD STAR FAMILY LICENSE PLATE.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Issuance; eligibility. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall issue special plates
bearing the inscription "GOLD STAR FAMILY" to an applicant who is an owner or joint
owner of a motor vehicle, who is certified in writing by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs or the state commissioner of veterans affairs as being an eligible person,
and who complies with all laws relating to the registration and licensing of motor vehicles
and drivers. The certification must indicate whether the person is an eligible person as
defined in either clause (1) or clause (2) of subdivision 2, paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin For purposes of this section:
new text end

new text begin (a) "Active military service" has the meaning given in section 190.05, subdivision 5.
new text end

new text begin (b) The term "eligible person" includes:
new text end

new text begin (1) the surviving spouse or surviving biological or adoptive parent of a person
who has died while serving honorably in active military service in the United States
armed forces; and
new text end

new text begin (2) the surviving biological or adoptive grandparent, sibling, or child of a person
who has died while serving honorably in active military service in the United States
armed forces.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle for personal use, not used for commercial
purposes, and may include a passenger automobile; a motorcycle; a recreational vehicle;
or a truck resembling a pickup truck and having a manufacturer's nominal rated capacity
of one ton.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Plate fee; exemption. new text end

new text begin A plate fee may not be charged to an eligible person
defined in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), clause (1). For all other eligible persons, the
commissioner shall charge a fee of $10 per set of plates issued under this section. No
surcharge may be added to this fee.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Annual registration fee; exemption. new text end

new text begin For each eligible person defined in
subdivision 2, paragraph (b), clause (1), to whom the commissioner has issued special
plates under this section, the commissioner may exempt one vehicle from the annual
registration tax required under section 168.013.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Design. new text end

new text begin The special license plates issued under this section must be of a
design and size determined by the commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner
of veterans affairs. The commissioner may design the plates in accordance with section
168.1291, subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Application. new text end

new text begin Application for issuance of these plates may be made at
any time.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Transfer. new text end

new text begin On payment of a fee of $5 and notification to the commissioner,
special plates issued under this section may be transferred to another personal motor
vehicle owned or jointly owned by the eligible person.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2006.
new text end