§ 4503.29 — Program to establish and issue specialty license plates recognizing military service and military honors

Ohio § 4503.29

• Jurisdiction: Ohio
• Title 45: Motor Vehicles-Aeronautics-Watercraft
• Ch. 4503: Licensing Of Motor Vehicles

Text

(A) The director of veterans services in conjunction with the registrar of motor vehicles shall develop and maintain a program to establish and issue specialty license plates recognizing military service and military honors pertaining to valor and service.

(B) The director and the registrar shall jointly adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for purposes of establishing the program under this section. The director and registrar shall adopt the rules as soon as possible after June 29, 2018, but not later than nine months after June 29, 2018. The rules shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish specialty license plates recognizing military service;

(2) Establish specialty license plates recognizing military honors pertaining to valor and service;

(3) Establish eligibility criteria that apply to each specialty license plate issued under this section;

(4) Establish requirements governing any necessary documentary evidence required to be presented by an applicant for a specialty license plate issued under this section. The rules shall allow an applicant to present a veterans identification card issued in accordance with section317.241of the Revised Code in lieu of a copy of the applicant's DD-214 or an equivalent document. An applicant may be required to present additional evidence if the veterans identification card does not show all of the information needed for issuance of the specific nonstandard license plate requested by the applicant.

(5) Establish guidelines for the designs, markings, and inscriptions on a specialty license plate established under this section;

(6) Establish procedures for altering the designs, markings, or inscriptions on a specialty license plate established under this section;

(7) Prohibit specialty license plates established under this section from recognizing achievement awards or unit awards;

(8) Establish any other procedures or requirements that are necessary for the implementation and administration of this section.

(C) The rules adopted under division (B) of this section shall provide for the establishment of the military specialty license plates created prior to June 29, 2018, that are no longer codified in the Revised Code.

(D)(1) Any person who meets the applicable qualifications for the issuance of a specialty license plate established by rule adopted under division (B) of this section may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for the registration of any passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other vehicle the person owns or leases of a class approved by the registrar. The application may be combined with a request for a special reserved license plate under section4503.40or4503.42of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) Except as provided in division (D)(2)(b) of this section, upon receipt of an application for registration of a motor vehicle under this section and the required taxes and fees, compliance with all applicable laws relating to the registration of a motor vehicle, and, if necessary, upon presentation of the required documentary evidence, the registrar shall issue to the applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set of license plates and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section4503.191of the Revised Code.

(b) Any disabled veteran who qualifies to apply to the registrar for the registration of a motor vehicle under section4503.41of the Revised Code without the payment of any registration taxes or fees, may apply instead for registration of the motor vehicle under this section. The disabled veteran applying for registration under this section is not required to pay any registration taxes or fees as required by sections4503.038,4503.04,4503.10,4503.102, and4503.103of the Revised Code, any local motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, any fee charged under section4503.19of the Revised Code for up to two motor vehicles, including any motor vehicle registered under section4503.41of the Revised Code, or any fees associated with transferring a registration under section4503.12of the Revised Code. Upon receipt of an application for registration of the motor vehicle and presentation of any documentation the registrar may require by rule, the registrar shall issue to the applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set of license plates authorized under this section and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section4503.191of the Revised Code.

(3) The license plates shall display county identification stickers that identify the county of registration as required under section4503.19of the Revised Code.

Last updated July 21, 2025 at 10:56 AM

Legislative History

Effective: September 30, 2025 | Latest Legislation: House Bill 96 - 136th General Assembly