No privilege tax shall be imposed upon any motor vehicle owned by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or owned by the State of Mississippi or any county or municipality of the state or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or upon any motor vehicle owned by any school district in the state, any motor vehicle owned by any fire protection district incorporated in accordance with Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207 or any motor vehicle owned by any levee district or drainage district. The exception herein granted to vehicles owned by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or owned by the State of Mississippi or any county or municipality of the state or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or to any motor vehicle owned by any school district in the state, any motor vehicle owned by any fire protection district incorporated in accordance with Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207, or any motor vehicle owned by any levee district or drainage district shall not apply to vehicles owned by any officer or employee thereof, but shall be applicable only to those motor vehicles actually owned by the United States government or one of its instrumentalities or agencies, or owned by the State of Mississippi or any county or municipality of the state or one of its instrumentalities or agencies, or to any motor vehicle owned by any school district in the state, any motor vehicle owned by any fire protection district incorporated pursuant to Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207 or any motor vehicle owned by any levee district or drainage district.

Each vehicle owned by the State of Mississippi, any county or any municipality or any agency or instrumentality thereof, and each motor vehicle owned by any school district in the state, each motor vehicle owned by any fire protection district incorporated pursuant to the provisions of Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207, and each motor vehicle owned by any levee district or drainage district shall be registered with the State Tax Commission, which shall issue a license tag for the vehicle. The license tag issued will be valid for as long as the vehicle is in service and in the inventory of the state agency, county or municipality or any agency or instrumentality thereof, school district, fire protection district, levee district or drainage district which registered the vehicle. Each motor vehicle owned by the State of Mississippi, any county or any municipality or any agency or instrumentality thereof, school district, fire protection district, levee district or drainage district shall comply with the marking requirements as set forth in Sections 25-1-87 and 27-19-59.

Exemption of motor vehicles owned by a county or municipality or any agency or instrumentality thereof, from motor vehicle privilege taxes does not waive payment of the registration fee imposed in Section 27-19-43.

The exemption granted in this section shall be evidenced by special license plates of a design to be selected by the Chairman of the State Tax Commission, which design shall include as one of the features in large, easily legible letters the words “TAX-EXEMPT”. Each motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this section which is owned or leased by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or owned by the State of Mississippi, or any county or municipality of the state or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or any school district, fire protection district, or any levee district or drainage district shall display such special license tag, except for (a) vehicles used for undercover law enforcement work where such identifying tags would hinder official investigations, and (b) up to four (4) passenger automobiles owned or leased by economic development districts or economic development authorities. Such undercover and economic development district/authority vehicles shall be issued regular license tags.