Vehicles: firefighter license plates.

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue, upon the payment of an initial fee of $35 and a $20 fee for each renewal of registration, special interest license plates to firefighters who meet prescribed requirements. The revenue derived from the payment of these special fees for firefighter license plates, less the department's costs, are required to be deposited in the California Firefighters' Memorial Fund. This bill would increase those fees to $50 for the initial issuance of the special license plates and $35 for each renewal of registration of the vehicle. Existing law requires, upon the death of the person to whom the special firefighter license plates were issued, that the plates be transferred to the surviving spouse, if he or she requests it, or returned to the department within 60 days after the death of the plateholder or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first. This bill would instead authorize the surviving spouse to retain the plates and would require, except as provided below, upon the death of the surviving spouse, the plates to be returned to the department or destroyed within 60 days of the death or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first. The bill, in the absence of a surviving spouse or where the surviving spouse dies while in possession of the special license plates, would authorize a member of the deceased firefighter's family, as defined, to retain one of the special license plates as a family heirloom, subject to specified conditions.