2005 Rhode Island Code - § 31-3-53 — Veterans\' plates.

    (a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall issue for any motorcycle eligible for registration as a motorcycle, motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile, or a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) or less, plates designated as "War Veteran", "Purple Heart", and "Ex-POW" upon application on proper forms furnished by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles to veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam conflict, and any member of the armed forces of the United States who served at any time in the Persian Gulf beginning August 2, 1990 to present, in the Iraq operations at any time between March 20, 2003 to present, in the Panama operations beginning December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990, in the Lebanon operations beginning: (1) July 1, 1958 to November 1, 1958, (2) August 20, 1982 to May 31, 1983, (3) June 1, 1983 to December 1987, in the Grenada operations beginning October 23, 1983 to November 21, 1983, or any veteran of any conflict or undeclared war who has earned a campaign ribbon or expeditionary medal for service in said conflict or undeclared war.

   (b) For motor vehicles the special plates shall be designed as follows:

   (1) Left and right borders of two inches (2");

   (2) Left border shall be red with three (3) white stars within the border;

   (3) Right border shall be blue and have five (5) stripes, three (3) red and two (2) white within the border;

   (4) Letters shall be blue in a white background with the words "War Veteran" clearly visible at the top center of the plate.

   (c) The applicant shall be required to pay a service charge of ten dollars ($10.00) and a transfer charge of five dollars ($5.00) for the plate.

   (d) Any person issued a plate under this section prior to July 31, 1989 shall be entitled to a reimbursement in the amount of seven dollars ($7.00) upon application for it.

   (e) The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) or less that is issued war veteran plates shall continue to pay the appropriate commercial registration fee for those plates.

   The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of six thousand three hundred pounds (6,300 lbs.) but not more than ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) shall sign an affidavit at the time of application for said plates stating that the vehicle is to be used for personal use only.

   (f) For purposes of this section, a "veteran" shall be defined as any person who served in the military or naval service of the United States in World War I or who served in the military or naval service of the United States in World War II at any time during the period beginning December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, or who served in the military or naval services of the United States in the Korean conflict at any time during the period beginning June 27, 1950 and ending January 31, 1955, or in the Vietnam conflict at any time during the period beginning August 5, 1964 and ending May 7, 1975, or in the Taiwan Straits expeditionary force at any time from August 23, 1958 to January 1, 1959 or the Persian Gulf beginning August 2, 1990 to present, in the Panama Operations beginning December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990, in the Lebanon Operations beginning: (1) July 1, 1958 to November 1, 1958, (2) August 20, 1982 to May 31, 1983, (3) June 1, 1983 to December 1987, in the Grenada Operations beginning October 23, 1983 to November 21, 1983, or any veteran of any conflict or undeclared war who has earned a campaign ribbon or expeditionary medal for service in said conflict or undeclared war. Upon the death of the holder of any war veteran plates, the plates shall be transferred to the spouse's surviving spouse for the spouse's lifetime until he or she remarries.

   (g) The "veteran" described in subsection (f) must have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of this nation in order to receive plates pursuant to this section and, for purposes of this section, a medical discharge shall be deemed an honorable discharge.

   (h) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall prepare a design that is appropriate for use on a motorcycle.