60-3,238. Wildlife Conservation Plates; application; form; fee; transfer; procedure; fee.

(1) Beginning January 1, 2021, a person may apply to the department for Wildlife Conservation Plates in lieu of regular license plates on an application prescribed and provided by the department for any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, except for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer registered under section 60-3,198. An applicant receiving a Wildlife Conservation Plate for a farm truck with a gross weight of over sixteen tons or a commercial truck or truck-tractor with a gross weight of five tons or over shall affix the appropriate tonnage decal to the plate. The department shall make forms available for such applications through the county treasurers. The license plates shall be issued upon payment of the license fee described in subsection (2) of this section.

(2)(a) In addition to all other fees required for registration under the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance of alphanumeric Wildlife Conservation Plates shall be accompanied by a fee of five dollars. An application for renewal of such plates shall be accompanied by a fee of five dollars. County treasurers collecting fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit such fees to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit five dollars of the fee to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.

(b) In addition to all other fees required for registration under the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance or renewal of personalized message Wildlife Conservation Plates shall be accompanied by a fee of forty dollars. County treasurers collecting fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit such fees to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit twenty-five percent of the fee for initial issuance and renewal of such plates to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and seventy-five percent of the fee to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.

(3) When the department receives an application for Wildlife Conservation Plates, the department may deliver the plates and registration certificate to the applicant by United States mail or to the county treasurer of the county in which the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is registered and the delivery of the plates and registration certificate shall be made through a secure process and system. The county treasurer or the department shall issue Wildlife Conservation Plates in lieu of regular license plates when the applicant complies with the other provisions of the Motor Vehicle Registration Act for registration of the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer. If Wildlife Conservation Plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated, the licensee shall be issued replacement license plates upon request pursuant to section 60-3,157.

(4) The owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer bearing Wildlife Conservation Plates may apply to the county treasurer to have such plates transferred to a motor vehicle or trailer other than the motor vehicle or trailer for which such plates were originally purchased if such motor vehicle or trailer is owned by the owner of the plates. The owner may have the unused portion of the fee for the plates credited to the other motor vehicle or trailer which will bear the plates at the rate of eight and one-third percent per month for each full month left in the registration period. Application for such transfer shall be accompanied by a fee of three dollars. Fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund.

(5) If the cost of manufacturing Wildlife Conservation Plates at any time exceeds the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102, any money to be credited to the Wildlife Conservation Fund shall instead be credited first to the Highway Trust Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the manufacturing costs of Wildlife Conservation Plates and the amount charged pursuant to section 60-3,102 with respect to such plates and the remainder shall be credited to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.

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