As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 339

2025-2026

To amend section 4503.571 of the Revised Code to allow the surviving spouse of a Purple Heart recipient to retain or obtain the "Purple Heart" specialty license plate.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 4503.571 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4503.571. (A)(1) Any person who has been awarded the purple heart may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for the registration of any passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, motorcycle when the registrar determines that producing a purple heart motorcycle license plate is feasible, or other vehicle of a class approved by the registrar that the person owns or leases. The application shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence in support of the award as the registrar may require. The application may be combined with a request for a special reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code.

If the applicant also is eligible for license plates imprinted with the international symbol of access under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code, the applicant may apply to have the purple heart license plates that are issued to the applicant display the international symbol of access. The application shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence in support of the disability and of the vehicle alterations as the registrar requires under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code.

(2) Upon receipt of an application for registration of a motor vehicle under this section ~~and any required taxes~~, and upon presentation of the required supporting evidence of the award of the purple heart and, as applicable, the evidence required under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code, the registrar shall issue to the applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set of license plates and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code.

(3) In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed on the license plates, the license plates shall be inscribed with the words "PURPLE HEART." When applicable, the license plates also shall display the international symbol of access. The license plates shall bear county identification stickers that identify the county of registration as required under section 4503.19 of the Revised Code.

(B) ~~The~~ Except as provided in division (D) of this section, the license plates and validation stickers shall be issued without the payment of any registration fee and service fee required by sections 4503.04, 4503.10, and 4503.102 of the Revised Code, and without the payment of any local motor vehicle license tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code. The applicant shall comply with all other applicable laws relating to the registration of motor vehicles. If the application is combined with a request for a special reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, the license plates and validation sticker shall be issued upon payment of seventy-five per cent of the additional fee prescribed under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code.

(C) No person who is not a recipient of the purple heart or the spouse of such person, if that spouse has not remarried, shall willfully and falsely represent that the person is a recipient of a purple heart or the spouse of such person for the purpose of obtaining license plates under this section. No person shall own a motor vehicle bearing license plates under this section unless the person is eligible to be issued those license plates. ~~When~~ Except as provided in division (D) of this section, when the ownership of a motor vehicle registered under this section is transferred under section 4503.12 of the Revised Code after the death of the owner, the registrar shall ensure that the purple heart license plates are replaced by non-purple heart license plates with the amended registration required under that section.

(D)(1) The spouse of a deceased recipient of the purple heart, if that spouse has not remarried and if the deceased person was issued or was eligible for the purple heart license plates issued under division (A) of this section, may apply to the registrar to retain license plates previously issued to the deceased person under this section or may apply for registration under this section. The application for registration shall be accompanied by documentary evidence of the deceased person's award of the purple heart and by any other evidence that the registrar requires by rule.

(2) Division (B) of this section does not apply to the spouse of a deceased recipient of the purple heart. The registrar may allow the spouse to retain the license plates or may issue the license plates upon payment of the regular registration taxes and fees required by sections 4503.038, 4503.04, 4503.10, 4503.102, and 4503.103 of the Revised Code, any applicable motor vehicle license tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, any applicable additional fee prescribed by section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, and compliance with all other applicable laws relating to the registration of motor vehicles.

Section 2. That existing section 4503.571 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.