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AN ACT relating to special license plates. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 186.162 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) As used in this section and in KRS 186.043, 186.164, 186.166, 186.1722, and 4
186.174: 5
(a) "Special license plate" means a unique license plate issued under this chapter 6
to a group or organization that readily identifies the operator of the motor 7
vehicle or motorcycle bearing the plate as a member of a group or 8
organization, or a supporter of the work, goals, or mission of a group or 9
organization. The term shall not include regular license plates issued under 10
KRS 186.240; 11
(b) "Street rod" means a modernized private passenger motor vehicle 12
manufactured prior to the year 1949, or designed or manufactured to resemble 13
a vehicle manufactured prior to 1949; 14
(c) "SF" means the portion of an initial or renewal fee to obtain a special license 15
plate that is dedicated for use by the Transportation Cabinet; 16
(d) "CF" means the county clerk's fee for issuing a motor vehicle registration as 17
established under KRS 186.040(1). If a CF amount is charged for a license 18
plate listed in this section, the applicant for that plate shall also pay the fees 19
identified in KRS 186.040(6). If a CF amount is not charged, the applicant 20
shall not be required to pay those fees; and 21
(e) "EF" means the portion of an initial or renewal fee to obtain a special license 22
plate that is mandated by this chapter to be dedicated for use by a particular 23
group or organization. 24
(2) The initial purchase fee and renewal fee for a special license plate created under this 25
chapter shall be as established in this subsection and includes the name of group or 26
organization and the total initial and renewal fee required for the plate. The amount 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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in parentheses indicates how the total fee is required to be divided: 1
(a) Disabled veterans who receive assistance to purchase a vehicle from the 2
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs, veterans declared by the 3
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs to be one hundred percent 4
(100%) service-connected disabled, and recipients of the Congressional 5
Medal of Honor: 6
1. Initial Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/$0 EF). 7
2. Renewal Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/$0 EF). 8
(b) Former prisoners of war and survivors of Pearl Harbor: 9
1. Initial Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 10
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 11
2. Renewal Fee: $6 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 12
(c) Members of the Kentucky National Guard and recipients of the Purple Heart: 13
1. Initial Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 14
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 15
2. Renewal Fee: $11 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 16
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 17
(d) Members of the Civil Air Patrol; active, retired, veteran, reserve, or auxiliary 18
members of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast 19
Guard; Merchant Marines who served between December 7, 1941, and 20
August 15, 1945; recipients of the Silver Star Medal, the Distinguished Flying 21
Cross, the Air Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Combat Infantry Badge, 22
or the Bronze Star Medal; persons who wish to receive Gold Star Mothers, 23
Gold Star Fathers, or Gold Star Spouses license plates beyond the two (2) 24
exempted from fees under KRS 186.041(6); individuals eligible for a special 25
military service academy license plate under KRS 186.041(8); individuals 26
eligible for a special military unit license plate under KRS 186.163; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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disabled veterans who have been declared to be between fifty percent (50%) 1
and ninety-nine percent (99%) service-connected disabled by the United 2
States Department of Veterans' Affairs: 3
1. Initial Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 4
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 5
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 6
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 7
(e) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force 8
Cross: 9
1. Initial Fee: $6 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 10
2. Renewal Fee: $6 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 11
(f) Disabled license plates: 12
1. Initial Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 13
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 14
(g) Historic vehicles: 15
1. Initial Fee for two plates: $56 ($50 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 16
2. Renewal Fee: Do not renew annually. 17
(h) Members of Congress: 18
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 19
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 20
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 21
(i) Firefighters: 22
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 23
Firefighters Association). 24
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 25
Firefighters Association). 26
(j) Emergency management: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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1. Initial Fee: $31 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 1
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 2
(k) Fraternal Order of Police: 3
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 4
FOP Death Benefit Fund). 5
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 6
FOP Death Benefit Fund). 7
(l) Law Enforcement Memorial: 8
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 9
Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, Inc.). 10
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 11
Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, Inc.). 12
(m) Personalized plates: 13
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 14
2. Renewal Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 15
(n) Street rods: 16
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 17
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 18
(o) Nature plates: 19
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky 20
Heritage Land Conservation Fund established under KRS 146.570). 21
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky 22
Heritage Land Conservation Fund established under KRS 146.570). 23
(p) Amateur radio: 24
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 25
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 26
(q) Kentucky General Assembly: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 1
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 2
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 3
(r) Kentucky Court of Justice: 4
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 5
2. Renewal Fee: $11 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 6
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 7
(s) Masons: 8
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Masonic 9
Homes of Kentucky). 10
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Masonic 11
Homes of Kentucky). 12
(t) Collegiate plates: 13
1. Initial Fee: $53 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the general 14
scholarship fund of the university whose name will be borne on the 15
plate). 16
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the general 17
scholarship fund of the university whose name will be borne on the 18
plate). 19
(u) Independent Colleges: 20
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Association of 21
Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities for distribution to the 22
general scholarship funds of the Association's members). 23
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Association of 24
Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities for distribution to the 25
general scholarship funds of the Association's members). 26
(v) Child Victims: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the child victims' 1
trust fund established under KRS 41.400). 2
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the child victims' 3
trust fund established under KRS 41.400). 4
(w) Kentucky Horse Council: 5
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 6
Horse Council). 7
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the Kentucky 8
Horse Council). 9
(x) Ducks Unlimited: 10
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky Ducks 11
Unlimited). 12
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky Ducks 13
Unlimited). 14
(y) Spay neuter: 15
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the animal control 16
and care fund established under KRS 258.119). 17
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the animal control 18
and care fund established under KRS 258.119). 19
(z) Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Fathers, or Gold Star Spouses: 20
1. Initial Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/ $0 EF). 21
2. Renewal Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/ $0 EF). 22
3. A person may receive a maximum of two (2) plates under this paragraph 23
free of charge and may purchase additional plates for fees as established 24
in subsection (2)(d) of this section. 25
(aa) I Support Veterans: 26
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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Department of Veterans' Affairs). 1
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the Kentucky 2
Department of Veterans' Affairs). 3
(ab) Gold Star Siblings, Gold Star Sons, or Gold Star Daughters: 4
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the veterans' 5
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 6
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 7
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 8
(ac) POW/MIA Awareness: 9
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the veterans' program 10
trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 11
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the veterans' 12
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 13
(ad) Special license plates established under KRS 186.164: 14
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF). 15
2. Renewal Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF). 16
(3) Any special license plate may be combined with a personalized license plate for a 17
twenty-five dollar ($25) state fee in addition to all other fees for the particular 18
special license plate established in this section and in KRS 186.164(3). The twenty-19
five dollar ($25) fee required under this subsection shall be divided between the 20
cabinet and the county clerk of the county where the applicant is applying for the 21
license plate with the cabinet receiving twenty dollars ($20) and the county clerk 22
receiving five dollars ($5). 23
(4) (a) A sponsoring organization of any special license plate issued under this 24
section or any special license plate established under the provisions of KRS 25
186.164 may petition the cabinet for the production of that special license 26
plate for motorcycles. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 478
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(b) The cabinet shall make all of the special military license plates in this 1
section available for motorcycles owned or leased by eligible individuals. 2
(c) Owners and lessees of motorcycles registered under KRS 186.050(2) may be 3
eligible to receive special license plates approved by the cabinet under 4
paragraphs (a) and (b)[paragraph (a)] of this subsection. Applicants for a 5
special license plate for a motorcycle shall be required to pay the fee for a 6
special plate as prescribed in this section or in KRS 186.164. The fee paid for 7
the special plate for a motorcycle shall be in lieu of the registration fee 8
required under KRS 186.050(2). 9
Section 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2024. 10