Veterans Alliance is privately owned and operated to serve veterans. We are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Alliance — Veterans Alliance
← All California benefits
vehiclesstate

Fee-Exempt Plates — Disabled Veteran, Former POW, Medal of Honor, and Surviving Spouses

DV plates are issued without a plate fee, and §9105 then waives registration and licence fees on one vehicle entirely. The same section reaches former American prisoners of war and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and the surviving spouses of each who retain the special plates. One vehicle per person, and where more than one fee-exempt plate type applies, only one may be held.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

DV plates are issued without a plate fee, and §9105 then waives registration and licence fees on one vehicle entirely. The same section reaches former American prisoners of war and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and the surviving spouses of each who retain the special plates. One vehicle per person, and where more than one fee-exempt plate type applies, only one may be held.

What it's worth: Registration and licence fees waived on one vehicle

  • California registration is unusually expensive because the vehicle licence fee is a percentage of the vehicle’s value, so the saving scales with what you drive. $190 is a mid-range estimate.
  • The waiver covers ONE passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle under 8,000 lb unladen, not used for hire.
  • Veh. Code §9105(a) extends the exemption to former American prisoners of war and to Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and to the surviving spouses of each who retain the special plates.
  • The limit is one vehicle per person, and a person who qualifies for more than one fee-exempt plate type may hold only one of them — so the choice between them matters.
  • Duplicate certificates, plates and stickers are still charged.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You are rated 100% for a disease or disorder that substantially impairs mobility.
  • You have lost the use of one or more limbs.
  • You are permanently blind.
  • You cannot move without an assistive device.
  • You register a vehicle in California.
  • Your home is in California.

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. 1Have the disability certified on the DMV’s form by a licensed physician or the VA.
  2. 2Submit it to DMV with your registration.
  3. 3Pick your vehicle carefully — the fee waiver applies to one only, and California registration scales with vehicle value.
File with
The California DMV
Documents you will need
va rating letter ca · vehicle registration ca
Periodic re-certification
Re-certify on the schedule the agency sets.

This one unlocks

Worth knowingOne vehicle, one plate type. §9105 exempts fees on a single vehicle, and a veteran who qualifies for more than one type of fee-exempt plate cannot hold both. Because California’s vehicle licence fee is value-based, put the plate on the more expensive vehicle.
Worth knowingCalifornia’s DV plate is a MOBILITY test, not a percentage one. A veteran rated 100% for a condition that does not impair mobility may not qualify, while one rated lower who cannot move without a device may. This differs sharply from Texas, where 50% is enough on the number alone.

Sources

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