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Regular Session, 2010
SENATE BILL NO. 440
BY SENATOR RISER
MOTOR VEHICLES. Provides relative to military honor license plates to be allowed on
motorcycles. (8/15/10)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 47:490.2(B), 490.3(A), 490.5(B), 490.6(A), 490.8(A), 490.9(A),2
490.10(A), 490.11(A), 490.12(A), 490.13(A), 490.14(A), 490.15(A), 490.17(A),3
490.18(B), 490.19(A), 490.20(B), and 490.21(B), relative to military honor license4
plates; to provide for all such license plates for motorcycles; and to provide for5
related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R.S. 47:490.2(B), 490.3(A), 490.5(B), 490.6(A), 490.8(A), 490.9(A),8
490.10(A), 490.11(A), 490.12(A), 490.13(A), 490.14(A), 490.15(A), 490.17(A), 490.18(B),9
490.19(A), 490.20(B), and 490.21(B) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:10
§490.2. Military honor license plates for former prisoners of war11
* * *12
B. Upon application of a former prisoner of war, the secretary shall issue13
military honor license plates, to be used in lieu of the regular motor vehicle14
registration license plates for passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational vehicles,15
motorcycles, and vans, which plates shall contain the designation "XPOW"16
followed by such numbers as the secretary finds expedient. The applicant shall17 SB NO. 440
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comply with the state laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles1
and shall, at the time of application, present such proof of status as a former prisoner2
of war as shall be acceptable to the secretary.3
* * *4
§490.3. Military honor license plates for members of the Louisiana National Guard5
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall6
establish military honor license plates for passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans,7
motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and motor homes that may be issued to any8
active member of the Louisiana National Guard upon such member's application.9
The license plate shall bear either the official emblem of the guard or the letters10
"LANG" followed by such numbers as the secretary finds expedient, and he shall11
establish such rules and regulations as are necessary.12
* * *13
§490.5. Military honor license plates for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients14
* * *15
B. Upon application of a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, the16
secretary shall issue a military honor license plate to be used in lieu of the regular17
motor vehicle registration license plates on passenger cars, pickup trucks,18
recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans. The center portion shall have the19
state seal on the left, the owner's initials in the center, with such license numbers as20
the secretary finds expedient underneath, and the seal of the Congressional Medal21
of Honor Society on the right. The words "Congressional Medal of Honor" shall be22
printed across the bottom of the license plate. With the exception of these special23
designations, the overall design and color of the plate shall be in general compliance24
with R.S. 47:463(A)(3). The applicant shall comply with the state laws relating to25
registration and licensing of motor vehicles and shall, at the time of application,26
present such proof of status as a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient as shall be27
acceptable to the secretary.28
* * *29 SB NO. 440
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§490.6. Military honor license plates for participants in Operation Desert1
Shield/Desert Storm2
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall3
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,4
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued5
upon application of any citizen of Louisiana who was a member of the United States6
armed forces or of the Coast Guard who served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert7
Storm as certified by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.8
* * *9
§490.8. Military honor license plates for Louisiana members and retired members10
of the reserve forces of the United States11
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall12
establish military honor license plates that may be issued, upon application, to any13
citizen of Louisiana who is an active member of the military reserve forces of the14
United States. The license plate shall bear either the official emblem of such reserve15
forces or the words "U.S. Reserve Forces" and such numbers as the secretary finds16
expedient, and he shall establish such rules and regulations as are necessary. The17
plates provided for herein shall be surrendered to the secretary upon termination of18
active military reserve duty. The license plate shall be available for use on19
passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans.20
* * *21
§490.9. Military honor license plates; World War II veterans22
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall23
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,24
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued25
upon application of any citizen of Louisiana who was a member of the United States26
armed forces or of the Coast Guard who served in World War II.27
* * *28
§490.10. Military honor license plates for certain veterans of the United States29 SB NO. 440
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Marine Corps1
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall2
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,3
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued,4
upon application, to any veteran of the United States Marine Corps who is a member5
of the Marine Corps League. The license plate shall be of a color and design selected6
by the secretary.7
* * *8
§490.11. Military honor license plates for Laos War veterans9
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall10
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,11
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued,12
upon application, to any veteran who served in the Laos War after July 1, 1961, and13
before July 1, 1978. The military honor license plates shall be of a color and design14
which are in compliance with R.S. 47:463(A)(3). However, the plate shall bear the15
inscription "Laos War Vet."16
* * *17
§490.12. Military honor license plates; veterans of the Cold War18
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall19
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,20
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued,21
upon application, to any veteran or retired veteran of the armed forces of the United22
States who served at a time during the Cold War which began on May 8, 1945, and23
terminated on December 25, 1991. The license plate shall be of a color and design24
which is in general compliance with R.S. 47:463(A)(3). However, the plate shall bear25
the name of the appropriate branch of the armed services and shall designate "COLD26
WAR VETERAN" or "RETIRED COLD WAR VETERAN" as the case may be.27
* * *28
§490.13. Military honor license plates for veterans of the Vietnamese Conflict29 SB NO. 440
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A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall1
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,2
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued,3
upon application, to any veteran or retired veteran of the armed forces of the United4
States who served in the Vietnamese Conflict. The license plate shall be of a color5
and design which is in general compliance with R.S. 47:463(A)(3). However, the6
plate shall bear the name of the appropriate branch of the armed service and shall7
designate "VIETNAM VETERAN" or "RETIRED VIETNAM VETERAN" as the8
case may be.9
* * *10
§490.14. Military honor license plates for veterans of the Korean War11
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall12
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,13
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued,14
upon application, to any veteran or retired veteran of the armed forces of the United15
States who served in the Korean War. The license plate shall be of a color and design16
which is in general compliance with R.S. 47:463(A)(3). However, the plate shall bear17
the name of the appropriate branch of the armed service and the words "KOREAN18
WAR".19
* * *20
§490.15. Military honor license plates for veterans of the United States Merchant21
Marine22
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall23
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,24
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued,25
upon application, to any veteran of the United States Merchant Marine. The military26
honor license plate shall be of a color and design selected by the secretary and shall27
bear the words "US Veteran" and the letters "USMM."28
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§490.17. Military honor license plates for survivors of Pearl Harbor1
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall2
establish military honor license plates for motor vehicles restricted to passenger cars,3
pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, which may be issued4
upon application to any person who is a survivor of Pearl Harbor. The license plates5
shall be designed to indicate that the recipient of the plate is a survivor of the6
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor if he or she:7
* * *8
§490.18. Military honor license plates for "Purple Heart" recipients9
* * *10
B. Upon application of a "Purple Heart" recipient, the secretary shall issue11
a military honor license plate to be used in lieu of a regular motor vehicle registration12
plate on passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and13
vans. The license plate shall bear a number prefixed by "PH". "PURPLE HEART"14
shall be printed under the number.15
* * *16
§490.19. Military honor license plates; U.S. Army Airborne17
A. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall18
establish a military honor license plate to be known as the U.S. Army Airborne plate.19
The license plates shall be restricted to use on passenger cars, pickup trucks,20
recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans.21
* * *22
§490.20. Military honor license plates; Iraq Campaign Veteran23
* * *24
B. Upon application of an Iraq Campaign Medal recipient, the secretary of25
the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall issue a military honor license26
plate to be used in lieu of a regular motor vehicle registration plate. The license27
plates shall be restricted to use on passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational28
vehicles, motorcycles, and vans. The military honor license plate shall be known as29 SB NO. 440
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the "Iraq Campaign Veteran" license plate and shall bear a likeness of the Iraq1
Campaign Medal centered on the left side of the license plate and the words "Iraq2
Campaign Veteran" centered on the bottom of the plate under the license plate3
number.4
* * *5
§490.21. Military honor license plates; "Afghanistan Campaign Veteran"6
* * *7
B. Upon application of an Afghanistan Campaign Medal recipient, the8
secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall issue a military9
honor license plate to be used in lieu of a regular motor vehicle registration plate.10
The license plates shall be restricted to use on passenger cars, pickup trucks,11
recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans. The military honor license plate shall12
be known as the "Afghanistan Campaign Veteran" license plate and shall bear a13
likeness of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal centered on the left side of the license14
plate and the words "Afghanistan Campaign Veteran" centered on the bottom of the15
plate under the license plate number.16
* * *17
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
Riser (SB 440)
Present law failed, in certain instances, to provide for military honor license plates to be
available for motorcycles.
Proposed law includes motorcycles in each listing of the applicable vehicles for military
honor license plates.
Effective August 15, 2010.
(Amends R.S. 47:490.2(B), 490.3(A), 490.5(B), 490.6(A), 490.8(A), 490.9(A), 490.10(A),
490.11(A), 490.12(A), 490.13(A), 490.14(A), 490.15(A), 490.17(A), 490.18(B), 490.19(A),
490.20(B), and 490.21(B))