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The Veteran Mark on the Licence — Free at Renewal, Paid If You Rush It

Available since 2013 on an honorable or general-under-honorable discharge. It costs nothing at first issue or at renewal. Adding it in between costs the price of a duplicate licence, so the timing of the request is the whole decision.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

Available since 2013 on an honorable or general-under-honorable discharge. It costs nothing at first issue or at renewal. Adding it in between costs the price of a duplicate licence, so the timing of the request is the whole decision.

What it's worth: No extra charge at first issue or renewal; a duplicate licence fee if added in between

  • The law enforcement agency states that since 1 May 2013 veterans of this state have had the option of displaying proof of military service on their driver licences.
  • To establish proof of service a veteran must visit one of the agency's driver licence examining offices, a licence commissioner's office or a probate office.
  • The primary document is a DD-214 showing an honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions status.
  • Other accepted documents are NGB Form 22 showing one of those two characterisations, DD Form 2 (the green active duty identification card), and the retired identification card.
  • There is no additional charge for the designation for a first-time driver licence applicant or for someone renewing their licence.
  • A veteran who chooses to add the designation before the renewal date must pay the standard fee for a duplicate licence.
  • The agency does not state on this page what the designation unlocks; it is presented as proof of service that can be displayed.

Who is entitled to it

  • This record is about the person who served.
  • Your discharge is one of the two characterisations the agency names.
  • Your home is in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Wait for your renewal if you can. The designation is free at renewal and costs a duplicate licence fee at any other time, and the mark itself does not change in either case.
  2. 2Take the original discharge document, not a photograph of it. This is an in-person, counter-verified step at three possible kinds of office.
  3. 3Check the characterisation on the document before you go. Honorable and general-under-honorable both work; nothing else on the page does.
  4. 4If the DD-214 is missing, look at the alternatives first. The green active duty card and the retired identification card are both accepted and are usually easier to lay hands on than a replacement discharge.
  5. 5Do not treat the mark as a benefits card. The agency describes it as proof of service on the licence and names nothing it entitles you to.
Form
In-person request with the DD-214 or an accepted substitute
File with
A driver licence examining office, licence commissioner's office or probate office
Documents you will need
dd214
At each renewal
Claimed again whenever the underlying licence or registration renews.
Worth knowingThe designation is not the distinctive plate and does not carry any of the plate's entitlements. They are two different offices, two different documents and two different processes, and a veteran who has done one has not started the other.
Known gapWhat the mark actually unlocks was not established. The agency page does not say, and no state page read this session ties a discount, a fee waiver or a preference to it. Treat it as identification until a merchant or an office says otherwise.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.