§ 40-2-66 — License plates for active and retired members of the Georgia National Guard

(a) (1) Motor vehicle owners who are members of the Georgia National Guard, upon application for license plates and upon compliance with the state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles as prescribed under Article 2 of this chapter, shall be issued, free of charge, a license plate, as prescribed in that article for private passenger cars, motorcycles, or trucks used for personal transportation. Each member of the Georgia National Guard shall be entitled to no more than one such free plate at a time; provided, however, that, upon payment of the regular license fee provided for in Code Section 48-10-2 and a manufacturing fee of $25.00, a member shall be entitled to one additional such license plate. For each additional license plate for which an initial $25.00 fee was required, there shall be an additional annual registration fee of $25.00 which fee shall be collected by the county tag agent at the time of collection of other registration fees and shall be remitted to the state as provided in Code Section 40-2-34 . Additional words or symbols, in addition to the numbers and letters prescribed by law, shall be inscribed upon such license plates so as to identify distinctively the owner as a member of the Georgia National Guard. The adjutant general of Georgia shall, upon request of any member of that National Guard unit, furnish to that member approved documentation supporting the member's current membership in that National Guard unit. This documentation shall be presented annually to the tax commissioner of the county in which the National Guard member applies for the special license plate under this Code section and upon subsequent reregistration for each succeeding year. (2) Motor vehicle owners who are retired members of the Georgia National Guard, upon application for license plates and upon compliance with the state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles as prescribed under Article 2 of this chapter, shall be issued, free of charge, a license plate as prescribed in that article for private passenger cars, motorcycles, or trucks used for personal transportation. Each retired member of the Georgia National Guard shall be entitled to no more than one such free plate at a time; provided, however, that, upon payment of the regular license fee provided for in Code Section 48-10-2 and a manufacturing fee of $25.00, a member shall be entitled to one additional such license plate. For each additional license plate for which an initial $25.00 fee was required, there shall be an additional annual registration fee of $25.00 which fee shall be collected by the county tag agent at the time of collection of other registration fees and shall be remitted to the state as provided in Code Section 40-2-34 . The license plates issued pursuant to this paragraph shall, in addition to the numbers and letters prescribed by law, be identical to those issued pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection. The adjutant general of Georgia shall, upon request of any member retired from that National Guard unit, furnish to that retired member approved documentation supporting the member's retired membership status in that National Guard unit. This documentation shall be presented annually to the tax commissioner of the county in which the retired National Guard member applies for the special license plate under this Code section and upon subsequent reregistration for each succeeding year. (3) The license plates issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection shall contain the word "RETIRED" in the location of and in lieu of the name of the county of issuance. (b) Upon transfer of the ownership of a private passenger vehicle upon which there is a license plate bearing the words "National Guard" and acquisition by the member or retired member of the National Guard of another motor vehicle, the license plate issued pursuant to this Code section shall be placed on such newly acquired motor vehicle and such member or retired member shall notify the commissioner of such transfer of the license plate to such newly acquired motor vehicle in such manner as the commissioner may prescribe by regulation and shall pay a transfer and cancellation fee of $5.00 and shall also pay license fees in an amount, if any, that the license fee for the newly acquired vehicle exceeds the license fee of the original vehicle. No transfer or cancellation fee shall be charged for the transfer of free National Guard license plates. There shall be a transfer and cancellation fee of $5.00 for the transfer of any other National Guard license plate. Should a member of the National Guard who has been issued a National Guard license plate be discharged or otherwise separated except by retirement from the National Guard, the immediate commanding officer of such member shall obtain the discharged member's National Guard license plate or plates at the time of the discharge and shall forward same to the commissioner along with a certificate to the effect that such member has been discharged, and thereupon the commissioner shall issue a regular license plate or plates, at no additional charge, to such former National Guard member to replace the National Guard plate. Should a member of the National Guard enlist or be commissioned in the National Guard after purchasing a regular license plate for the current year, the commanding officer of the unit in which such member enlists or is commissioned shall likewise secure the regular license plate of such new member and return same to the commissioner, along with a certificate to the effect that such new member has been enlisted or commissioned in the National Guard and the effective date thereof, whereupon the commissioner shall issue a National Guard license plate, at no extra charge, to such new member to replace the returned regular plate. Upon such request for a change in plate for a discharged member of the National Guard or a newly enlisted member of the National Guard, the commanding officer shall furnish such member with a copy of the commanding officer's letter to the commissioner requesting the appropriate change in plate, which copy of such letter may be used by such member pending the issuance of the new plate. (c) The commissioner shall furnish to the sheriff of each county in the state an alphabetical arrangement of the list of names, addresses, and license plate letters of each person to whom a license plate is issued under this Code section, and it shall be the duty of the sheriffs of the state to maintain and to keep current such lists for public information and inquiry. (d) The commissioner shall make such rules and regulations as necessary to enforce compliance with all state license laws relating to the use and operation of a private passenger car before issuing National Guard plates in lieu of the regular Georgia license plates, and all applications for such plates shall be made to the commissioner. The commissioner is specifically authorized to make all rules and regulations necessary to make adequate provision for instances where such vehicles have been transferred or sold. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, such plates shall be nontransferable. (e) The spouse of a member of the National Guard who is killed while serving in a combat arena shall continue to be eligible to be issued a distinctive license plate as provided in this Code section so long as such spouse does not remarry.

Legislative History

Amended by 2023 Ga. Laws 28,§ 3, eff. 1/1/2024. Amended by 2006 Ga. Laws 765,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2006.