Section 5101.4.

(a) Any person otherwise eligible under this article who is a recipient of the Army Medal of Honor, Navy Medal of Honor, Air Force Medal of Honor, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross may apply for special license plates for the vehicle under this article.

(b) The applicant, by conclusive evidence, shall show that the applicant is a recipient of one of the nation's highest decorations for valor, as specified in subdivision (a).

(c) The special license plates issued under this section shall contain the words "Legion of Valor" and shall run in a regular numerical series. An adhesive sticker denoting which of the nation's highest decorations for valor, as specified in subdivision (a), is held by the applicant shall be affixed in a recess provided for it on the license plates.

(d) Upon the death of a person issued special license plates pursuant to this section, his or her surviving spouse may retain the special license plates subject to the conditions set forth in this section. If there is no surviving spouse, the special license plates shall be returned to the department either (1) within 60 days following that death or (2) upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first. However, in the absence of a surviving spouse, another surviving member of the deceased medal recipient's family may retain one of the special license plates as a family heirloom, subject to the conditions set forth in subdivision (g).

(e) If a surviving spouse who has elected to retain the special license plates as authorized under subdivision (d) dies while in possession of the special license plates, the special license plates shall be returned to the department either within 60 days following that death, or upon the expiration date of the vehicle registration, whichever date occurs first. However, another surviving member of the deceased medal recipient's family may retain one of the special license plates as a family heirloom, subject to the conditions set forth in subdivision (g).

(f) Sections 5106 and 5108 do not apply to this section.

(g) The special license plates issued under this section are not valid for use for vehicle registration purposes or for the purposes of Section 9105, or Section 10783 or 10783.2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, by a person other than the person issued the special license plates under subdivision (a) and the surviving spouse of that person.

(h) For purposes of this section, "family" means grandparents, stepgrandparents, parents, stepparents, siblings, stepsiblings, children, and stepchildren of the person issued the special license plates under subdivision (a).

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 181, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2011.)