Georgia CommonsSB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish
Last action May 11, 2026 · Effective Date 2027-07-01
Senate Bill 76 expands the list of military medals that qualify veterans for free Georgia license plates, creates a new plate for U.S. Navy submarine service members, and loosens where multipurpose off-highway vehicles can be driven.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia already lets veterans who received certain military medals get a free or discounted specialty license plate. This bill adds several medals and honors, including the Navy Corps Medal, Marine Corps Medal, Airman's Medal, Coast Guard Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge, to the list that qualifies a veteran for these plates. It also changes how the extra $25 registration fee for additional or renewed veteran plates is charged, tying it to annual or five-year registration renewals instead of a flat annual charge. The bill creates a brand new specialty license plate for current and retired members of the U.S. Navy submarine service, including a distinct 'RETIRED' design, with a $25 manufacturing fee. Separately, it changes the rule for where multipurpose off-highway vehicles can legally be driven, shifting from a county-road-based restriction to a rule based on the highway's posted speed limit of 60 miles per hour or less. The changes take effect July 1, 2027.
What the bill does
- Adds five military honors, 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 Georgia license plate.
- Creates a new specialty license plate (O.C.G.A. § 40-2-85.5) for current and retired members of the U.S. Navy submarine service, with retired members getting a plate marked 'RETIRED' instead of a county name.
- Sets a $25 manufacturing fee for the new submarine service license plate and directs the state to design it with a distinctive submarine service emblem.
- Restructures the extra registration fee for veteran license plates so it is charged as $25 for an annual renewal or $125 for a five-year renewal, rather than a flat annual fee.
- Changes the rule for multipurpose off-highway vehicles so they can be driven on any highway with a posted speed limit of 60 miles per hour or less, instead of being limited mainly to county roads.
- Sets the effective date for all these changes as July 1, 2027.
Who it affects
Georgia veterans and their spouses who hold or want a special veteran license plate, current and retired U.S. Navy submarine service members and their families, county tag agents who collect registration fees, and drivers who operate multipurpose off-highway vehicles on public roads.
Why it matters
More veterans, including those with certain medals not previously covered, could qualify for a special plate, while renewal fees would be restructured around annual or five-year registration cycles. Submarine veterans gain a dedicated plate option, and off-highway vehicle drivers get access to more roads based on posted speed limits rather than road type.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-2-85.1 to add five new military medals and honors to the definition of 'military medal award' used to qualify veterans for special plates.
- Section 1 also revises the additional registration fee structure, setting it at $25 for an annual renewal or $125 for a five-year renewal of a veteran license plate, collected by county tag agents.
- Section 1 confirms spouses of eligible veterans can also receive the special plate if no vehicle is already registered in the veteran's name.
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 40-2-85.5 creating a special license plate for active and retired U.S. Navy submarine service members, with a $25 manufacturing fee and a 'RETIRED' design variant for retirees.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-6-362 to let multipurpose off-highway vehicles operate on any highway with a maximum speed limit of 60 miles per hour or less, replacing the prior county-road-based restriction.
- Section 4 sets the effective date of the Act as July 1, 2027.
- Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“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.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2027-07-01
- Act 485
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate)
Show full history (17 actions)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
- Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
- Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
- Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
- Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
- Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
- Derrick McCollum (R, HD-030)
Votes
- Senate voteFebruary 13, 2025
52 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
168 yea, 2 nay (4 not voting, 2 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2026
53 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
168 yea, 2 nay (4 not voting, 2 absent)
Topics
- license plates
- veterans benefits
- military medals
- off-highway vehicles
- vehicle registration fees