Steve Stone wrote in
:

New York State
Department of Motor Vehicles
Custom Plate Gallery - Emergency Services

# Eligible Vehicles:
All vehicles that are registered in NYS as a passenger class vehicle
or as a commercial class vehicle are eligible.
(Note: Commercial plates must display the word "COMMERCIAL".)
Certain custom plates are available for Motorcycles that are
registered in NYS (refer to the plate gallery).

# Eligible Persons:
An organization can require you to prove that you are eligible to
use
the organization picture plates
(refer to the plate gallery).
Certain organization picture plates must be ordered through the
organization or the Custom Plates Unit only.

Ham Radio Operator
Requirements: copy of license issued by FCC. $23/$5

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§ 397
§ 397. Equipping motor vehicles with radio receiving sets capable of
receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use. A
person, not a police officer or peace officer, acting pursuant to his
special duties, who equips a motor vehicle with a radio receiving set
capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police
use or knowingly uses a motor vehicle so equipped or who in any way
knowingly interferes with the transmission of radio messages by the
police without having first secured a permit so to do from the person
authorized to issue such a permit by the local governing body _ or
board of the city. town or village in which such person resides, or
where such person resides outside of a city or village in a county
having a county police department by the board of supervisors of such
county, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a tine not exceeding
one thousand dollars, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or
both. Nothing in this section contained shall be construed to apply to
any person who holds a valid amateur radio operators license issued by
the federal communications commission and who operates a duly licensed
portable mobile transmitter and in connection therewith a receiver or
receiving set on frequencies exclusively allocated by the federal
communications commission to duly licensed radio amateurs.
§ 397-a. Radar detectors prohibited. 1. No radar detector shall be
used in any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more
than eighteen thousand pounds. The presence in such vehicle of a radar
detector connected to a power source and in an operable condition is
presumptive evidence of its use by any person operating such vehicle.
Such presumption shall be rebutted by any credible and reliable
evidence which tends to show that such radar detector was not in use.
2. The provisions of this section shall not be construed as
authorizing the seizure or forfeiture of a radar detector, unless
otherwise provided by law.
3. A violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute
a traffic infraction punishable by a tine of not less than twenty-five
nor more than one hundred dollars.
§ 397-h. Vehicle leases that are not sales or security interests.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of motor
vehicles or trailers which are not vehicles or trailers leased or used
primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, a transaction
does not create a conditional sale or security interest merely because
it provides that the rental price is permitted or required to be
adjusted under the agreement either upward or downward by reference to
the amount realized upon sale or other disposition of the motor
vehicle or trailer.
-208-

Yes, every NYS ham should be familiar with part 397. Being able to quote
the specific V&TL section could come in handy should an "issue" ever
arise during a traffic stop.

While 397 specifically permits licensed hams to equip their vehicles
with 2-way radio gear, there is nothing in the section that REQUIRES a
vehicle have mobile ham radio equipment on board as a condition of
having ham radio license plates. (As "radioguy" claims)