§ 404 — Issuance of special number plates

§ 404. Issuance of special number plates. 1. The commissioner may\nissue special number plates to applicants therefor in the same manner as\nother number plates are issued pursuant to this article. Such special\nnumber plates shall be issued only upon payment of an annual service\ncharge of thirty-one dollars and twenty-five cents in addition to the\nregular fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article.\nApplication for special number plates shall be made in accordance with\nregulations promulgated by the commissioner with respect to issuance of\nsuch number plates. Provided, however, in lieu of the annual fee\nspecified herein, the commissioner may establish specific categories of\nplates for which an annual fee of not less than eighteen dollars and\nseventy-five cents nor more than thirty-one dollars and twenty-five\ncents may be charged subject to the approval of the director of the\ndivision of the budget. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of\nthis section, the difference collected between the special plates fee or\nservice charge set forth in this subdivision in effect on and after\nSeptember first, two thousand nine and the special plates fee or service\ncharge set forth in this subdivision in effect prior to such date shall\nbe deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and bridge trust\nfund.\n 1-a. The commissioner may issue special number plates to applicants\nwho are members of veterans organizations in the same manner as other\nnumber plates are issued pursuant to this article. Such special number\nplates shall be issued only upon (a) payment of a one-time service\ncharge of ten dollars in addition to the regular registration fee\nprescribed by section four hundred one of this article, and (b)\nsubmission of proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the\napplicant is presently a member of the veterans organization for which\nsuch plate is requested. Such membership shall be verified annually by\nthe applicant. Application for such plates shall be made in accordance\nwith regulations promulgated by the commissioner with respect to the\nissuance of such plates. Provided, however, that nothing contained\nherein shall be deemed to supersede the provisions of section four\nhundred four-d, four hundred four-e, four hundred four-h, four hundred\nfour-i, four hundred four-j, four hundred four-k, four hundred four-p,\nfour hundred four-aa, or four hundred four-dd of this article.\n 2. For purposes of this section, a special number plate shall be a\nplate which contains not more than eight letters, numerals or any\ncombination thereof and which is reserved by the commissioner for\nissuance in accordance with the provisions of this section, or a plate\nreserved for issuance in a series for vehicles owned by public officers,\nphysicians, visiting nurses, accredited representatives of the press or\nother groups. In issuing special number plates the commissioner shall\ngive those applicants who held a special number plate at the time of the\nenactment of this section the right to retain such special number plate\nupon the payment of the annual service charge of thirty-one dollars and\ntwenty-five cents. Provided, however, that such right of retention shall\napply only to the first renewal of the registration of such special\nnumber plate following the enactment of this section. Notwithstanding\nany inconsistent provision of this section, the difference collected\nbetween the annual service charge set forth in this subdivision in\neffect on and after September first, two thousand nine and the annual\nservice charge set forth in this subdivision in effect prior to such\ndate shall be deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and\nbridge trust fund.\n 3. This section shall not apply to any plates in a series reserved in\nthe public interest for purposes of facilitating identification of state\nand municipal vehicles and those owned by members of international\ngovernmental organizations or any other vehicles which are exempt from\nthe payment of registration fees, nor to plates or series of plates\nassigned by the commissioner for issuance by county clerks.\n 4. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to require the\ncommissioner to issue a special number plate or plates.\n