Subd. 1. General requirements and procedures.

1. (a) The registrar shall issue special critical habitat license plates to an applicant who:

   1. (1) is an owner or joint owner of a passenger automobile, pickup truck, or van;
   2. (2) pays a fee of $10 to cover the costs of handling and manufacturing the plates;
   3. (3) pays the registration tax required under section 168.013;
   4. (4) pays the fees required under this chapter;
   5. (5) contributes a minimum of $30 annually to the Minnesota critical habitat private sector matching account established in section 84.943; and
   6. (6) complies with laws and rules governing registration and licensing of vehicles and drivers.
2. (b) The critical habitat license application form must clearly indicate that the annual contribution specified under paragraph (a), clause (5), is a minimum contribution to receive the license plate and that the applicant may make an additional contribution to the account.

Subd. 2. Design.

After consultation with interested groups, the commissioner of natural resources and the registrar shall jointly select a suitable symbol for use by the registrar to design the special plates.

Subd. 3. No refund.

Contributions under this section must not be refunded.

Subd. 4. Plate transfers.

Notwithstanding section 168.12, subdivision 1, on payment of a transfer fee of $5, plates issued under this section may be transferred to another passenger automobile, pickup truck, or van owned or jointly owned by the person to whom the special plates were issued.

Subd. 5. Contribution and fees credited.

Contributions under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (5), must be paid to the registrar and credited to the Minnesota critical habitat private sector matching account established in section 84.943. The fees collected under this section must be deposited in the highway user tax distribution fund.

Subd. 6. Record.

The registrar shall maintain a record of the number of special plates issued under this section.