NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1969 SESSION

CHAPTER 461

HOUSE BILL 788

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR ONE FREE MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION PLATE TO DISABLED VETERANS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1.  Part 5, Article 3, of Chapter 20 as the same appears in the 1967 Replacement Volume 1C and the Cumulative Supplement thereto of the General Statutes of North Carolina is hereby amended by adding a new section thereto to be designated as Section 20-81.4 and to read as follows:

"G.S. 20-81.4.  Free registration plates to disabled veterans. (a) From and after January 1, 1970, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles shall provide and issue free of charge to each disabled veteran in this State registration and registration plates for either one (1) automobile or one (1) pickup truck, where a pickup truck is the disabled veteran's only mode of transportation and is not used for hire, a disabled veteran being, for the purpose of this Section, a veteran of World War I, World War II or Korean service or Vietnam service, having served in the military, naval, marines or air services of the United States, who is a resident of North Carolina and who is entitled to compensation under the laws administered by the Veterans' Administration and who is rated as 100% service connected disabled or has suffered one or more of the following due to disability incurred in or aggravated by active military, naval, marine or air service of the United States during one or more conflicts:

(1)        Loss or permanent loss of use of one (1) or both feet;

(2)        Loss or permanent loss of use of one (1) or both hands;

(3)        Permanent impairment of vision of both eyes of the following status: central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, with corrective glasses, or central visual acuity of more than 20/200 if there is a field defect in which the peripheral field has contracted to such an extent that the widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than twenty (20) degrees in the better eye.

(b)        The registration plates provided for by this Section shall be in colors as prescribed by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(c)        The registration plate provided for by this Section shall be issued to disabled veterans only upon proof of disabled status, proof of financial responsibility as required by the motor vehicle laws of North Carolina and if the vehicle is to be operated by such disabled veteran that the vehicle is properly equipped to compensate for his disability in the operation thereof and that he has submitted to and passed the driver's license examination required by the motor vehicle laws of North Carolina.

(d)        The registration plate provided for by this Section once issued shall be subject to all laws and policies that govern and control registration plates in North Carolina and such plate shall be canceled for violation of same.

Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 3.  This Act shall become effective January 1, 1970.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 12th day of May, 1969.