Subd. 1. General requirements; fees.

1. (a) On payment of a fee of $10 for each set of two plates, or for a single plate in the case of a motorcycle plate, payment of the registration tax required by law, and compliance with other laws relating to the registration and licensing of a passenger automobile, pickup truck, van, self-propelled recreational equipment, or motorcycle, as applicable, the registrar shall issue:

   1. (1) special license plates to an applicant who served in the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of the United States or of a nation or society allied with the United States in conducting a foreign war, was discharged under honorable conditions, and is an owner or joint owner of a passenger automobile, pickup truck, van, or self-propelled recreational equipment; or
   2. (2) a special motorcycle license plate as described in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), or another special license plate designed by the commissioner of public safety to an applicant who is a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, and who served in the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of the United States in conducting a foreign war, was discharged under honorable conditions, and is an owner or joint owner of a motorcycle. Plates issued under this clause must be the same size as standard motorcycle license plates.
2. (b) The additional fee of $10 is payable for each set of plates, is payable only when the plates are issued, and is not payable in a year in which tabs or stickers are issued instead of number plates. An applicant must not be issued more than two sets of plates for vehicles listed in paragraph (a) and owned or jointly owned by the applicant.
3. (c) The veteran shall have a certified copy of the veteran's discharge papers, indicating character of discharge, at the time of application. If an applicant served in the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of a nation or society allied with the United States in conducting a foreign war and is unable to obtain a record of that service and discharge status, the commissioner of veterans affairs may certify the applicant as qualified for the veterans' license plates provided under this section.

Subd. 2. Design.

The commissioner of veterans affairs shall design the special plates, subject to the approval of the registrar, that satisfy the following requirements:

1. (a) For a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the inscription "VIETNAM VET" and the letters "V" and "V" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number.
2. (b) For a veteran stationed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, or offshore, during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the special plates must bear the inscription "PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR" and the letters "P" and "H" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number.

3. (c) For a veteran who served during World War I or World War II, the special plates must bear the inscription "WORLD WAR VET" and:

   1. (1) for a World War I veteran, the characters "W" and "I" with the first character directly above the second character and both characters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number; or
   2. (2) for a World War II veteran, the characters "W" and "II" with the first character directly above the second character and both characters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number.
4. (d) For a veteran who served during the Korean Conflict, the special plates must bear the inscription "KOREAN VET" and the letters "K" and "V" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number.
5. (e) For a combat wounded veteran who is a recipient of the purple heart medal, the special plates must bear the inscription "COMBAT WOUNDED VET" and inscribed with a facsimile of the official purple heart medal and the letters "c" over "w" with the first letter directly over the second letter just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number.
6. (f) For a Persian Gulf war veteran, the special plates must bear the inscription "GULF WAR VET" and the letters "G" and "W" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number. For the purposes of this section, "Persian Gulf war veteran" means a person who served on active duty after August 1, 1990, in a branch of the armed forces of the United States or United Nations during Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, or other military operation in the Persian Gulf area combat zone as designated in United States Presidential Executive Order No. 12744, dated January 21, 1991.
7. (g) For a veteran who served in the Laos War after July 1, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the inscription "LAOS WAR VET" and the letters "L" and "V" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate number.

Subd. 3. Number estimated.

The commissioner of veterans affairs shall estimate the number of special plates that will be required and submit the estimate to the registrar.

Subd. 4. Plates transfer.

1. (a) On payment of a fee of $5, plates issued under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), may be transferred to another passenger automobile, pickup truck, van, or self-propelled recreational equipment owned or jointly owned by the person to whom the plates were issued.
2. (b) On payment of a fee of $5, a plate issued under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), may be transferred to another motorcycle owned or jointly owned by the person to whom the plate was issued.

Subd. 5. Fees credited.

Fees collected under this section must be paid into the state treasury and credited to the highway user tax distribution fund.

Subd. 6. Rules.

The registrar may adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act to govern the issuance and use of the special plates authorized by this section.