1997 Minnesota Statutes

     168.123 Veterans; special license plates. 

    Subdivision 1.    General requirements; fees.  (a) On 
 payment of a fee of $10 for each set of two plates, or for a 
 single plate in the case of a motorcycle plate, payment of the 
 registration tax required by law, and compliance with other laws 
 relating to the registration and licensing of a passenger 
 automobile, pickup truck, van, self-propelled recreational 
 equipment, or motorcycle, as applicable, the registrar shall 
 issue: 

    (1) special license plates to an applicant who served in 
 the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of 
 the United States or of a nation or society allied with the 
 United States in conducting a foreign war, was discharged under 
 honorable conditions, and is an owner or joint owner of a 
 passenger automobile, pickup truck, van, or self-propelled 
 recreational equipment; or 

    (2) a special motorcycle license plate as described in 
 subdivision 2, paragraph (a), or another special license plate 
 designed by the commissioner of public safety to an applicant 
 who is a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961, and 
 before July 1, 1978, and who served in the active military 
 service in a branch of the armed forces of the United States in 
 conducting a foreign war, was discharged under honorable 
 conditions, and is an owner or joint owner of a motorcycle.  
 Plates issued under this clause must be the same size as 
 standard motorcycle license plates.  

    (b) The additional fee of $10 is payable for each set of 
 plates, is payable only when the plates are issued, and is not 
 payable in a year in which tabs or stickers are issued instead 
 of number plates.  An applicant must not be issued more than two 
 sets of plates for vehicles listed in paragraph (a) and owned or 
 jointly owned by the applicant. 

    (c) The veteran shall have a certified copy of the 
 veteran's discharge papers, indicating character of discharge, 
 at the time of application.  If an applicant served in the 
 active military service in a branch of the armed forces of a 
 nation or society allied with the United States in conducting a 
 foreign war and is unable to obtain a record of that service and 
 discharge status, the commissioner of veterans affairs may 
 certify the applicant as qualified for the veterans' license 
 plates provided under this section. 

    Subd. 2.    Design.  The commissioner of veterans 
 affairs shall design the special plates, subject to the approval 
 of the registrar, that satisfy the following requirements:  

    (a) For a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961, 
 and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the 
 inscription "VIETNAM VET" and the letters "V" and "V" with the 
 first letter directly above the second letter and both letters 
 just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate 
 number. 

    (b) For a veteran stationed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, 
 or offshore, during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 
 1941, the special plates must bear the inscription "PEARL HARBOR 
 SURVIVOR" and the letters "P" and "H" with the first letter 
 directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding 
 the first numeral of the special license plate number. 

    (c) For a veteran who served during World War I or World 
 War II, the special plates must bear the inscription "WORLD WAR 
 VET" and: 

    (1) for a World War I veteran, the characters "W" and "I" 
 with the first character directly above the second character and 
 both characters just preceding the first numeral of the special 
 license plate number; or 

    (2) for a World War II veteran, the characters "W" and "II" 
 with the first character directly above the second character and 
 both characters just preceding the first numeral of the special 
 license plate number. 

    (d) For a veteran who served during the Korean Conflict, 
 the special plates must bear the inscription "KOREAN VET" and 
 the letters "K" and "V" with the first letter directly above the 
 second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral 
 of the special license plate number.  

    (e) For a combat wounded veteran who is a recipient of the 
 purple heart medal, the special plates must bear the inscription 
 "COMBAT WOUNDED VET" and inscribed with a facsimile of the 
 official purple heart medal and the letters "c" over "w" with 
 the first letter directly over the second letter just preceding 
 the first numeral of the special license plate number. 

    (f) For a Persian Gulf war veteran, the special plates must 
 bear the inscription "GULF WAR VET" and the letters "G" and "W" 
 with the first letter directly above the second letter and both 
 letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license 
 plate number.  For the purposes of this section, "Persian Gulf 
 war veteran" means a person who served on active duty after 
 August 1, 1990, in a branch of the armed forces of the United 
 States or United Nations during Operation Desert Shield, 
 Operation Desert Storm, or other military operation in the 
 Persian Gulf area combat zone as designated in United States 
 Presidential Executive Order No. 12744, dated January 21, 1991. 

    (g) For a veteran who served in the Laos War after July 1, 
 1961, and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the 
 inscription "LAOS WAR VET" and the letters "L" and "V" with the 
 first letter directly above the second letter and both letters 
 just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate 
 number. 

    Subd. 3.    Number estimated.  The commissioner of 
 veterans affairs shall estimate the number of special plates 
 that will be required and submit the estimate to the registrar.  

    Subd. 4.    Plate transfers.  (a) On payment of a fee of 
 $5, plates issued under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause 
 (1), may be transferred to another passenger automobile, pickup 
 truck, van, or self-propelled recreational equipment owned or 
 jointly owned by the person to whom the plates were issued.  

    (b) On payment of a fee of $5, a plate issued under 
 subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), may be transferred to 
 another motorcycle owned or jointly owned by the person to whom 
 the plate was issued. 

    Subd. 5.    Fees credited.  Fees collected under this 
 section must be paid into the state treasury and credited to the 
 highway user tax distribution fund. 

    Subd. 6.    Rules.  The registrar may adopt rules under 
 the administrative procedure act to govern the issuance and use 
 of the special plates authorized by this section. 

    HIST: 1988 c 636 s 4; 1989 c 269 s 39; 1989 c 301 s 1; 1991 c 
 274 s 4; 1994 c 396 s 1,2; 1996 c 455 art 4 s 4,5