South Carolina General Assembly
107th Session, 1987-1988

Bill 189

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               189
Ratification Number:       182
Act Number                 129
Introducing Body:          Senate
Subject:                   Free registration and license plates for
                           prisoners of war
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A129, R182, S189)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1150, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO FREE REGISTRATION AND LICENSE PLATES FOR PRISONERS OF WAR, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SURVIVING SPOUSE MAY RETAIN THE LICENSE PLATE AND TO AMEND SECTION 12-37-220, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTIONS, SO AS TO EXTEND TO THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF A PRISONER OF WAR THE PERSONAL VEHICLE TAX EXEMPTION.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Special license allowed

SECTION 1. Section 56-3-1150 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-3-1150. Any member or former member of the armed forces who was a prisoner of war (POW) in World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam Conflict and who is a legal resident of this State may make application for registration and licensing of his personal motor vehicle or truck, not exceeding three-quarter ton, to the South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation (department) without accompanying the application with the usual fee for registration and licensing

of a vehicle of similar type. The department shall issue the license plate or the revalidation sticker upon receipt of the application made under oath and in a form required by the department. The provisions of this section do not apply if the former POW applies for a special personalized motor vehicle license plate under the provisions of Section 56-3-2010.

Any former POW who is issued a license plate under the provisions of this section or surviving spouse is not required to reapply so long as the former POW or surviving spouse owns the vehicle for which the plate is issued. The plate shall bear the words 'South Carolina', the number, and prefix 'POW'.

The surviving spouse of a former POW after notice to the department may retain the plate and is entitled to all the privileges of the POW for the lifetime or until remarriage of the surviving spouse."

Tax exemption extended

SECTION 2. Section 12-37-220B(29) is amended to read:

"(29) One personal motor vehicle or truck, not exceeding three-quarter ton, owned by and licensed and registered in the name of any member or former member of the armed forces who was a prisoner of war (POW) in World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam Conflict and who is a legal resident of this State, for which motor vehicle or truck a special tag has been issued by the Department of Highways and Public Transportation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 56-3-1150 and 56-3-1160, is exempt from state, county, and municipal taxes. This exemption also extends to the surviving spouse of a qualified former POW for the lifetime or until the remarriage of the surviving spouse."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.