STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1246
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- 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 creating a
distinctive plate for combat veterans having served in the navy,
marine corps, air force, or coast guard
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
2 section 404-ff to read as follows:
3 § 404-ff. Distinctive plates for combat veterans. 1. Any combat veter-
4 an having served in the navy, marine corps, air force or coast guard, or
5 the spouse of any such veteran shall, upon request, be issued a license
6 plate bearing the words "Air Force Combat Veteran", "Navy Combat Veter-
7 an", "Marine Combat Veteran" or "Coast Guard Combat Veteran". If a
8 distinctive plate is issued to a veteran pursuant to this section, such
9 a distinctive plate shall not be issued to the spouse of such veteran.
10 Application for said license plate shall be filed with the commissioner
11 in such form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
12 2. The distinctive plate authorized in subdivision one of this section
13 shall be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the
14 applicant or the spouse of the applicant is a combat veteran having
15 served in the navy, marine corps, air force or coast guard. The branch
16 of military service on the license plate shall match the branch listed
17 in the proof of combat provided pursuant to this subdivision.
18 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
19 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
20 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
21 provided, however, that an additional one time service charge of ten
22 dollars shall be charged for such plate.
23 4. Nothing contained herein shall require the issuance of a special
24 number plate under this section unless the commissioner is satisfied
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03060-01-5
S. 1246 2
1 that the aggregate amount of annual service charges collected pursuant
2 to subdivision three of this section will be sufficient to recover the
3 costs of the design and manufacture of such special plates.
4 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
5 the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall
6 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
7 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand
8 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the
9 department of financial services to transact business in this state.
10 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have
11 received prior to plate design, production and issuance at least two
12 hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional
13 annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be
14 non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All service
15 charges collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited pursuant
16 to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to
17 the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate devel-
18 opment fund established by section 95-g of the state finance law and
19 shall be used for the design, production, advertising and distribution
20 of distinctive license plates in accordance with such section 95-g.
21 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
22 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two
23 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
24 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
25 such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles
26 shall be entitled to recover against the bond in an amount proportionate
27 to such shortfall.
28 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
29 section one of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth
30 day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
31 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
32 the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and
33 directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
