(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall provide, upon proper application being made, special personalized motor vehicle license plates to the owner of a private passenger motor vehicle and motorcycles. The personalized plates must be of the design and bear the letters and numerals the department prescribes. However, there may be no duplication of registration plates, except South Carolina members of the United States Congress or members of the South Carolina General Assembly may purchase a maximum of the original and two duplicate registration plates. The department, in its discretion, may refuse the issue of letter combinations which may carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency and may not assign to a person not holding the relevant office letters or numerals denoting the holder to have a public office.

(B) Private passenger motor vehicles must be assigned a biennial registration which expires on a staggered monthly basis. Where a current vehicle license plate currently is displayed, the owner of the vehicle may make application for personalized license plates two months in advance of the current registration expiration. A sticker reflecting the month of expiration of registration must be issued and affixed in the space provided on the license plate assigned to the vehicle. A personalized license plate issued to a motorcycle must be assigned a biennial registration which expires on a staggered monthly basis. Every personalized license plate issued to members of the General Assembly and members of licensed state or federal commissions and boards expires on January thirty-first each year. Every vehicle registration must be renewed biennially upon application by the owner and by payment of the fee required by law to take effect the first day of the month following the expiration of the registration to be renewed.

(C) If a person who qualifies for the special license plate issued under this section also qualifies for the handicapped license plate issued pursuant to § 56-3-1910, then the license plate issued pursuant to this section also shall include a decal with the International Symbol of Access used on license plates issued pursuant to § 56-3-1910. The decal only can be used if space is available to place the decal on the license plate without covering any identifying numbers or letters on the license plate.