§463.195. Special prestige license plate; "Blue Star Mothers"

A. The deputy secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services, shall establish a special prestige motor vehicle license plate to be known as the "Blue Star Mothers" plate. The plate shall be restricted to use on passenger cars, pickup trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and vans.

B. The deputy secretary shall work in conjunction with the Mothers of Military Servicemen and Women/Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana, Chapter 1, to select the color and design of the plate, provided it is in compliance with R.S. 47:463(A)(3).

C. The special prestige license plate shall be issued, upon application, in the same manner as any other motor vehicle license plate, to a Louisiana resident who submits written evidence that the applicant is the owner of a motor vehicle and is the spouse, sibling, parent, or child of a person serving or who has served in the armed forces of the United States. As used in this Subsection, "armed forces of the United States" means persons serving or who have served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, reservists, and members of the National Guard. The plate issued under this Section shall not be transferable between motor vehicle owners. In the event the owner of a motor vehicle issued a "Blue Star Mothers" plate should sell, trade, exchange, or otherwise dispose of such vehicle, the plate shall be retained by original applicant to whom the plate was issued.

D. For the purposes of this Section, an applicant shall submit proof of service and establish his family relationship to the armed service member. Proof of service shall include but not be limited to a member's military identification card, a member's DD Form 214, a member's leave and earning statement, or a letter from the member's unit commander on official letterhead describing the member's status. Proof of family relationship shall include but not be limited to a marriage license, a birth certificate, or a signed and notarized affidavit from the service member attesting to the applicant's family relationship.

E. The department shall collect an annual royalty fee of twenty-five dollars that shall be disbursed in accordance with Subsection F of this Section. This royalty fee shall be in addition to the standard motor vehicle license tax imposed by Article VII, Section 5 of the Constitution of Louisiana, and a handling fee of three dollars and fifty cents for each plate to be retained by the department to offset a portion of administrative costs.

F. The annual royalty fee shall be collected by the department and forwarded to the Mothers of Military Servicemen and Women/Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana, Chapter 1.

G. The deputy secretary shall adopt rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

Acts 2017, No. 289, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2018.