Section 403. Number plates continued

1.  Notwithstanding  any  other
  provision of  this  chapter,  the  commissioner,  upon  registration  or
  reregistration  of  any  vehicle  required  to  be registered under this
  chapter, may continue the use of number plates for an additional  period
  as may be determined by him, in which event he shall issue and deliver a
  tag  or  other  evidence  of  registration,  which  shall be attached or
  affixed in such manner as he may prescribe by regulation. The failure to
  affix or display such tag or other  evidence  of  registration,  in  the
  manner  prescribed  by the commissioner, shall constitute a violation of
  this section. The removal from any vehicle, other than by the  owner  of
  the vehicle or person authorized by such owner or by a police officer in
  the  performance  of  his  duties,  of  such  tag  or  other evidence of
  registration shall constitute a class B misdemeanor.
    2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this  section,
  the  commissioner,  upon  registration  or reregistration of any vehicle
  required to  be  registered  under  this  chapter  between  July  first,
  nineteen   hundred  eighty-six  and  June  thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred
  eighty-eight,  shall  issue  a  new  number  plate  or  plates  to  each
  registrant  or  reregistrant, and provided further an emblem bearing the
  likeness of the Statue of Liberty shall appear on the  number  plate  or
  plates  except  that such emblem, in the discretion of the commissioner,
  need not appear on a number plate or plates less than ten  inches  long.
  The  commissioner  shall  promulgate  rules  and  regulations  for plate
  reissuance including which plates will be required  to  be  replaced  in
  which  year. The commissioner is authorized to take whatever actions are
  necessary to ensure that the transaction necessary for the reissuance of
  such number plate or plates shall be  accomplished  by  mail  so  as  to
  minimize  the  need  for  the reregistrant to process the transaction in
  person.
    3. a. Upon the request of an applicant and payment by the applicant of
  a one-time fee not to exceed twenty dollars, and subject to  regulations
  promulgated by the commissioner, the commissioner shall provide a number
  plate  or plates bearing the same distinctive numerals and/or letters as
  the number plate being replaced. Such one-time fee shall be in  addition
  to  the  regular  fee  prescribed  by  section  four hundred one of this
  article.
    b. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph a of this  subdivision,
  no  such  one-time  fee  shall  be  charged for any plate subject to the
  provisions of section four hundred four or four hundred four-l  of  this
  article,  for  which an annual service charge is paid in addition to the
  regular fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article.
    c. Nothing contained in paragraph  a  of  this  subdivision  shall  be
  deemed to authorize the imposition of a fee for a number plate or plates
  which is higher than any fee otherwise authorized by this chapter.