Upon receipt of an application for a special antique automobile plate, on a form prescribed by the department, and upon payment of the fee as prescribed in subsection (2) of this section, the tax collector shall issue to such applicant a special antique automobile plate on a permanent basis, and it shall bear no date, but shall bear the inscription "Antique Car-Mississippi" and, except as otherwise provided in this subsection (1), shall be valid without renewal as long as the automobile is in existence. Upon request by the applicant, the special antique automobile plate also may contain not more than six (6) letters of the alphabet and/or six (6) numbers along with the inscription "Antique Car-Mississippi." The purchaser of the special plate may choose the combination of such letters and/or numbers, but no two (2) motor vehicles shall have the same combination of letters and/or numbers. In the event that the same combination of letters and/or numbers has been chosen by two (2) or more purchasers, the Department of Revenue shall assign a different number to each such purchaser which shall appear on the license plate following the combination of letters and/or numbers; however, this combination shall not exceed six (6) letters and/or numbers. The combination of letters and/or numbers written across the license plate shall be sufficiently large to be easily read. No combination of letters and/or numbers which comprise words or expressions that are considered obscene, slandering, insulting or vulgar in ordinary usage shall be permitted, with the Commissioner of Revenue having the responsibility of making this determination. If, however, such license plate is issued in error or otherwise and is determined by the commissioner to be obscene, slanderous, insulting, vulgar or offensive, the commissioner shall notify the owner that the license plate must be surrendered and that another special antique automobile plate may be selected by him and issued at no cost. Should the vehicle owner not desire another special antique automobile plate, the fee for such plate shall be refunded. In the event the owner fails to surrender the license plate after receiving proper notification, the commissioner shall issue an order directing that the license plate be seized by agents of the Department of Revenue or any other duly authorized law enforcement personnel. In addition, a person issued a special antique automobile plate containing letters and/or numbers along with the inscription "Antique Car-Mississippi" must renew the plate every fifth year after the plate was originally issued or renewed, as the case may be. This special plate shall be issued for the applicant's use only for such automobile and in the event of a transfer of title, the owner shall surrender the special plate to the tax collector.
Such special antique automobile plate shall be issued in lieu of, and shall have the same legal significance as, ordinary registration plates.