Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, when an automobile for which a personalized tag or plate has been issued is sold or otherwise disposed of, the seller must remove the personalized tag or plate from such automobile, and he or she then may transfer the personalized tag or plate to a newly acquired automobile of the same class upon payment of the regular transfer fee and all other regular fees and taxes due upon the newly acquired automobile; provided, that any automobile from which a personalized tag or plate has been transferred or removed by a former owner shall be registered and licensed by its new owner for operation on the public roads in the same manner as any unlicensed vehicle, except that no ad valorem tax shall be due on such automobile if same was paid for the current year by the former owner.