GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1985 SESSION
CHAPTER 685
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. 20-80 is rewritten to read:
"§ 20-80. National guard plates. - (a) The Commissioner shall cause to be made each year a sufficient number of motor vehicle license plates to furnish each member of the North Carolina National Guard with one. The license plates are to be in the same form and character as the other license plates, authorized by law for use on private passenger vehicles registered in this State, except that these license plates shall bear the words 'National Guard'. These license plates shall be issued only to members of the North Carolina National Guard and the Commissioner shall collect fees in an amount equal to the fees collected for the licensing and registering of private vehicles not registered for more than 4,000 pounds. The Adjutant General of North Carolina shall furnish the Commissioner annually with an estimate of the number of the distinctive plates required.
(b) The Adjutant General of North Carolina shall furnish to the Commissioner each year, prior to the date that the licenses are issued, a list of the commissioned officers of the North Carolina National Guard which shall contain the rank of each commissioned officer listed in the order of his seniority in the North Carolina National Guard and the license plates to be set aside for commissioned officer personnel shall be numbered, beginning with the number one, in numerical sequence up to and including the number 1600, according to seniority, the senior commissioned officer being issued the license bearing the numeral one.
(c) The Adjutant General of North Carolina shall furnish to the Commissioner each year, prior to the date that licenses are issued, a list of the noncommissioned officers with a rank of E7, E8, and E9 of the North Carolina National Guard which shall contain the rank of each noncommissioned officer listed in the order of his seniority in the North Carolina National Guard and the license plates to be set aside for noncommissioned officer personnel shall be numbered beginning with the number 1601 and in numerical sequence up to and including the number 3000, according to seniority, the senior noncommissioned officer being issued the license plate bearing the number 1601.
(d) Enlisted personnel with a rank of E6 or below applying for the distinctive plates shall present to the Division proof of membership in the North Carolina National Guard by means of a certificate signed by the commanding officer of the applicant on the forms prescribed by the Adjutant General of North Carolina and the Division.
(e) If a holder of the distinctive license plate is discharged from the North Carolina National Guard under other than honorable conditions, he shall exchange the distinctive plate for a standard plate within 30 days of his discharge.
(f) Retired/separated members of the North Carolina National Guard that can provide to the Division a copy of their 'Notification of Eligibility for Retired Pay at Age 60' may purchase the distinctive license plate, except that plates for this category of retired/separated members shall bear the symbol 'R' or the word 'Retired' as shall be determined most appropriate by the Division. Fees for these retired license plates shall be the same as fees for the licensing and registering of private vehicles not registered for more than 4,000 pounds plus an additional fee of ten dollars ($10.00).
(g) The revenue derived from the additional fee for such plates shall be placed in a separate fund designated the 'Retired National Guard Registration Plate Fund'. After deducting the cost of the plates, plus budgetary requirements for handling an issuance, to be determined by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, any remaining moneys derived from the additional fee for such plate shall be periodically transferred in accordance with G.S. 20-81.3(c)."
Sec. 2. This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 11th day of July, 1985.