(1) A person may apply for specialty license plates in lieu of regular license plates on an application prescribed and provided by the department pursuant to section 60-3,104.02 for any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, except for motor vehicles or trailers registered under section 60-3,198. An applicant receiving a specialty license plate for a farm truck with a gross weight of over sixteen tons or for a commercial motor vehicle registered for a gross weight of five tons or over shall affix the appropriate tonnage decal to the plate. The department shall make forms available for such applications. Each application for initial issuance or renewal of specialty license plates shall be accompanied by a fee of seventy dollars. Fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be remitted to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit sixty percent of the fee for initial issuance and renewal of specialty license plates to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and forty percent of the fee to the Highway Trust Fund.

(2)(a) When the department receives an application for specialty license plates, the department may deliver the plates and registration certificate to the applicant by United States mail or to the county treasurer of the county in which the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is registered and the delivery of the plates and registration certificate shall be made through a secure process and system. Beginning on an implementation date designated by the director on or before January 1, 2022, if delivery of the plates and registration certificate is made by the department to the applicant, the department may charge a postage and handling fee in an amount not more than necessary to recover the cost of postage and handling for the specific items mailed to the registrant. The department shall remit the fee to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund. The county treasurer or the department shall issue specialty license plates in lieu of regular license plates when the applicant complies with the other provisions of law for registration of the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer. If specialty license plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated, the licensee shall be issued replacement license plates pursuant to section 60-3,157.

(b) The county treasurer or the department may issue temporary license stickers to the applicant under this section for the applicant to lawfully operate the vehicle pending receipt of the license plates. No charge in addition to the registration fee shall be made for the issuance of a temporary license sticker under this subdivision. The department shall furnish temporary license stickers for issuance by the county treasurer at no cost to the counties. The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations regarding the design and issuance of temporary license stickers.

(3)(a) The owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer bearing specialty license plates may make application to the county treasurer to have such specialty license plates transferred to a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer other than the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer for which such plates were originally purchased if such motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is owned by the owner of the specialty license plates.

(b) The owner may have the unused portion of the specialty license plate fee credited to the other motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer which will bear the specialty license plates at the rate of eight and one-third percent per month for each full month left in the registration period.

(c) Application for such transfer shall be accompanied by a fee of three dollars. Fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund.