A. The division shall issue special registration plates for up to two vehicles to any person who is a veteran and a bona fide purple heart medal recipient and who submits proof satisfactory to the division that the person has been awarded that medal, except that if a veteran is the recipient of more than two purple heart medals, the veteran shall be entitled to an additional special registration plate for each additional award of the purple heart medal. The plates shall have a distinctive design, different from the plates issued pursuant to Section 66-3-419 NMSA 1978, that emphasizes that the veteran is a purple heart recipient. No fee, including the regular registration fee applicable to the passenger motor vehicle, if any, shall be collected for the issuance of the special registration plates pursuant to this section. A person who is eligible for special registration plates pursuant to this section and also eligible for one or more special registration plates pursuant to Sections 66-3-406, 66-3-409, 66-3-411 and 66-3-412 NMSA 1978 shall be issued special registration plates pursuant to only one of those sections, the choice of which shall be made by the veteran.
B. No person shall falsely make any representation as being a purple heart veteran so as to be eligible to be issued special plates pursuant to this section when the person in fact is not a purple heart veteran.
C. Any person who violates the provisions of Subsection B of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
History: 1978 Comp., § 66-3-414, enacted by Laws 1987, ch. 23, § 1; 1989, ch. 77, § 1; 1993, ch. 180, § 5; 1995, ch. 8, § 4; 1997, ch. 158, § 1; 2008, ch. 32, § 1; 2014, ch. 42, § 1.
ANNOTATIONSThe 2014 amendment, effective May 21, 2014, authorized the issuance of additional purple heart special registration plates; and in Subsection A, after "the person has been awarded that medal", added "except that if a veteran is the recipient of more than two purple heart medals, the veteran shall be entitled to an additional special registration plate for each additional award of the purple heart medal".
The 2008 amendment, effective May 14, 2008, in Subsection A, provided that the plates shall have a distinctive design that emphasizes that the veteran is a purple heart recipient.
The 1997 amendment, effective June 20, 1997, in Subsection A, inserted "for up to two vehicles" following "special registration plates" in the first sentence; inserted "special registration plates pursuant to" preceding "only one" and substituted "of those sections, the choice of which shall be made by the veteran" for "special registration plate of his choice" in the third sentence; and made minor stylistic changes.
The 1995 amendment, effective June 16, 1995, deleted former Subsection D which barred issuance of special registration plates under this section after July 1, 1995.
The 1993 amendment, effective July 1, 1993, added Subsection D.
The 1989 amendment, effective June 16, 1989, in Subsection A, substituted "division" for "motor vehicle division of the transportation department" near the beginning of the first sentence and made minor stylistic changes in that sentence and substituted "including" for "in addition to" in the second sentence.