License Plates for Veterans Awarded Purple Heart

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Motor Vehicles and Traffic
  4. Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicles
  5. Prestige License Plates and Special Plates for Certain Persons and Vehicles
  6. License Plates for Veterans Awarded Purple Heart

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    1. Motor vehicle or motorcycle owners who are veterans of the armed forces of the United States who have been awarded the Purple Heart citation shall be eligible to receive a special and distinctive vehicle license plate for a private passenger car, motorcycle, trailer, or truck used for personal transportation, provided that the requisite number of applications is received by the commissioner as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section. Such license plate shall be issued in compliance with the state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles as prescribed in Article 2 of this chapter.
    2. For purposes of this Code section, the term "veteran" shall include a member of the armed forces or reserves who is still serving on active duty after being awarded the Purple Heart citation.
  2. A veteran who qualifies for the special and distinctive license plate pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section shall make application therefor with the commissioner and include the requisite fee. Said applicant may apply for and be limited to not more than one free license plate at a time; provided, however, that upon payment of the regular license fee provided for in Code Section 40-2-151 and payment of the manufacturing fee provided for in this Code section, a veteran may obtain an additional such license plate. The commissioner shall retain all applications received for such special and distinctive license plate until a minimum of 250 applications have been received. After receipt of 250 applications for such distinctive license plate, the commissioner shall design a distinctive license plate as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section and issue the distinctive license plates to present and future qualifying applicants. If the commissioner does not receive the required minimum 250 applications no later than July 31 of the year preceding the year of issuance of such plates, the commissioner shall not accept any applications for nor issue such distinctive license plates and all fees shall be refunded to applicants. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to enforce compliance with all state license laws relating to the use and operation of private passenger cars, motorcycles, and trucks before issuing these license plates in lieu of the regular Georgia license plates. The manufacturing fee for each additional special and distinctive license plate shall be $25.00. The commissioner is specifically authorized to promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to ensure compliance in instances where such vehicles have been transferred or sold. Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, such plates shall be nontransferable.
  3. The special and distinctive vehicle license plates shall be as prescribed in Article 2 of this chapter for private passenger cars, motorcycles, or trucks used for personal transportation. 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 Purple Heart recipient. For any redesigned plates issued on or after January 1, 2006, such inscription shall include the designation "Combat Wounded."
  4. The license plate issued pursuant to this Code section shall be transferred between vehicles as provided in Code Section 40-2-80. The spouse of a deceased veteran of the armed forces of the United States who was awarded the Purple Heart citation shall continue to be eligible to be issued a distinctive personalized license plate as provided in this Code section for any vehicle owned by such veteran ownership of which is transferred to the surviving spouse or for any other vehicle owned by such surviving spouse either at the time of the qualifying veteran's death or acquired thereafter, so long as such person does not remarry.
  5. For each additional special license plate issued under this Code section there shall be an additional $25.00 annual registration fee 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.

(Code 1981, §40-2-84, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1316, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1145, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 40; Ga. L. 1992, p. 779, § 13; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1793, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 40; Ga. L. 1994, p. 564, § 1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 419, § 29; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1179, § 25; Ga. L. 2000, p. 830, § 3; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1074, § 5; Ga. L. 2005, p. 1159, § 5/SB 168; Ga. L. 2012, p. 110, § 1/SB 473; Ga. L. 2012, p. 155, § 4/HB 732.)

Cross references.

- Purple Heart Day, § 1-4-21.

Veterans awarded Purple Heart exempt from ad valorem taxes provided license plate issued under Code Section40-2-84, § 48-5-478.2.

Code Commission notes.

- Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1990, this Code section, which was enacted as Code Section 40-2-75.3, was renumbered as Code Section 40-2-84, and a reference to Code Section 40-2-80 was substituted for a reference to Code Section 40-2-76 in subsection (d).

Editor's notes.

- Ga. L. 2002, p. 1074, § 8, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "This Act shall not abate any prosecution, punishment, penalty, administrative proceedings or remedies, or civil action related to any violation of law committed prior to the effective date of this Act." The act became effective July 1, 2002.

Administrative Rules and Regulations.

- Purple heart recipient license plates, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division, Issuance of Special Prestige License Plates, § 560-10-22-.07.

Law reviews.

- For article commenting on the 1997 amendment of this Code section, see 14 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 215 (1997).


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