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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 (Effective January 1, 2024) is amended to read as 3
follows: 4
(1) As used in this section and in KRS 186.043, 186.164, 186.166, 186.1722, and 5
186.174: 6
(a) "Special license plate" means a unique license plate issued under this chapter 7
to a group or organization that readily identifies the operator of the motor 8
vehicle or motorcycle bearing the plate as a member of a group or 9
organization, or a supporter of the work, goals, or mission of a group or 10
organization. The term shall not include regular license plates issued under 11
KRS 186.240; 12
(b) "Street rod" means a modernized private passenger motor vehicle 13
manufactured prior to the year 1949, or designed or manufactured to resemble 14
a vehicle manufactured prior to 1949; 15
(c) "SF" means the portion of an initial or renewal fee to obtain a special license 16
plate that is dedicated for use by the Transportation Cabinet; 17
(d) "CF" means the county clerk's fee for issuing a motor vehicle registration as 18
established under KRS 186.040(1). If a CF amount is charged for a license 19
plate listed in this section, the applicant for that plate shall also pay the fees 20
identified in KRS 186.040(6). If a CF amount is not charged, the applicant 21
shall not be required to pay those fees; and 22
(e) "EF" means the portion of an initial or renewal fee to obtain a special license 23
plate that is mandated by this chapter to be dedicated for use by a particular 24
group or organization. 25
(2) The initial purchase fee and renewal fee for a special license plate created under this 26
chapter shall be as established in this subsection and includes the name of group or 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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organization and the total initial and renewal fee required for the plate. The amount 1
in parentheses indicates how the total fee is required to be divided: 2
(a) Disabled veterans who receive assistance to purchase a vehicle from the 3
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs, veterans declared by the 4
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs to be one hundred percent 5
(100%) service-connected disabled, and recipients of the Congressional 6
Medal of Honor: 7
1. Initial Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/$0 EF). 8
2. Renewal Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/$0 EF). 9
(b) Former prisoners of war and survivors of Pearl Harbor: 10
1. Initial Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 11
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 12
2. Renewal Fee: $11[$6] ($0 SF/$6 CF/$5[$0] EF to the veterans' 13
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 14
(c) Members of the Kentucky National Guard and recipients of the Purple Heart: 15
1. Initial Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 16
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 17
2. Renewal Fee: $11 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 18
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 19
(d) Members of the Civil Air Patrol; active, retired, veteran, reserve, or auxiliary 20
members of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast 21
Guard; Merchant Marines who served between December 7, 1941, and 22
August 15, 1945; recipients of the Silver Star Medal, the Distinguished Flying 23
Cross, the Air Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Combat Infantry Badge, 24
or the Bronze Star Medal; persons who wish to receive Gold Star Mothers, 25
Gold Star Fathers, or Gold Star Spouses license plates beyond the two (2) 26
exempted from fees under KRS 186.041(6); individuals eligible for a special 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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military service academy license plate under KRS 186.041(8); individuals 1
eligible for a special military unit license plate under KRS 186.163; and 2
disabled veterans who have been declared to be between fifty percent (50%) 3
and ninety-nine percent (99%) service-connected disabled by the United 4
States Department of Veterans' Affairs: 5
1. Initial Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 6
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 7
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 8
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 9
(e) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force 10
Cross: 11
1. Initial Fee: $6 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 12
2. Renewal Fee: $6 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 13
(f) Disabled license plates: 14
1. Initial Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 15
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 16
(g) Historic vehicles: 17
1. Initial Fee for two plates: $56 ($50 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 18
2. Renewal Fee: Do not renew annually. 19
(h) Members of Congress: 20
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 21
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 22
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 23
(i) Firefighters: 24
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 25
Firefighters Association). 26
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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Firefighters Association). 1
(j) Emergency management: 2
1. Initial Fee: $31 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 3
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 4
(k) Fraternal Order of Police: 5
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 6
FOP Death Benefit Fund). 7
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 8
FOP Death Benefit Fund). 9
(l) Law Enforcement Memorial: 10
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 11
Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, Inc.). 12
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 13
Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, Inc.). 14
(m) Personalized plates: 15
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 16
2. Renewal Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 17
(n) Street rods: 18
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 19
2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 20
(o) Nature plates: 21
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky 22
Heritage Land Conservation Fund established under KRS 146.570). 23
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky 24
Heritage Land Conservation Fund established under KRS 146.570). 25
(p) Amateur radio: 26
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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2. Renewal Fee: $18 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 1
(q) Kentucky General Assembly: 2
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 3
2. Renewal Fee: $23 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 4
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 5
(r) Kentucky Court of Justice: 6
1. Initial Fee: $43 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$0 EF). 7
2. Renewal Fee: $11 ($0 SF/$6 CF/$5 EF to the veterans' 8
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 9
(s) Masons: 10
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Masonic 11
Homes of Kentucky). 12
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Masonic 13
Homes of Kentucky). 14
(t) Collegiate plates: 15
1. Initial Fee: $53 ($37 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the general 16
scholarship fund of the university whose name will be borne on the 17
plate). 18
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the general 19
scholarship fund of the university whose name will be borne on the 20
plate). 21
(u) Independent Colleges: 22
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Association of 23
Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities for distribution to the 24
general scholarship funds of the Association's members). 25
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Association of 26
Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities for distribution to the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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general scholarship funds of the Association's members). 1
(v) Child Victims: 2
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the child victims' 3
trust fund established under KRS 41.400). 4
2. Renewal Fee: $28[$23] ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10[$5] EF to the child 5
victims' trust fund established under KRS 41.400). 6
(w) Kentucky Horse Council: 7
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 8
Horse Council). 9
2. Renewal Fee: $28[$23] ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10[$5] EF to the Kentucky 10
Horse Council). 11
(x) Ducks Unlimited: 12
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky Ducks 13
Unlimited). 14
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to Kentucky Ducks 15
Unlimited). 16
(y) Spay neuter: 17
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the animal control 18
and care fund established under KRS 258.119). 19
2. Renewal Fee: $28[$23] ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10[$5] EF to the animal 20
control and care fund established under KRS 258.119). 21
(z) Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Fathers, or Gold Star Spouses: 22
1. Initial Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/ $0 EF). 23
2. Renewal Fee: $0 ($0 SF/$0 CF/ $0 EF). 24
3. A person may receive a maximum of two (2) plates under this paragraph 25
free of charge and may purchase additional plates for fees as established 26
in subsection (2)(d) of this section. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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(aa) I Support Veterans: 1
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the Kentucky 2
Department of Veterans' Affairs). 3
2. Renewal Fee: $28[$23] ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10[$5] EF to the Kentucky 4
Department of Veterans' Affairs). 5
(ab) Gold Star Siblings, Gold Star Sons, or Gold Star Daughters: 6
1. Initial Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the veterans' 7
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 8
2. Renewal Fee: $28[$23] ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10[$5] EF to the veterans' 9
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 10
(ac) POW/MIA Awareness: 11
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the veterans' 12
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 13
2. Renewal Fee: $28 ($12 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF to the veterans' 14
program trust fund established under KRS 40.460). 15
(ad) Special license plates established under KRS 186.164: 16
1. Initial Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF). 17
2. Renewal Fee: $41 ($25 SF/$6 CF/$10 EF). 18
(3) Any special license plate may be combined with a personalized license plate for a 19
twenty-five dollar ($25) state fee in addition to all other fees for the particular 20
special license plate established in this section and in KRS 186.164(3). The twenty-21
five dollar ($25) fee required under this subsection shall be divided between the 22
cabinet and the county clerk of the county where the applicant is applying for the 23
license plate with the cabinet receiving twenty dollars ($20) and the county clerk 24
receiving five dollars ($5). 25
(4) (a) A sponsoring organization of any special license plate issued under this 26
section or any special license plate established under the provisions of KRS 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 945
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186.164 may petition the cabinet for the production of that special license 1
plate for motorcycles. 2
(b) The cabinet shall make all of the special military license plates in this section 3
available for motorcycles owned or leased by eligible individuals. 4
(c) Owners and lessees of motorcycles registered under KRS 186.050(2) may be 5
eligible to receive special license plates approved by the cabinet under 6
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection. Applicants for a special license plate 7
for a motorcycle shall be required to pay the fee for a special plate as 8
prescribed in this section or in KRS 186.164. The fee paid for the special plate 9
for a motorcycle shall be in lieu of the registration fee required under KRS 10
186.050(2). 11
Section 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2025. 12