2023 Tennessee Code › Title 55 - MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES (§§ 55-1-101 — 55-53-105) › Chapter 4 - REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MOTOR VEHICLES (§§ 55-4-NEW — 55-4-702) › Part 2 - SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES (§§ 55-4-201 — 55-4-299) › Section 55-4-253 - Honorably discharged veterans

(a)
An owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who is a resident of this state and who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces, or a civilian veteran of the United States army corps of engineers, upon complying with state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles and upon paying the regular fee applicable to the motor vehicle and the fee provided in §
55-4-204
, shall be issued an honorably discharged veteran registration plate for a motor vehicle authorized by §
55-4-210(c)
. A surviving spouse of such a deceased honorably discharged veteran, upon complying with state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles, upon paying the regular fee applicable to the vehicle and the fee prescribed by §
55-4-204
, and upon providing a copy of the death certificate of the deceased honorably discharged veteran, shall be issued a registration plate pursuant to this section, until the surviving spouse remarries.
(b)
All applications pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by orders or a statement of discharge from the appropriate branch of the United States armed forces classifying the applicant as an honorably discharged veteran, or by orders or official documentation from the United States army corps of engineers classifying the applicant as a civilian veteran; provided, that, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces or a surviving spouse of an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces shall be required to submit the required 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 the required documentation. This subsection (b) shall not apply in the case of an application by a surviving spouse in which the deceased honorably discharged veteran had been issued a license plate or license plates under this section.
(c)
(1)
The registration plates provided for in this section shall be designed in consultation with the commissioner of veterans services.
(2)
The design of registration plates that are issued pursuant to this section shall bear the name of the county of issue on the lower edge of the tag.
(3)
For honorably discharged veterans and civilian veterans, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate.
(4)
(A)
For veterans and civilian veterans of Vietnam, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Vietnam Veteran," and the symbol on the left must be the Vietnam Service Medal. Award of the Vietnam Service Medal and proof of honorable service, or appropriate civilian documentation, is required for a veteran or civilian veteran to obtain the Vietnam Veteran plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans and civilian veterans who served during the time that Vietnam occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the Vietnam Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Vietnam Era Veteran." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(4)(B) prohibits any veteran or civilian veteran who served during Vietnam from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(5)
(A)
For veterans and civilian veterans of World War II, the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "WW II Veteran," and the symbol on the left shall be the Honorable Service Lapel Pin, also known as the ruptured duck. Proof of honorable military or civilian service between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, shall be required to obtain this plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans and civilian veterans who served during the time that World War II occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the World War II Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "World War II Era Veteran." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(5)(B) prohibits any veteran or civilian veteran who served during World War II from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(6)
(A)
For veterans and civilian veterans of the Korean War, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Korean War Veteran," and the symbol on the left must be the Korean Service Medal. Award of the Korean Service Medal and proof of honorable service, or appropriate civilian documentation, is required for a veteran or civilian veteran to obtain the Korean War Veteran plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans and civilian veterans who served during the time that the Korean War occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the Korean War Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Korean War Era Veteran." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(6)(B) prohibits any veteran or civilian veteran who served during the Korean War from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(7)
(A)
For veterans and civilian veterans of Operation Desert Storm, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Desert Storm Veteran," and the symbol on the left must be the Southwest Asia Service Medal. Award of the Southwest Asia Service Medal and proof of honorable service, or appropriate civilian documentation, is required for a veteran or civilian veteran to obtain the Desert Storm Veteran plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans and civilian veterans who served during the time that Operation Desert Storm occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the Desert Storm Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Desert Storm Era Veteran." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(7)(B) prohibits any veteran or civilian veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(8)
(A)
For veterans and civilian veterans of the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Bosnia Veteran," and the symbol on the left must be the NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia. Award of the NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia and proof of honorable service, or appropriate civilian documentation, is required for a veteran or civilian veteran to obtain the Bosnia Veteran plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans and civilian veterans who served during the time that the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the Bosnia Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Bosnia Era Veteran." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(8)(B) prohibits any veteran or civilian veteran who served during the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(9)
(A)
For honorably discharged veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and active members of the United States armed forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Operation Iraqi Freedom," and the symbol on the left must be the Iraq Campaign Medal. Award of the Iraq Campaign Medal and proof of honorable service or active service is required for a veteran or service member to obtain the Operation Iraqi Freedom plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans who served during the time that Operation Iraqi Freedom occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the Operation Iraqi Freedom plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Operation Iraqi Freedom Era." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(9)(B) prohibits any veteran who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(10)
(A)
For honorably discharged veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and active members of the United States armed forces who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Operation Enduring Freedom," and the symbol on the left must be the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Award of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and proof of honorable service or active service is required for a veteran or service member to obtain the Operation Enduring Freedom plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans who served during Operation Enduring Freedom but who do not qualify for issuance of the Operation Enduring Freedom plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Operation Enduring Freedom Era." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(10)(B) prohibits any veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(11)
(A)
For honorably discharged veterans of Operation New Dawn and active members of the United States armed forces who served in Operation New Dawn, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Operation New Dawn," and the symbol on the left must be the Iraq Campaign Medal. Award of the Iraq Campaign Medal and proof of honorable service or active service is required for a veteran or service member to obtain the Operation New Dawn plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans who served during Operation New Dawn but who do not qualify for issuance of the Operation New Dawn Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Operation New Dawn Era." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(11)(B) prohibits any veteran who served during Operation New Dawn from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(12)
For honorably discharged veterans who served during the period between the announcement of the Truman Doctrine on March 12, 1947, and the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991, with this period being known as the Cold War, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Cold War Era Veteran." Nothing in this subdivision (c)(12) prohibits any veteran who served during this period from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a) or any other plate authorized by this subsection (c) for which the veteran qualifies.
(13)
(A)
For honorably discharged veterans of the peacekeeping mission in Somalia occurring between December 5, 1992, and March 3, 1994, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Somalia Veteran," and the symbol on the left must be the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and proof of honorable service is required for a veteran to obtain the Somalia Veteran plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans who served during the time that the peacekeeping mission in Somalia occurred but who do not qualify for issuance of the Somalia Veteran plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Somalia Era Veteran". Nothing in this subdivision (c)(13)(B) prohibits any veteran who served during the peacekeeping mission in Somalia from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(14)
For honorably discharged veterans and active members of the United States armed forces who served in South Korea after the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement in support of the defense of the South Korean state and who qualify for the Korea Defense Service Medal, the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Korean Defense Service", and the plate shall include an identification legend distinctive to recipients of the Korea Defense Service Medal. The commissioner of veterans services shall set proof of service requirements for eligible veterans and military service members to obtain the plate.
(15)
(A)
For honorably discharged veterans of Operation Inherent Resolve and active members of the United States armed forces who served in Operation Inherent Resolve, the strip along the bottom of the license plate must read "Operation Inherent Resolve," and the symbol on the left must be the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. Award of the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal and proof of honorable service or active service is required for a veteran or service member to obtain the Operation Inherent Resolve plate.
(B)
For honorably discharged veterans who served during Operation Inherent Resolve but who do not qualify for issuance of the Operation Inherent Resolve plate, the American flag shall be in the center of the license plate and the strip along the bottom of the license plate shall read "Operation Inherent Resolve Era". Nothing in this subdivision (c)(15)(B) prohibits any veteran who served during Operation Inherent Resolve from requesting issuance of the honorably discharged veteran plate that is authorized by subsection (a).
(d)
The commissioner of revenue is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section. All rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 579, Secs.s14, s15, s16, s17, s18, s19, s20, s21 eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 579, s 13, eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 253, Secs.s 15, s 25 eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 253, s 10, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 75, s 1, eff. 3/28/2019.
Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1023, s 39, Sec.s 49 eff. 7/1/2018.
Amended by 2017 Tenn. Acts, ch. 384, Secs.s 45, s 46, Secs.s 47, s 48, s 49, s 50 eff. 5/18/2017.
Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 941,s 18, eff. 5/19/2014.
Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 484, s 27, eff. 7/1/2013.
Acts 1998, ch. 1063, § 1; 2006, ch. 964, §§ 13, 14; 2007 , ch. 484, § 56; 2007 , ch. 604, § 20; 2010 , ch. 1151, § 21; 2012 , ch. 791, §§ 1, 3.