---
title: HB 1191. Motor vehicles; additional military medal awards eligible for special veteran license plates; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1191
cite_as: HB 1191, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1191
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1191.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1191/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72840
date: 2026-03-19
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1190.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1192.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 717
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1191.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1191
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Angie O'Steen
- Josh Bonner
- Bill Hitchens
- John Corbett
- Charles Cannon
- Buddy DeLoach
- Chuck Payne
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1191/2025
upstream_id: 2108180
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- veteran license plates
- military honors
- Navy submarine service
- motor vehicles
---
# HB 1191. Motor vehicles; additional military medal awards eligible for special veteran license plates; provide
## Text
The Senate Committee on Public Safety offered the following
substitute to HB 1191:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to prestige license plates and special plates for certain persons and vehicles, so as
to provide for additional military medal awards eligible for special veteran license plates; to
provide for a specialty license plate for United States Navy submarine service members; to
provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and
for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
prestige license plates and special plates for certain persons and vehicles, is amended in Code
Section 40-2-85.1, relating to license plates for certain veterans, by revising paragraph (1)
of subsection (a) as follows:
"(1) 'Military medal award' means the following medals, decorations, or other recognition
of honor for military service awarded by a branch of the United States military:
(A) Medal of Honor;
(B) Bronze Star Medal;
(C) Silver Star Medal;
(D) Distinguished Service Cross;
(E) Navy Cross;
(F) Air Force Cross;
(G) Defense Distinguished Service Medal;
(H) Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal;
(I) Distinguished Service Medal;
(J) Navy Distinguished Service Medal;
(K) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal;
(L) Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal;
(M) Defense Superior Service Medal;
(N) Legion of Merit;
(O) Distinguished Flying Cross;
(P) Purple Heart;
(Q) Air Medal;
(R) Soldier's Medal; and
(S) Meritorious Service Medal;
(T) Navy Corps Medal;
(U) Marine Corps Medal;
(V) Airman's Medal;
(W) Coast Guard Medal; and
(X) Combat Infantryman Badge."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"40-2-85.5.
(a)(1) Motor vehicle owners who are members of the United States Navy submarine
service shall be eligible to receive special and distinctive vehicle license plates for private
passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles used for personal
transportation. Such license plates shall be issued in compliance with the state motor
vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles as prescribed in
Article 2 of this chapter.
(2) Motor vehicle owners who are retired members of the United States Navy submarine
service shall be eligible to receive special and distinctive vehicle license plates for private
passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles used for personal
transportation. Such license plates shall be issued in compliance with the state motor
vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles as prescribed in
Article 2 of this chapter.
(3) The special and distinctive vehicle license plates issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of
this subsection shall contain the word 'RETIRED' in the location of and in lieu of the
name of the county of issuance.
(b) A person who qualifies for the special and distinctive license plate pursuant to
subsection (a) of this Code section shall make application therefor with the commissioner
and include the requisite fee. The commissioner shall design a distinctive license plate as
provided in subsection (c) of this Code section and issue the distinctive license plates to
qualifying applicants. There shall be no minimum required number of applicants for such
distinctive license plate. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations
as may be necessary to enforce compliance with all state license laws relating to the use
and operation of private passenger cars and trucks before issuing these license plates in lieu
of the regular Georgia license plates. The additional manufacturing fee for such special
and distinctive license plates shall be $25.00. The commissioner is specifically authorized
to promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to ensure compliance in instances where
such vehicles have been transferred or sold.
(c) The special and distinctive vehicle license plates issued by this Code section shall be
as prescribed in Article 2 of this chapter for private passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, or
recreational vehicles used for personal transportation, except that the commissioner shall
include a special design to identify the owner as a member of the United States Navy
submarine service.
(d) The license plate issued pursuant to this Code section shall be transferred between
vehicles as provided in Code Section 40-2-80."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2027.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate substitute for HB 1191 would expand the list of military medals that qualify veterans for special license plates and create a new plate for U.S. Navy submarine service members.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already lets veterans who received certain military medals get special veteran license plates. This bill adds several more medals and honors to that qualifying list, including the Navy Corps Medal, Marine Corps Medal, Airman's Medal, Coast Guard Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge, so more veterans could qualify for the plates.
The bill also creates a brand new specialty license plate for people who currently serve or previously served in the United States Navy submarine service. Retired submariners would get a version of the plate marked 'RETIRED' instead of showing the county of issuance. Applicants would apply through the state motor vehicle commissioner, pay a $25 manufacturing fee, and the commissioner would design the plate and set rules for handling vehicle transfers or sales. The changes would take effect January 1, 2027.
### What it does
- Adds five more military honors, including the Navy Corps Medal, Marine Corps Medal, Airman's Medal, Coast Guard Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge, to the list of medals that qualify a veteran for a special license plate.
- Creates a new Georgia Code section (40-2-85.5) establishing a specialty license plate for current and retired members of the U.S. Navy submarine service.
- Requires retired submariners' plates to display the word 'RETIRED' instead of the county of issuance.
- Sets a $25 additional manufacturing fee for the new submarine service plate and directs the commissioner to design it and write rules for vehicle transfers or sales.
- Sets the effective date for all these changes as January 1, 2027.
### Who it affects
Georgia veterans who hold qualifying military medals, current and retired members of the U.S. Navy submarine service who own private passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles, and the state motor vehicle commissioner's office, which must design and administer the new plates.
### Why it matters
More veterans would become eligible for a special veteran license plate because the list of qualifying medals grows, and Navy submarine service members would gain a distinct plate honoring their service, giving both groups a visible, official way to mark their military background on their vehicles.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 40-2-85.1 to add the Navy Corps Medal, Marine Corps Medal, Airman's Medal, Coast Guard Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge to the definition of 'military medal award.'
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 40-2-85.5 creating special license plates for active and retired U.S. Navy submarine service members.
- Retired members' plates must show 'RETIRED' in place of the county of issuance under subsection (a)(3).
- Subsection (b) requires an application to the commissioner, sets a $25 manufacturing fee, and lets the commissioner make rules for vehicle transfers or sales.
- Subsection (d) allows the new plate to be transferred between vehicles under the existing rules in O.C.G.A. § 40-2-80.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as January 1, 2027.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-03)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-03-19)
- Sponsors: Angie O'Steen, Josh Bonner, Bill Hitchens, John Corbett, Charles Cannon, Buddy DeLoach, Chuck Payne
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72840
> The history, votes, and amendments (717 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1191.md?full=1