1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to transportation; establishing a special license plate for veterans who
1.3 received the Army of Occupation Medal; making technical changes; amending
1.4 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168.123.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168.123, is amended to read:
1.7 168.123 VETERANS; SPECIAL PLATES.
1.8 Subdivision 1.General requirements; fees.(a) On payment of a fee in the amount
1.9specified for special plates under section 168.12, subdivision 5, for each set of two plates,
1.10or for a single plate in the case of a motorcycle plate, payment of the registration tax required
1.11by law, and compliance with other applicable laws relating to vehicle registration and
1.12licensing, as applicable, the commissioner shall must issue:
1.13 (1) special veteran's plates to an applicant who:
1.14 (1) served in the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of the United
1.15States or of a nation or society allied with the United States in conducting a foreign war,;
1.16 (2) was discharged under honorable conditions, and;
1.17 (3) is a registered owner of a passenger automobile, recreational motor vehicle, or one-ton
1.18pickup truck, but which is not a commercial motor vehicle as defined in section 169.011,
1.19subdivision 16; or and
1.20 (4) meets the requirements for the specific special plate design under this section.
1Section 1.
REVISOR KRB/ES 25-0204801/09/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 833
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Dotseth02/17/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Transportation Finance and Policy 2.1 (2) a veteran's special motorcycle plate as described in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), (e),
2.2(f), (h), (i), (j), or (m), or another special plate designed by the commissioner to an applicant
2.3who is a registered owner of a motorcycle and meets the criteria listed in this paragraph and
2.4in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), (e), (f), (h), (i), (j), or (m).
2.5 (b) The commissioner must issue special veteran's motorcycle plates to an applicant who
2.6is a registered owner of a motorcycle and otherwise meets the requirements under paragraph
2.7(a), except for the plate designs specified in subdivisions 2c, 2d, 2e, 2h, 2j, and 2k. Special
2.8veteran's motorcycle plates issued under this clause section must be the same size as regular
2.9motorcycle plates. Special motorcycle license plates issued under this clause and are not
2.10subject to section 168.1293.
2.11 (b) (c) The additional fee for special plates is payable for each set of veteran's plates, is
2.12payable only when the plates are issued, and is not payable in a year in which stickers are
2.13issued instead of plates.
2.14 (c) (d) The veteran must have a certified copy of the veteran's discharge papers, indicating
2.15character of discharge, at the time of application. If an applicant served in the active military
2.16service in a branch of the armed forces of a nation or society allied with the United States
2.17in conducting a foreign war and is unable to obtain a record of that service and discharge
2.18status, the commissioner of veterans affairs may certify the applicant as qualified for the
2.19veterans' plates provided under this section.
2.20 Subd. 2.Design.The commissioner of veterans affairs shall must design the emblem
2.21for the veterans' special plates, subject to the approval of the commissioner, that satisfy the
2.22following requirements: and as specified in this section.
2.23 Subd. 2b.Vietnam veteran.(a) For a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961,
2.24and before July 1, 1978, in the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of the
2.25United States or a nation or society allied with the United States the special plates must bear
2.26the inscription "VIETNAM VET."
2.27 Subd. 2c.Pearl Harbor survivor.(b) For a veteran stationed on the island of Oahu,
2.28Hawaii, or offshore, during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the special
2.29plates must bear the inscription "PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR."
2.30 Subd. 2d.World War II veteran.(c) For a veteran who served during World War II,
2.31the plates must bear the inscription "WORLD WAR VET."
2.32 Subd. 2e.Korean Conflict veteran.(d) For a veteran who served during the Korean
2.33Conflict, the special plates must bear the inscription "KOREAN VET."
2Section 1.
REVISOR KRB/ES 25-0204801/09/25 3.1 Subd. 2f.Purple Heart.(e) (a) For a combat wounded veteran who is a recipient of the
3.2Purple Heart medal, the plates must bear the inscription "COMBAT WOUNDED VET"
3.3and have a facsimile or an emblem of the official Purple Heart medal.
3.4 (b) A member of the United States armed forces who is serving actively in the military
3.5and who is a recipient of the Purple Heart medal is also eligible for this license plate the
3.6special plates under this subdivision. The commissioner of public safety shall must ensure
3.7that information regarding the required proof of eligibility for any applicant under this
3.8paragraph who has not yet been issued military discharge papers is distributed to the public
3.9officials responsible for administering this section.
3.10 Subd. 2g.Persian Gulf War veteran.(f) For a Persian Gulf War veteran, the plates
3.11must bear the inscription "GULF WAR VET." For the purposes of this section subdivision,
3.12"Persian Gulf War veteran" means a person who served on active duty after August 1, 1990,
3.13in a branch of the armed forces of the United States or a nation or society allied with the
3.14United States or the United Nations during Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm,
3.15or other military operation in the Persian Gulf area combat zone as designated in United
3.16States Presidential Executive Order No. 12744, dated January 21, 1991.
3.17 Subd. 2h.Laos War veteran.(g) For a veteran who served in the Laos War after July
3.181, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the inscription "LAOS WAR
3.19VET."
3.20 Subd. 2i.Campaign and service medals.(h) (a) For a veteran who is the recipient of:
3.21 (1) the Iraq Campaign Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of
3.22that medal and must bear the inscription "IRAQ WAR VET" directly below the special
3.23plate number;
3.24 (2) the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile
3.25of that medal and must bear the inscription "AFGHAN WAR VET" directly below the
3.26special plate number;
3.27 (3) the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must be
3.28inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription "GWOT VETERAN"
3.29directly below the special plate number; or
3.30 (4) the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must bear an appropriate
3.31inscription that includes a facsimile of that medal.
3.32 (i) (b) For a veteran who is the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
3.33the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the
3Section 1.
REVISOR KRB/ES 25-0204801/09/25 4.1inscription "GWOT VETERAN" directly below the special plate number. In addition, any
4.2member of the National Guard or other military reserves who has been ordered to federally
4.3funded state active service under United States Code, title 32, as defined in section 190.05,
4.4subdivision 5b, and who is the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, is
4.5eligible for the license plate described in this paragraph, irrespective of whether that person
4.6qualifies as a veteran under section 197.447.
4.7 (j) (c) For a veteran who is the recipient of the Korean Defense Service Medal, the special
4.8plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription
4.9"KOREAN DEFENSE SERVICE" directly below the special plate number.
4.10 (d) For a veteran who is the recipient of the Army of Occupation Medal, the special
4.11plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription "ARMY
4.12OF OCCUPATION" directly below the special plate number.
4.13 Subd. 2j.Bronze Star.(k) For a veteran who is a recipient of the Bronze Star medal,
4.14the plates must bear the inscription "BRONZE STAR VET" and have a facsimile or an
4.15emblem of the official Bronze Star medal.
4.16 Subd. 2k.Silver Star.(l) For a veteran who is a recipient of the Silver Star medal, the
4.17plates must bear the inscription "SILVER STAR VET" and have a facsimile or an emblem
4.18of the official Silver Star medal.
4.19 Subd. 2l.Woman veteran.(m) For a woman veteran, the plates must bear the inscription
4.20"WOMAN VETERAN" and have a facsimile or an emblem as designated by the
4.21commissioners of veterans affairs and public safety.
4.22 Subd. 4.Plates transfer.(a) On application to the commissioner and payment of a
4.23transfer fee of $5, special plates issued under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), may
4.24be transferred to another passenger automobile or recreational motor vehicle, or one-ton
4.25truck described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), if the subsequent vehicle is:
4.26 (1) qualified under subdivision 1 to bear the special plates; and
4.27 (2) registered to the same individual to whom the special plates were originally issued.
4.28 (b) On payment of a fee of $5, a plate issued under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause
4.29(2), may be transferred to another motorcycle registered to the individual to whom the plate
4.30was issued.
4.31 Subd. 6.Rules.The commissioner may adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure
4.32Act to govern the issuance and use of the special plates authorized by this section.
4Section 1.
REVISOR KRB/ES 25-0204801/09/25 5.1 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2026, and applies to special
5.2veteran's plates and special veteran's motorcycle plates issued on or after that date.
5Section 1.
REVISOR KRB/ES 25-0204801/09/25