(A) A wartime disabled veteran who is entitled to compensation for the loss, or loss of use of one or both legs or arms, or the permanent impairment of vision in both eyes to a degree as to constitute virtual blindness and is also entitled to a special monthly statutory award by reason thereof or any South Carolina veteran classified as totally and permanently disabled due to service-connected disabilities as determined from medical records on file with the Veterans Administration or a certificate signed by the county veterans affairs officer certifying the disability may make application for registration and license of his owned or leased private passenger motor vehicle to the Department of Motor Vehicles without accompanying the application with the usual fee for registration and license of a vehicle of similar type. The department shall issue the license plates upon the receipt of an application in the form required by the department. Not more than two disabled veteran license plates may be issued to a wartime disabled veteran. A veteran who is issued a license plate under the provisions of this section must provide a new certification as prescribed by this subsection at the time a new license plate is issued. A surviving spouse of such a veteran is also eligible to obtain such plate so long as the surviving spouse does not remarry. When a new license plate is issued to a surviving spouse, the spouse must certify on a form prescribed by the department that the spouse has not remarried.

(B) If a person who qualifies for the special license plate issued under this section also qualifies for the handicapped license plate issued pursuant to Section 56-3-1960(1), then the license plate issued pursuant to this section shall also include the distinguishing symbol used on license plates issued pursuant to Section 56-3-1960(1). Until the department determines that the license plate shall be redesigned to include the symbol, the department shall develop a decal using a distinguishing symbol to be placed on the license plate which shall be issued to all persons who request the license plate authorized by this subsection, including persons for whom license plates were issued pursuant to this section on the effective date of this subsection.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-61; 1952 Code Section 46-61; 1950 (46) 2359; 1951 (47) 224; 1958 (50) 1664; 1959 (51) 50; 1968 (55) 2855; 1976 Act No. 562; 1979 Act No. 72; 1992 Act No. 485, Section 4; 1996 Act No. 459, Section 144; 2006 Act No. 398, Section 18, eff September 7, 2006.