(a)  The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered and authorized to make available to every owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile or commercial vehicle plates designated as “alternative design” upon application on proper forms furnished by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles. The alternative plates shall display upon them the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the registration plates issued to the vehicle for the period the registration remains active. Upon issuance of said alternative plates, the original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles for destruction.

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(b)  The alternative plates shall be designed as follows:

(1)  White reflective background;

(2)  Top border shall be red stripes except the words “Rhode Island” which shall be solid red;

(3)  Letters and numbers shall be blue;

(4)  Bottom border shall be blue stripes with thirteen (13) white stars;

(5)  On the bottom above the border the words “Ocean State” in blue except commercial plates which shall have the word “Commercial” in place of the words “Ocean State”;

(6)  Background shall contain the picture of a sailboat and water in grey.

(c)  The applicant shall be required to pay a service charge of twenty dollars ($20.00) for the plate.

(d)  The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile that is issued alternative plates shall continue to pay the appropriate automobile registration fee for the plates. The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle that is issued alternative plates shall continue to pay the appropriate commercial registration fee for the plates pursuant to § 31-3-11.