(1) A person may apply to the department for Pets for Vets Plates in lieu of regular license plates on an application prescribed and provided by the department for any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, except for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer registered under section 60-3,198. An applicant receiving a Pets for Vets 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 through the county treasurers. The license plates shall be issued upon payment of the license fee described in subsection (2) of this section.

(2)(a) In addition to all other fees required for registration under the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance or renewal of alphanumeric Pets for Vets Plates shall be accompanied by a fee of five dollars. County treasurers collecting fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit such fees to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit five dollars of the fee to the Pets for Vets Cash Fund.

(b) In addition to all other fees required for registration under the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance or renewal of personalized message Pets for Vets Plates shall be accompanied by a fee of forty dollars. County treasurers collecting fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit such fees to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit twenty-five percent of the fee for initial issuance and renewal of such plates to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and seventy-five percent of the fee to the Pets for Vets Cash Fund.

(3) When the department receives an application for Pets for Vets 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 Pets for Vets Plates in lieu of regular license plates when the applicant complies with the other provisions of the Motor Vehicle Registration Act for registration of the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer. If Pets for Vets Plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated, the licensee shall be issued replacement license plates upon request pursuant to section 60-3,157.

(4) 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 subsection. 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.

(5) The owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer bearing Pets for Vets Plates may apply to the county treasurer to have such 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 plates. The owner may have the unused portion of the fee for the plates credited to the other motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer that will bear the plates at the rate of eight and one-third percent per month for each full month left in the registration period. 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.

(6) If the cost of manufacturing Pets for Vets Plates at any time exceeds the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102, any money to be credited to the Pets for Vets Cash Fund shall instead be credited first to the Highway Trust Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the manufacturing costs of Pets for Vets Plates and the amount charged pursuant to section 60-3,102 with respect to such plates and the remainder shall be credited to the Pets for Vets Cash Fund.