(a) On and after January 1, 1999, motor vehicle owners who are United States armed forces veterans of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign of 1950 in North Korea shall be eligible to receive special and distinctive vehicle license plates for private passenger cars, trucks under 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, 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.

(b) A veteran who qualifies for the special and distinctive license plate pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section shall make application therefor with the commissioner and include the requisite fee. The commissioner shall design a distinctive license plate as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section and issue the distinctive license plates to qualifying applicants. There shall be no minimum required number of applicants for such distinctive 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 and trucks before issuing these license plates in lieu of the regular Georgia license plates. The additional 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.

(c) The special and distinctive vehicle license plates shall be as prescribed in Article 2 of this chapter for private passenger cars or trucks used for personal transportation, except that the word "CHOSIN" and no other letters shall be placed horizontally immediately to the left of the numbers on the license plate so as to distinctively identify the owner as a veteran of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign of 1950 in North Korea.

(d) The license plate issued pursuant to this Code section shall be transferred between vehicles as provided in Code Section 40-2-80. The spouse of a deceased veteran of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign of 1950 in North Korea shall continue to be eligible to be issued a distinctive personalized license plate as provided in this Code section for any vehicle owned by such veteran ownership of which is transferred to the surviving spouse or for any other vehicle owned by such surviving spouse either at the time of the qualifying veteran's death or acquired thereafter, so long as such person does not remarry.

(e) Special license plates issued under 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. Special license plates issued under this Code section shall be transferred between vehicles as provided in Code Section 40-2-80.