Directs the issuance of special number and distinctive license plates for military service members and members of veterans organizations without payment of service charges or renewal fees.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7155
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 2, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. CHAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the issuance
of special number plates
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1-a of section 404 of the vehicle and traffic
2 law, as amended by chapter 105 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 1-a. The commissioner may issue special number and/or distinctive
5 license plates to applicants who are members of veterans organizations
6 or active duty military members in the same manner as other number
7 plates are issued pursuant to this article. Such special number plates
8 or distinctive plates shall be issued only upon (a) payment of [a one-
9 time service charge of ten dollars in addition to] the regular registra-
10 tion fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article, and (b)
11 submission of proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the appli-
12 cant is presently an active duty member or a member of the veterans
13 organization for which such plate is requested. No additional fees for
14 customization of such plates shall be required. Such membership shall be
15 verified annually by the applicant. Application for such plates shall be
16 made in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioner with
17 respect to the issuance of such plates. Provided, however, that nothing
18 contained herein shall be deemed to supersede the provisions of section
19 four hundred four-d, four hundred four-e, four hundred four-h, four
20 hundred four-i, four hundred four-j, four hundred four-k, four hundred
21 four-p, four hundred four-aa, or four hundred four-dd of this article.
22 § 2. Subdivision 6 of section 401 of the vehicle and traffic law is
23 amended by adding a new paragraph c-1 to read as follows:
24 c-1. The provisions of this subdivision with respect to the payment of
25 registration renewal fees shall not apply to a motor vehicle registra-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04783-01-5
S. 7155 2
1 tion renewed by an active duty military member or a qualified veteran. A
2 qualified veteran is an individual who served on active duty in the
3 United States army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard or the
4 reserves thereof, or who served in active military service of the United
5 States as a member of the army national guard, air national guard, New
6 York guard or New York naval militia; who was released from active duty
7 by general or honorable discharge.
8 § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 404-h of the vehicle and traffic law, as
9 amended by chapter 415 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
10 follows:
11 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
12 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
13 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
14 provided, however, that [an additional one-time] no service charge [of
15 ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate.
16 § 4. Subdivision 4 of section 404-j of the vehicle and traffic law, as
17 amended by chapter 415 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
18 follows:
19 4. Fee. A special plate and registration issued pursuant to this
20 section shall be issued upon payment of the regular registration fee
21 prescribed by section four hundred one of this article provided, howev-
22 er, that [an] no additional [one-time] service charge [of ten dollars]
23 shall be charged for such plate.
24 § 5. Subdivision 3 of section 404-v of the vehicle and traffic law, as
25 amended by chapter 490 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
26 follows:
27 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
28 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
29 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article,
30 provided, however, that [an] no additional [one-time] service charge [of
31 ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate. [Provided, however, that
32 one year after the effective date of this section funds in the amount of
33 five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be available, shall be
34 allocated from such funds to the department to offset costs associated
35 with the production of such license plates.]
36 § 6. Subdivision 3 of section 404-w of the vehicle and traffic law, as
37 added by chapter 105 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
38 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
39 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
40 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred of this article,
41 provided, however, that [an] no additional [one-time] service charge [of
42 ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate.
43 § 7. Subdivisions 4 and 5 of section 404-w of the vehicle and traffic
44 law, as added by chapter 493 of the laws of 2005, are amended to read as
45 follows:
46 4. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
47 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
48 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
49 provided, however, that [an] no additional [one time] service charge [of
50 ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate.
51 [5. Nothing contained herein shall require the issuance of a special
52 number plate under this section unless the commissioner is satisfied
53 that the aggregate amount of annual service charges collected pursuant
54 to subdivision four of this section will be sufficient to recover the
55 costs of the design and manufacture of such special plates.]
S. 7155 3
1 § 8. Subdivision 3 of section 404-aa of the vehicle and traffic law,
2 as added by chapter 103 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
5 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
6 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article;
7 provided, however, that [an] no additional [one-time] service charge
8 [of ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate.
9 § 9. Subdivision 3 of section 404-d of the vehicle and traffic law, as
10 amended by chapter 415 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
11 follows:
12 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
13 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
14 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
15 provided, however, that [an] no additional [one-time] service charge [of
16 ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate.
17 § 10. Subdivision 3 of section 404-k of the vehicle and traffic law,
18 as amended by chapter 415 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
19 follows:
20 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
21 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
22 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
23 provided, however, that [an] no additional [one-time] service charge [of
24 ten dollars] shall be charged for such plate.
25 § 11. Subdivision 3 of section 404-i of the vehicle and traffic law,
26 as amended by chapter 486 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as
27 follows:
28 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
29 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
30 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article,
31 provided, however, that no service charge or renewal fees shall be
32 charged for such plate.
33 § 12. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
34 have become a law.
