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Military Service Plates — $10 Once, and Nothing Extra Every Year

Delaware issues a family of military service plates for a one-off $10 administrative fee, with no charge beyond the ordinary annual registration afterwards. The statutory plates cover former prisoners of war, those formerly missing in action, serving Guard and Reserve members, Purple Heart recipients, valor medal recipients, military retirees with 20 or more years, and Korean War veterans. The DMV offers further tags for honorably discharged veterans, Vietnam veterans, Pearl Harbor survivors and the Gulf-era operations. A surviving spouse may transfer the plate at no extra cost — but a Purple Heart plate must be RETURNED within 90 days on remarriage.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Delaware issues a family of military service plates for a one-off $10 administrative fee, with no charge beyond the ordinary annual registration afterwards. The statutory plates cover former prisoners of war, those formerly missing in action, serving Guard and Reserve members, Purple Heart recipients, valor medal recipients, military retirees with 20 or more years, and Korean War veterans. The DMV offers further tags for honorably discharged veterans, Vietnam veterans, Pearl Harbor survivors and the Gulf-era operations. A surviving spouse may transfer the plate at no extra cost — but a Purple Heart plate must be RETURNED within 90 days on remarriage.

What it's worth: $10 once per plate, then nothing beyond ordinary annual registration

  • The fee is a ONE-OFF $10 administrative charge per plate. There is no additional annual fee — only the ordinary registration you would pay anyway.
  • The statutory plates are: former prisoner of war (§2137); formerly missing in action (§2139); serving National Guard and Reserve members (§2139A, forfeited on leaving); Purple Heart (§2139B); valor medals including the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and commendation medals (§2139D); military retirees with 20 or more years of honorable service (§2139E); and Korean War veterans (§2139G).
  • The DMV additionally offers Honorably Discharged Military Veteran, Vietnam Veteran, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Operation Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Delaware Veterans and Honoring Veterans tags.
  • A surviving spouse may transfer the plate at no extra cost.
  • A Purple Heart plate MUST BE RETURNED within 90 days on remarriage, under §2139B(e). That is an obligation attaching to the plate, not a benefit.
  • The Guard and Reserve plate is forfeited on leaving the Guard or Reserve.
  • It is limited to a private passenger vehicle or a truck of three-quarter-ton capacity or less.
  • The disabled veteran plate is covered by its own record.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are the veteran, or their surviving spouse.
  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You register a vehicle in Delaware.

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. 1Work out which plate fits your service — the family is wide, and the retiree, Korean War and valor plates are the ones most often overlooked.
  2. 2Budget $10 once per plate. There is no extra annual fee, which makes these cheaper than most special plates.
  3. 3Take proof of the qualifying service or award.
  4. 4A surviving spouse should ask about transfer at no extra cost rather than surrendering the plate.
  5. 5If you hold a Purple Heart plate and remarry, return it within 90 days. That is a legal obligation under §2139B(e).
  6. 6If you leave the Guard or Reserve, the §2139A plate is forfeited.
Form
DMV special plate application
File with
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles
Documents you will need
dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Known gapThe statute text for §2139BB and §2139R, the veteran branch plates, could not be opened when this was written. Those designs are listed from the DMV's own page rather than from the Code.

Sources

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