Upon the death of a military service member who has been issued a special plate under Section 3-609.1, 3-620, 3-621, 3-622, 3-623, 3-624, 3-625, 3-626, 3-628, 3-638, 3-642, 3-645, 3-647, 3-650, 3-651, 3-666, 3-667, 3-668, 3-669, 3-676, 3-677, 3-680, 3-681, 3-683, 3-686, 3-688, 3-693, 3-698, 3-699.12, 3-699.15, 3-699.16, 3-699.17, 3-699.19, or 3-699.20 of this Code, the surviving spouse of that service member may retain the plate so long as that spouse is a resident of Illinois and transfers the registration to his or her name within 180 days of the death of the service member.
     For the purposes of this Section, “service member” means any individual who is serving or has served in any branch of the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard or other reserve components of the Armed Forces, and has been issued a special plate listed in this Section.