Section 1010.260 Special Plates – Prior Military Service Required

a) Only applicants who were honorably discharged from the armed forces shall be eligible for a special license plate when prior military service is required for issuance of that special license plate. For purposes of this Section:

1) "Armed forces" means any of the armed forces of the United States, including a member of any reserve component or National Guard unit.

2) "Honorably discharged" means a person who has served in the armed forces and was discharged or separated under honorable conditions.

b) When a surviving spouse of a former member of the armed forces is eligible to apply for such special plates, that former member must have been honorably discharged for the surviving spouse to be issued the special license plate.

c) If an applicant has received a less-than-honorable discharge because of the applicant’s sexual orientation or gender identification and is denied issuance of a special plate because of that discharge, that applicant may seek an administrative hearing to review the denial. If the administrative hearing officer determines the less than honorable discharge was solely the result of the applicant’s sexual orientation or gender identification, the hearing officer will recommend issuance of the special license plate.

d) An applicant who received a less than honorable discharge on or after June 25, 2019 because of possession of marijuana under circumstances that would not be illegal in this State at the time of the discharge and is denied issuance of a special plate because of that discharge, may seek an administrative hearing to review the denial. If the administrative hearing officer determines the less-than-honorable discharge was solely the result of possession of marijuana under circumstances that would not be illegal in this State at the time of the discharge, the hearing officer will recommend issuance of the special license plate.

(Source: Added at 47 Ill. Reg. 3374, effective February 23, 2023)