(625 ILCS 5/3-675)

Sec. 3-675. Support Our Troops license plates.

(a) The Secretary, upon receipt of all applicable fees and applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, may issue special registration plates designated as Support Our Troops license plates. The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division or motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according to the multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of this Code.

(b) The design and color of the special plates shall be wholly within the discretion of the Secretary, except that the emblem of the organization Illinois Support Our Troops, Inc., and its "Support Our Troops!" mark shall appear on the plate. The address of the organization's Internet web site may appear on the plate, and the organization may alternate the mark to "Salute our Heroes!" in a manner that respects inventory. The field of the plate may be colored. The Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The plates are not required to designate "Land of Lincoln", as prescribed in subsection (b) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The Secretary, in his or her discretion, shall approve and prescribe stickers or decals as provided under Section 3-412.

(c) An applicant for the special plate shall be charged a $40 fee for original issuance in addition to the appropriate registration fee. Of this fee, $25 shall be deposited into the Support Our Troops Fund and $15 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund to be used by the Secretary to help defray the administrative processing costs. For each registration renewal period, a $27 fee, in addition to the appropriate registration fee, shall be charged. Of this fee, $25 shall be deposited into the Support Our Troops Fund and $2 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund.

(d) The Support Our Troops Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. All moneys in the Support Our Troops Fund shall be paid, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and distribution by the Secretary, as grants to Illinois Support Our Troops, Inc., a not-for-profit public purpose charity under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), for charitable assistance to the troops and their families in accordance with its Articles of Incorporation.

(Source: P.A. 97-409, eff. 1-1-12.)