License plates for members of the Georgia State Defense Force

(a) For purposes of this Code section, the term “Georgia State Defense Force” means that organization established pursuant to Part 3 of Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 38. (b)(1) Motor vehicle and trailer owners who are members of the Georgia State Defense Force shall be eligible to receive special and distinctive vehicle license plates for private passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles used for personal transportation. Such license plates shall be issued in compliance with the state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles as prescribed in Article 2 of this chapter. 262 40-2-81 REGISTRATION/LICENSING OF MOTOR VEH. 40-2-81 (2)(A) Motor vehicle and trailer owners who are members of the Georgia State Defense Force shall be issued upon application for and upon compliance with the state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles a Georgia State Defense Force member license plate. One such license plate shall be issued without the requisite registration fee, manufacturing fee, or annual registration fee. (B) Each member of the Georgia State Defense Force shall be entitled to no more than one such free license plate at a time; provided, however, that, upon payment of a manufacturing fee of $25.00, a member shall be entitled to one additional such license plate. For each additional license plate for which a $25.00 manufacturing fee is required, there shall be an additional annual registration fee of $25.00 which fee shall be collected by the county tag agent at the time of collection of other registration fees and shall be remitted to the state as provided in Code Section 40-2-34. (c) The commissioner shall design a Georgia State Defense Force member license plate. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to enforce compliance with all state license laws relating to the use and operation of private passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and trailers before issuing these license plates in lieu of the regular Georgia license plates. The manufacturing fee for such special and distinctive license plates shall be $25.00. The commissioner is specifically authorized to promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to ensure compliance in instances where such vehicles have been transferred or sold. Such plates shall be nontransferable. (d) The special and distinctive vehicle license plates shall be as prescribed in Article 2 of this chapter for private passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and trailers used for personal transportation. Such plates shall contain such words or symbols, in addition to the numbers and letters prescribed by law, so as to identify distinctively the owners as members of the Georgia State Defense Force. (e) The license plate issued pursuant to this Code section may be transferred between vehicles as provided in Code Section 40-2-80. (f) Special license plates issued under this Code section, except as provided in subparagraph (b)(2)(A) of this Code section, shall be renewed annually with a revalidation decal as provided in Code Section 40-2-31 without payment of an additional $25.00 annual registration fee. (g) Should a member of the Georgia State Defense Force who has been issued a license plate or license plates be discharged or otherwise 263 40-2-81 MOTOR VEHICLES & TRAFFIC 40-2-83 separated from the Georgia State Defense Force, the member shall forward his or her Georgia State Defense Force member license plate or plates to the commissioner along with a certificate to the effect that such person has been discharged or otherwise separated from the Georgia State Defense Force, and thereupon the commissioner shall issue a regular license plate, at no additional charge, to such former member of the Georgia State Defense Force to replace the Georgia State Defense Force member plate or plates. History. Code 1981, § 40-2-81, enacted by Ga. L. 2015, p. 816, § 2.1/HB 48; Ga. L. 2024, p. 1052, § 4(26)/SB 448, effective July 1, 2024. Amendments. The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, revised punctuation in subparagraph (b)(2)(B). Editor’s notes. Ga. L. 2001, p. 479, § 3, redesignated former Code Section 40-2-81 as Code Section 40-2-9, effective January 1, 2002. Ga. L. 2001, p. 479, § 4, effective January 1, 2002, reserved the designation of Code Section 40-2-81. 40-2-82. License plates for Department of Public Safety vehicles operated by Georgia State Patrol or Motor Carrier Compliance Division. The commissioner of public safety shall be issued distinctive license plates to be used on motor vehicles assigned to the Department of Public Safety and operated by troopers of the Georgia State Patrol or law enforcement officers of the Motor Carrier Compliance Division. The distinctive plates shall be issued free of charge in accordance with procedures agreed upon by the commissioner of public safety and the state revenue commissioner. License plates issued pursuant to this Code section need not contain a place for the county name decal and no county name decal need be affixed to a license plate issued pursuant to this Code section. History. Code 1981, § 40-2-78, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 1186, § 5; Code 1981, § 40-2-82, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 2; Ga. L. 2000, p. 951, § 3-13; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 14-6/HB 501. 40-2-83. Special or prestige license plates for jointly owned vehicles; surrendering when joint ownership ceases. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any resident person who is authorized to obtain a special or prestige license plate pursuant to this article may, upon complying with the motor vehicle laws relating to licensing, registration, and fees, obtain such special or prestige license plate in his or her own name and the name of any other person with whom he or she jointly owns a motor vehicle. (b) Special or prestige license plates issued pursuant to this article to 264 40-2-83 REGISTRATION/LICENSING OF MOTOR VEH. 40-2-84 joint owners shall be transferred to another vehicle having the same joint owners as provided by Code Section 40-2-80. (c) If any resident person who is authorized to obtain a special or prestige license plate and who has been issued a special or prestige plate for a jointly owned vehicle dies or for any other reason is no longer a joint owner of such vehicle, the surviving owner of such vehicle shall surrender the license plate to the commissioner and shall obtain a regular license plate or some other type of special or prestige license plate upon complying with the motor vehicle laws relating to registration, licensing, and fees. History. Code 1981, § 40-2-83, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2978, § 2.1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 419, § 28; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1179, § 24.