61-3-458. (Effective January 1, 2004) Special plates for military personnel, veterans, and spouses. (1) (a) Active military personnel, veterans, or the surviving spouse of an eligible veteran, if the spouse has not remarried, may be issued special military or veteran license plates as provided in this section.
     (b) Subject to the provisions of 61-3-332 and except as otherwise provided in this chapter, special license plates issued pursuant to this section must be numbered in sets of two with a different number on each set and must be properly displayed as provided in 61-3-301.
     (2) (a) Upon application, after paying all applicable vehicle registration fees and special license plate fees and providing an official certificate from the applicant's unit commander verifying the individual's eligibility and authorizing the department to issue the plates to the individual, eligible military personnel may be issued one set of special military license plates as provided in this subsection (2).
     (b) A member of the Montana national guard who is a state resident may be issued special license plates with a design or decal displaying the letters "NG". However, the member shall surrender the plates to the department when the member becomes ineligible.
     (c) A member of the reserve armed forces of the United States who is a state resident may be issued special license plates according to the member's branch of service verified in the application with a design or decal displaying one of the following: United States army reserve, AR (symbol); United States naval reserve, NR (anchor); United States air force reserve, AFR (symbol); or United States marine corps reserve, MCR (globe and anchor). However, the member shall surrender the plates to the department when the member becomes ineligible.
     (d) An active member of the regular armed forces of the United States who is a state resident may be issued special license plates inscribed with a symbol signifying the United States army, United States navy, United States air force, United States marine corps, or United States coast guard, according to the member's branch of service verified in the application. However, the member shall surrender the plates to the department upon becoming ineligible.
     (3) (a) Upon application, after presenting proper identification and a department of defense form 214 (DD-214) or its successor or documents showing an other-than-dishonorable discharge or a reenlistment verifying the applicant's eligibility and paying the veterans' cemetery fee specified in 61-3-459 and all applicable vehicle registration fees under this chapter, subject to the provisions of 61-3-460, an eligible veteran must be issued any set and more than one set of the special license plates provided for in this subsection (3) that the member requests and is eligible to receive.
     (b) A veteran may be issued special license plates displaying the letters "DV", which entitles the veteran to the parking privileges allowed to a person with a special parking permit issued under Title 49, chapter 4, part 3, if the veteran:
     (i) has been awarded the purple heart and has been rated by the U.S. department of veterans affairs as 50% or more disabled because of a service-connected injury; or
     (ii) is currently rated 100% disabled or is paid at the 100% disabled rate by the U.S. department of veterans affairs for a service-connected disability.
     (c) A veteran who has been awarded the purple heart may be issued special license plates with the purple heart decal displaying the words "combat wounded".
     (d) A veteran who was captured and held prisoner by the military force of a foreign nation may be issued special license plates with a design or decal displaying the words "ex-prisoner of war" or an abbreviation that the department considers appropriate.
     (e) If the veteran was a member of the United States armed forces on December 7, 1941, and during the hours of 7:55 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. (Hawaii time) was on station at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu or was offshore from Pearl Harbor at a distance of not more than 3 miles, the veteran may be issued special license plates designed to show that the veteran is a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack.
     (f) A person who is a member of the legion of valor may be issued special plates displaying a design or decal depicting the recognized legion of valor medallion.
     (g) A veteran may be issued special license plates displaying the word "VETERAN" and a symbol signifying the United States army, United States navy, United States air force, United States marine corps, or United States coast guard, according to the veteran's service record verified in the application.
     (h) A member or former members of the Montana national guard eligible to receive a military retirement may be issued special license plates displaying the Montana national guard insignia and the words "National Guard veteran".
     (4) Upon request, after paying the veterans' cemetery fee provided in 61-3-459 and all applicable vehicle registration fees under this chapter, subject to the provisions of 61-3-460, the surviving spouse of an eligible veteran, if the spouse has not remarried, may retain the special license plates issued to the deceased veteran, except the special "DV" plates provided for under subsection (3)(b).
     (5) For purposes of this section, "veteran" has the meaning provided in 10-2-101.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 399, L. 2003.