1.    The director may issue distinctive number plates to a surviving spouse, parent, including stepmother, stepfather, parent through adoption, and foster parent who stands or stood in loco parentis, grandparents, child, including stepchild and child through adoption, and sibling, including half-brother and half-sister, of a member of the armed forces of the United States who died while serving on active duty during a time of military conflict. The director shall issue a number plate under this section upon receiving payment of all other fees required under this chapter for registration of a motor vehicle.

2.    Plates issued under this section must bear a gold star emblem logo on the left side of the plate and the letters “GS” before the number. The director shall cooperate with the director of the department of veterans’ affairs to design the gold star emblem logo. The director may issue one set of plates per eligible owner of a passenger motor vehicle or a truck the registered gross weight of which does not exceed twenty thousand pounds [9071.85 kilograms].

3.    On request of the director, the department of veterans’ affairs shall certify those surviving family members of deceased members of the United States armed forces listed above as eligible to receive the plates.

4.    Once declared eligible for a gold star plate, the department may not remove the eligibility of a surviving family member.

5.    Once a plate number is issued to an eligible family member, the department may not assign the plate to another eligible person.