The department must issue specialty license plates for certain eligible exhibition vehicles, and the plates must use specified wording.
Sec. 504.502. CERTAIN EXHIBITION VEHICLES. (a) The department shall issue specialty license plates for a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, bus, or former military vehicle that: (1) is at least 25 years old, if the vehicle is a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or bus; (2) is a collector's item; (3) is used exclusively for exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and is not used for regular transportation; and (4) does not carry advertising. (b) The license plates must include the words "Antique Auto," "Antique Truck," "Antique Motorcycle," "Antique Bus," or "Military Vehicle," as appropriate. (c) A person eligible for the license plates may instead use license plates that are: (1) embossed with an alphanumeric pattern; (2) of a plate design that was issued by this state in the same year as the model year of the vehicle, provided that a passenger car must bear passenger car or truck license plates and a truck must bear passenger car or truck license plates; and (3) approved for use by the department. (c-1) The department may require attachment of a registration insignia to a license plate described by Subsection (c) in a manner that does not affect the display of information originally on the license plate. (d) License plates issued or approved under this section expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance or approval. (e) The fee for issuance or approval of license plates under this section is: (1) $10 for each year or portion of a year remaining in the five-year registration period if the vehicle was manufactured in 1921 or later; or (2) $8 for each year or portion of a year remaining in the five-year registration period if the vehicle was manufactured before 1921. (f) The department may exempt a former military vehicle from the requirement to display a license plate or registration insignia if the exemption is necessary to maintain the vehicle's accurate military markings. The department may approve an alternative registration insignia that is compatible with the vehicle's original markings. (g) A person entitled to specialty license plates or to department approval under this section may register the vehicle without payment of any fees paid for or at the time of registration except the fee for the license plate. (h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a vehicle issued license plates under Subsection (a) shall be required to attach and display only one license plate on the rear of the vehicle. (i) In this section, "former military vehicle" means a vehicle, including a trailer, regardless of the vehicle's size, weight, or year of manufacture, that: (1) was manufactured for use in any country's military forces; (2) is maintained to represent its military design and markings accurately; and (3) is not operated on continuous tracks. (j) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1296, Sec. 247(16), eff. January 1, 2012. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1320, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1318 (H.B. 3425), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1296 (H.B. 2357), Sec. 196, eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1296 (H.B. 2357), Sec. 247(16), eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 508 (H.B. 792), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2016. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 324 (S.B. 1488), Sec. 18.002, eff. September 1, 2017. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 876 (H.B. 3068), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1079 (H.B. 1755), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2019.