2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 27 - Vehicle and Traffic Law (2000) › Subchapter I - Definitions; Registry of Motor Vehicles, Trailers or Semi-Trailers, and Authorization to Operate on Public Roads (§§ 5001 — 5044) › § 5032 - Special license plates—Former prisoners of war, Purple Heart decorated soldiers, retired career soldiers, and Armed Forces Reserves members

At the request of the party concerned, the Secretary shall issue a special license plate to every veteran or soldier within the following categories who owns a motor vehicle and is duly certified by the Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs or the corresponding branch of the Armed Forces:
(1) Ex-prisoner of war veterans; and their surviving spouse after his/her death, upon due certification.
(2) Veterans decorated with the Purple Heart for combat wounds received in the warfront.
(3) Veterans with career member retirement pensions from any of the five (5) branches of the United States Armed Forces or their reserve corps, including the National Guard.
(4) Regular participating members of a duly organized unit of the Armed Forces or National Guard in Puerto Rico, subject to activation for federal service.
The issuing of the special license plate shall be subject to the following rules:
(a) The special license plate shall have the registration number of the motor vehicle, shall be the official license plate for all legal purposes, and shall be affixed to the back of the motor vehicle.
(b) In the motor vehicle registration, the necessary information to identify the special license plate shall be included, together with the corresponding official registration of the motor vehicle.
(c) The issuing of a special license plate for ex-prisoner of war veterans and their surviving spouse shall not require any additional payment to that provided by law for the license plates of private vehicles. In other cases, the veteran or soldier shall pay the corresponding fees, without detriment to the rights or benefits granted to veterans pursuant to § 5032a of this title, concerning the issuing of distinctive license plates exempted from the payment of fees for veterans.
(d) The Secretary shall provide, through regulations, all that concerns the design, size, colors, location, issue, use, renewal, and canceling of said special license plates, as well as any other details deemed necessary. In addition to the special license plate, a sticker shall be issued, in both official languages, with specific information on the category of the veteran or soldier that availed himself/herself thereof. The Secretary shall have the design of the special license plate and the sticker pertaining to each category in the Department of State to guarantee their exclusiveness.
(e) Any application for said special license plates shall include the proper certification of the Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or in the case of members in service, of the corresponding branch of the Armed Forces or reserve corps.
(f) The use of said special license plate on the public roads of Puerto Rico is only authorized during the effective term of the official license plate.
(g) The Secretary may cancel or revoke the authorization to use said special license plate for failing to comply with the provisions of this section, as provided by regulations.
(h) Any person who displays a special veteran’s license plate or an imitation or simulation thereof without being authorized to do so shall incur a misdemeanor, and if convicted, shall be sanctioned with a fine of not less than two hundred [dollars] ($200) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).
History —Jan. 7, 2000, No. 22, § 2.31; Dec. 27, 2006, No. 306, § 1.