Vehicles: specialized license plates.

Existing law authorizes a person who is a firefighter or a retired firefighter to apply for special license plates for his or her vehicle. The special license plates, which contain the words "California Firefighter" and run in a regular numerical series, are issued upon application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, presentation of proof of certain facts, and payment of certain fees. Existing law provides, upon the death of the person to whom the special firefighter license plates were issued, that the plates be transferred to the surviving spouse, and upon the death of the surviving spouse, or in the absence of a surviving spouse, the plates are to be returned to the department or destroyed within 60 days after the death of the plateholder or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first. Existing law also allows a member of the deceased firefighter's family to retain one of the special license plates as a family heirloom, subject to specified conditions, after the death of the surviving spouse, or after the death of the firefighter, if there is no surviving spouse. This bill would allow a surviving family member of a firefighter or retired firefighter, as defined, to apply for and receive a "California Firefighter" special license plate. The bill would also define spouse to include a domestic partner.