| 33 | 18 | | therefor, be issued a free motor vehicle license plate. As used in this Code section, the14 |
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| 34 | 19 | | term 'disabled veteran' shall have the same meaning as that term is defined in 'totally15 |
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| 35 | 20 | | H. B. 583 (SUB) |
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| 36 | 21 | | - 1 - 25 LC 39 4705S |
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| 37 | 22 | | disabled veteran' means an individual who qualifies as a disabled veteran pursuant to16 |
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| 38 | 23 | | paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 48-5-48.17 |
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| 39 | 24 | | (b) Any totally disabled veteran shall, upon proper application therefor, be issued a free18 |
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| 40 | 25 | | motor vehicle license plate plates for up to two motorcycles or passenger cars for personal19 |
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| 41 | 26 | | use registered pursuant to this chapter in his or her name upon presentation of proof that20 |
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| 42 | 27 | | he or she qualifies as a totally disabled veteran. A totally disabled veteran who claims that21 |
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| 43 | 28 | | his or her disability is permanent applying for license plates pursuant to this Code section22 |
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| 44 | 29 | | shall furnish proof of such permanent disability through a letter from the United States23 |
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| 45 | 30 | | Department of Veterans Affairs.24 |
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| 46 | 31 | | (c)(1) Once a totally disabled veteran has established his or her eligibility to receive free25 |
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| 47 | 32 | | motor vehicle license plates as a result of being permanently disabled pursuant to this26 |
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| 48 | 33 | | Code section, he or she shall be entitled to receive free license plates or free revalidation27 |
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| 49 | 34 | | decals in succeeding years on any automobile, private passenger pickup truck,28 |
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| 50 | 35 | | motorcycle, station wagon, or van type vehicle of three-quarter tons or less for up to two29 |
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| 51 | 36 | | motorcycles or passenger cars for personal use registered pursuant to this chapter that he30 |
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| 52 | 37 | | or she may own or jointly with his or her spouse or minor child own or acquire in the31 |
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| 53 | 38 | | future.32 |
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| 54 | 39 | | (2) Once a disabled veteran has established his or her eligibility to receive free motor33 |
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| 55 | 40 | | vehicle license plates but his or her disability has not been determined to be a permanent34 |
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| 56 | 41 | | disability, he or she shall be entitled to receive free plates or free revalidation decals in35 |
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| 57 | 42 | | succeeding years upon furnishing, on an annual basis, proof of his or her status as a36 |
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| 58 | 43 | | disabled veteran through a letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. 37 |
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| 59 | 44 | | Such free plates or free revalidation decals shall apply to any automobile, private38 |
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| 60 | 45 | | passenger pickup truck, motorcycle, station wagon, or van type vehicle of three-quarter39 |
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| 61 | 46 | | tons or less that he or she may own or jointly with his or her spouse or minor child own40 |
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| 62 | 47 | | or acquire in the future.41 |
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| 63 | 48 | | H. B. 583 (SUB) |
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| 64 | 49 | | - 2 - 25 LC 39 4705S |
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| 65 | 50 | | (3)(2)(A) Up to four Two license plates or revalidation decals each year shall be42 |
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| 66 | 51 | | furnished for motor vehicles other than motorcycles to totally disabled veterans43 |
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| 67 | 52 | | qualifying under this Code section unless the originals are lost. Such license plates44 |
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| 68 | 53 | | shall be fastened to both the front and the rear of the motor vehicle.45 |
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| 69 | 54 | | (B) Up to two license plates or revalidation decals One license plate or revalidation46 |
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| 70 | 55 | | decal each year shall be furnished for motorcycles to totally disabled veterans47 |
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| 71 | 56 | | qualifying under this Code section unless the original is lost. Such license plate shall48 |
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| 72 | 57 | | be fastened to the rear of the vehicle.49 |
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| 73 | 58 | | (4)(3) In the event of the death of the person who received the special license plates50 |
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| 74 | 59 | | pursuant to this Code section, upon complying with the motor vehicle laws relating to51 |
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| 75 | 60 | | registration and licensing of motor vehicles, his or her unremarried surviving spouse or52 |
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| 76 | 61 | | minor child may continue to receive the free special license plates authorized by this53 |
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| 77 | 62 | | Code section and revalidation decals until the remarriage of the surviving spouse or death54 |
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| 78 | 63 | | of the surviving spouse or minor child."55 |
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| 79 | 64 | | SECTION 2.56 |
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| 80 | 65 | | Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 40-2-70, relating to license plates57 |
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| 81 | 66 | | for veterans not qualifying as totally disabled, as follows:58 |
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| 82 | 67 | | "40-2-70.59 |
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| 83 | 68 | | (a) Any citizen and resident of the State of Georgia this state who has been discharged60 |
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| 84 | 69 | | from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable or who is currently serving61 |
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| 85 | 70 | | in the armed forces, who is disabled to any degree specified and enumerated in Code62 |
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| 86 | 71 | | Section 40-2-69, and who is the owner of a private passenger motor vehicle, but who63 |
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| 87 | 72 | | cannot qualify under but does not qualify as totally disabled pursuant to paragraph (1) of64 |
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| 88 | 73 | | subsection (a) of Code Section 48-5-48 for purposes of qualification for a license plate65 |
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| 89 | 74 | | issued pursuant to Code Section 40-2-69, shall be entitled to a special and distinctive66 |
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| 90 | 75 | | automobile license plate license plates for up to two motorcycles or passenger cars for67 |
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| 91 | 76 | | H. B. 583 (SUB) |
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| 92 | 77 | | - 3 - 25 LC 39 4705S |
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| 93 | 78 | | personal use registered pursuant to this chapter in his or her name. Such license plate68 |
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| 94 | 79 | | plates shall be transferred to another vehicle acquired by such veteran or jointly by such69 |
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| 95 | 80 | | veteran and his or her spouse as provided in Code Section 40-2-80. Such veteran shall be70 |
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| 96 | 81 | | entitled to such plate license plates issued pursuant to this Code section regardless of71 |
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| 97 | 82 | | whether he or she is suffering from a service connected or nonservice connected disability.72 |
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| 98 | 83 | | (b) Upon proper application and Such veteran must apply for such license plate and, upon73 |
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| 99 | 84 | | compliance with the state motor vehicle laws for licensing of motor vehicles and without74 |
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| 100 | 85 | | payment of the regular license fee for plates as prescribed under Article 7 of this chapter,75 |
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| 101 | 86 | | such veteran a disabled veteran who does not qualify for license plates pursuant to Code76 |
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| 102 | 87 | | Section 40-2-69 shall be issued similar license plates as prescribed in Code Section 40-2-7177 |
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| 103 | 88 | | for private passenger cars up to two motorcycles or passenger cars for personal use. There78 |
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| 104 | 89 | | shall be no charge for the additional plate issued such veteran under this Code section. 79 |
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| 105 | 90 | | There shall be no charge for revalidation decals for such plates license plates issued80 |
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| 106 | 91 | | pursuant to this Code section.81 |
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| 107 | 92 | | (c) For purposes of applying for license plates issued pursuant to this Code section, If a82 |
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| 108 | 93 | | veteran who has not been certified as disabled by the United States Department of Veterans83 |
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| 109 | 94 | | Affairs, such veteran may submit to the Department of Veterans Service such veteran's84 |
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| 110 | 95 | | discharge papers and a certified statement from a physician, licensed under Chapter 34 of85 |
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| 111 | 96 | | Title 43, certifying that, in the opinion of such physician, such veteran is disabled to a86 |
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| 112 | 97 | | degree enumerated in Code Section 40-2-69. If the certificate from the physician indicates87 |
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| 113 | 98 | | the qualifying disabilities which meet the standards of the United States Department of88 |
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| 114 | 99 | | Veterans Affairs, the commissioner of veterans service shall submit a letter to the state89 |
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| 115 | 100 | | revenue commissioner indicating that the veteran meets the requirements of this Code90 |
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| 116 | 101 | | section and qualifies for a special license plate plates as provided in this Code section.91 |
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| 117 | 102 | | (d) Once a disabled veteran has established his or her eligibility to receive free motor92 |
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| 118 | 103 | | vehicle license plates pursuant to this Code section but his or her disability has not been93 |
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| 119 | 104 | | determined to be a permanent disability, he or she shall be entitled to receive free license94 |
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| 120 | 105 | | H. B. 583 (SUB) |
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| 121 | 106 | | - 4 - 25 LC 39 4705S |
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| 122 | 107 | | plates or free revalidation decals in succeeding years upon furnishing, on an annual basis,95 |
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| 123 | 108 | | proof of his or her status as a disabled veteran through a letter from the United States96 |
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| 124 | 109 | | Department of Veterans Affairs. Such free license plates or free revalidation decals shall97 |
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| 125 | 110 | | be for up to two motorcycles or passenger cars for personal use registered pursuant to this98 |
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| 126 | 111 | | chapter that he or she may own or jointly with his or her spouse or minor child own or99 |
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| 127 | 112 | | acquire in the future."100 |
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| 128 | 113 | | SECTION 3.101 |
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| 129 | 114 | | Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 40-2-71, relating to design of102 |
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| 130 | 115 | | disabled veteran license plates and restrictions on issuance and transfer, as follows:103 |
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| 131 | 116 | | "40-2-71.104 |
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| 132 | 117 | | (a) The commissioner is directed to furnish the license plates provided for in Code105 |
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| 133 | 118 | | Sections 40-2-69 and 40-2-70. Such plates shall be printed in three colors: red, white, and106 |
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| 134 | 119 | | blue. The commissioner is authorized and directed to design the license plate. Each107 |
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| 135 | 120 | | license plate shall contain, in bold characters, the name of the state, or abbreviation thereof,108 |
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| 136 | 121 | | the year, the serial number, either the words 'Disabled Veteran' or 'Disabled Vet,' and an109 |
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| 137 | 122 | | image of the International Symbol of Access which is at least one inch in height and is110 |
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| 138 | 123 | | white on a blue background.111 |
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| 139 | 124 | | (b) Such license plates so issued shall be transferred to another vehicle as provided in112 |
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| 140 | 125 | | Code Section 40-2-80.113 |
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| 141 | 126 | | (c) No disabled veteran shall be entitled to own or operate more than one vehicle two114 |
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| 142 | 127 | | vehicles with the free license plates provided by Code Sections 40-2-69, 40-2-70, and this115 |
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| 143 | 128 | | Code section."116 |
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| 144 | 129 | | SECTION 4.117 |
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| 145 | 130 | | This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2026.118 |
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| 146 | 131 | | H. B. 583 (SUB) |
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| 147 | 132 | | - 5 - 25 LC 39 4705S |
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