(1) The department shall either modify an existing plate design or design license plates to identify special interest motor vehicles, to be known as special interest motor vehicle license plates. The department, in designing such special interest motor vehicle license plates, shall include the words special interest and limit the manufacturing cost of each plate to an amount less than or equal to the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102. The department shall choose the design of the plate. The department shall make applications available for this type of plate when it is designed.

(2) One type of special interest motor vehicle license plate shall be alphanumeric plates. The department shall:

(a) Assign a designation up to seven characters; and

(b) Not use a county designation.

(3) One type of special interest motor vehicle license plate shall be personalized message plates. Such plates shall be issued subject to the same conditions specified for personalized message license plates in section 60-3,118.

(4) A person may apply to the department for a special interest motor vehicle license plate in lieu of regular license plates on an application prescribed and provided by the department for any special interest motor vehicle, except that no motor vehicle registered under section 60-3,198, autocycle, motorcycle, or trailer shall be eligible for special interest motor vehicle license plates. The department shall make forms available for such applications through the county treasurers.

(5) The form shall contain a description of the special interest motor vehicle owned and sought to be registered, including the make, body type, model, serial number, and year of manufacture.

(6)(a) In addition to all other fees required to register a motor vehicle, each application for initial issuance or renewal of a special interest motor vehicle license plate shall be accompanied by a special interest motor vehicle license plate fee of fifty dollars. Twenty-five dollars of the special interest motor vehicle license plate fee shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund, and twenty-five dollars of the special interest motor vehicle license plate fee shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Highway Trust Fund.

(b) If a special interest motor vehicle license plate is lost, stolen, or mutilated, the owner shall be issued a replacement license plate pursuant to section 60-3,157.

(7) When the department receives an application for a special interest motor vehicle license plate, the department may deliver the plate and registration certificate to the applicant by United States mail or to the county treasurer of the county in which the special interest motor vehicle is registered and the delivery of the plate and registration certificate shall be made through a secure process and system. 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 the special interest motor vehicle license plate in lieu of regular license plates when the applicant complies with the other provisions of the Motor Vehicle Registration Act for registration of the special interest motor vehicle.

(8) If the cost of manufacturing special interest motor vehicle license plates at any time exceeds the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102, any money to be credited to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund under this section shall instead be credited first to the Highway Trust Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the manufacturing costs of special interest motor vehicle license plates and the amount charged pursuant to section 60-3,102 with respect to such license plates and the remainder shall be credited to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund.

(9) The special interest motor vehicle license plate shall be affixed to the rear of the special interest motor vehicle.

(10) A special interest motor vehicle shall not be used for the same purposes and under the same conditions as other motor vehicles of the same type and shall not be used for business or occupation or regularly for transportation to and from work. A special interest motor vehicle may be driven on the public streets and roads only for occasional transportation, public displays, parades, and related pleasure or hobby activities.

(11) It shall be unlawful to own or operate a motor vehicle with special interest motor vehicle license plates in violation of this section. Upon conviction of a violation of any provision of this section, a person shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor.

(12) For purposes of this section, special interest motor vehicle means a motor vehicle of any age which is being collected, preserved, restored, or maintained by the owner as a leisure pursuit and not used for general transportation of persons or cargo.