301.443. Prisoners of war entitled to free registration and special plates--prisoner of war defined--eligibility--plate design.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

301.443. Prisoners of war entitled to free registration and special plates--prisoner of war defined--eligibility--plate design.

Prisoners of war entitled to free registration and specialplates--prisoner of war defined--eligibility--plate design.

301.443. 1. Any legal resident of the state of Missouri who is aveteran of service in the armed forces of the United States and has beenhonorably discharged from such service and who is a former prisoner of war andany legal resident of the state of Missouri who is a former prisoner of warand who was a United States citizen not in the armed forces of the UnitedStates during such time is, upon filing an application for registrationtogether with such information and proof in the form of a statement from theUnited States Veterans Administration or the Department of Defense or anyother form of proof as the director may require, entitled to receive annuallyone certificate of registration and one set of license plates or otherevidence of registration as provided in section 301.130 for a motor vehicleother than a commercial motor vehicle licensed in excess of twelve thousandpounds gross weight. There shall be no fee charged for license plates issuedunder the provisions of this section.

2. Not more than one certificate of registration and one correspondingset of motor vehicle license plates or other evidence of registration asprovided in section 301.130 shall be issued each year to a qualified formerprisoner of war under this section.

3. Proof of ownership and vehicle inspection of the particular motorvehicle for which a registration certificate and set of license plates isrequested must be shown at the time of application. Proof of status as aformer prisoner of war as required in subsection 1 of this section shall onlybe required on the initial application.

4. As used in this section, "former prisoner of war" means any personwho was taken as an enemy prisoner during World War I, World War II, theKorean Conflict, or the Vietnam Conflict.

5. The director shall furnish each former prisoner of war obtaining aset of license plates under the provisions of subsections 1 to 4 of thissection special plates which shall have the words "FORMER P.O.W." on thelicense plates in preference to the words "SHOW-ME STATE" as provided insection 301.130 in a form prescribed by the advisory committee established insection 301.129. Such license plates shall be made with fully reflectivematerial, shall have a white background with a blue and red configuration atthe discretion of the advisory committee established in section 301.129, shallbe clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, asprescribed by section 301.130.

6. Registration certificates and license plates issued under theprovisions of this section shall not be transferable to any other personexcept that any registered co-owner of the motor vehicle will be entitled tooperate the motor vehicle for the duration of the year licensed in the eventof the death of the qualified former prisoner of war.

7. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 6 of this sectionto the contrary, the surviving spouse of a former prisoner of war who has notremarried and who has been issued license plates described in subsection 5 ofthis section shall be entitled to transfer such license plates to the motorvehicle of the surviving spouse and receive annually one certificate ofregistration and one set of license plates or other evidence of registrationas provided in section 301.130 as if a former prisoner of war untilremarriage. There shall be no fee charged for the transfer of such licenseplates.

(2) The department of revenue shall promulgate rules for the obtainingof a set of license plates described in subsection 5 of this section by thesurviving spouse of the former prisoner of war when such license plates arenot issued prior to the death of the former prisoner of war. The survivingspouse shall be entitled to receive annually one certificate of registrationand one set of license plates or other evidence of registration as provided insection 301.130 as if a former prisoner of war until remarriage. There shallbe no fee charged for the license plates issued pursuant to this subdivision.