(a) Registration plates are authorized for active, retired and honorably discharged members of the United States military and the United States military reserves in good standing. The plates are approved for display on motor vehicles that are authorized by § 55-4-210(c) and that are owned and operated, or leased by, a member or member's spouse. A surviving spouse of a deceased retired or honorably discharged member or of a member who died while on active duty, upon complying with state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles and upon paying the regular fee applicable to the vehicle and the fee prescribed by § 55-4-204, shall be issued a registration plate pursuant to this section, until the surviving spouse remarries.

(b) The registration plates shall be of a distinctive design as approved by the commissioner and shall include the appropriate emblem of the branch of service of the recipient of the plate. The registration plates shall also contain the words “Volunteer State” at the bottom of the plates.

(c) The registration plate authorized pursuant to this section shall be issued upon payment of the regular registration fee pursuant to this chapter and the additional fee prescribed by § 55-4-204.

(d)

(1) All applications pursuant to this section shall contain all information that the commissioner requires to prove eligibility for issuance of a license plate pursuant to this section; provided, that, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a retired member of the United States military or the United States military reserves shall be required to submit retirement status documentation only when initially applying for registration plates under this section and subsequent registration plates under this section shall be issued to that person without the repeated presentation of retirement status documentation. Eligibility for the cultural registration plate for United States reserve forces shall be determined by the department in consultation with the appropriate information on current and valid DD Form 2A (Res), DD Form 2N (Res), DD Form 2MC (Res), DD Form 2AF (Res), DD Form 2CG (Res) (Armed Forces of the United States Identification Card), citing that the request is submitted by a member of the United States reserve forces, or current and valid stationing orders citing that the request is submitted by an active duty member of the United States reserve forces.

(2) A retired member of the United States military and the United States military reserves in good standing who has participated in full or voluntary early retirement authorized by the branch of the United States armed forces in which the retired member served shall also be eligible for the issuance of a cultural plate pursuant to this section. Eligibility for the cultural registration plates for retired members of the United States armed forces who have participated in full or voluntary early retirement shall be determined by the department, in consultation with the appropriate information on these retired members' “Certificate of Release of Discharge from Active Duty” or on the current and valid forms enumerated in subdivision (d)(1). The retired members' plate shall be distinguished by a retired decal placed below the branch of service located on the left side of the license plate.

(3) An active duty member of the United States military and the United States military reserves in good standing shall also be eligible for the issuance of a cultural plate pursuant to this section. Eligibility for the cultural registration plates for active duty members of the United States armed forces shall be determined by the department, in consultation with the appropriate information on the active duty member's stationing orders required in subdivision (d)(1).

(4) An honorably discharged member of the United States military and the United States military reserves in good standing shall also be eligible for the issuance of a cultural plate pursuant to this section. Eligibility for the cultural registration plates for honorably discharged members of the United States armed forces shall be determined by the department and by consulting the appropriate information on the DD214 form. An honorably discharged member's plate shall be distinguished by an honorably discharged decal placed below the branch of service located on the left side of the license plate.

(e) Each recipient of a military plate issued pursuant to this section may apply an appropriate decal to the plate that designates the military unit in which the recipient served and/or the purpose for which the plate has been issued. The decal, and the placement of the decal, shall be subject to the approval of the commissioners of revenue and veterans services. The cost of this decal shall be borne by the recipient of the plate wishing to apply the decal.