Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XVI. Motor Vehicles § 186.060. Motor vehicles leased or owned by governmental units or emergency and ambulance vehicles operated by nonprofit corporations organized by units of government;  use of official plates on motor vehicles leased by governmental entity

(1)  Applications for registration of motor vehicles leased or owned by a county, city, urban-county, or board of education, or emergency and ambulance vehicles operated by nonprofit corporations organized by units of government in the state or by the state or federal government shall be accompanied by a statement from the head of the department of the governmental unit that leases or owns the motor vehicle, certifying that the motor vehicle is leased or owned and operated by the governmental unit.  The application and statement shall be forwarded by the county clerk to the cabinet, which shall give special authority to the clerk to register it.  Upon receiving that authority, the clerk shall issue a registration receipt and the official number plate described in KRS 186.240(1)(c), and report the registration to the head of the department authorizing the registration.  For his services in issuing such certificate of registration and number plate and reporting the same, the county clerk shall be entitled to a fee of three dollars ($3) in each instance, to be paid by the department upon whose authorization such license was issued.

(2)  After such registration of any vehicle leased or owned by a county, city, urban-county, or board of education, or emergency and ambulance vehicles operated by nonprofit corporations organized by units of government in the state, or by the state or federal government and after issuance of such number plate for such vehicle so leased or owned, no subsequent registration or renewal of same, and no subsequent renewal of a number plate of the vehicle shall be necessary so long as the vehicle is leased or owned by the governmental unit except in the case of loss or destruction of the license plate.  In the event of loss or destruction, the number plate shall be replaced in the same manner as if no plate had ever been issued.

(3)  When a motor vehicle leased or owned by a county, city, urban-county, or board of education, or emergency and ambulance vehicles operated by nonprofit corporations organized by units of government in the state, or by the state or federal government is transferred or sold to another governmental unit, a new license plate shall be issued for the vehicle in the same manner as provided for in subsection (1) of this section and shall have the same effect as given to such license plates in subsection (2) of this section.

(4)  No person shall use on a motor vehicle, not leased or owned by a county, city, urban-county, board of education, or emergency and ambulance vehicles operated by nonprofit corporations organized by units of government in the state, or the state or federal government, any license plate that has been issued for use on a motor vehicle leased or owned by the governmental unit.

(5)  Notwithstanding the provisions of KRS 186.020 and 186.050, a governmental entity which leases a motor vehicle may have that vehicle equipped with an official plate under this section.  Upon termination of the lease agreement, if ownership of the motor vehicle does not revert to an entity allowed to use an official plate under this section, the owner of the motor vehicle shall surrender the official plates and apply for registration under the provisions of KRS 186.050.