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Gold Star Family Plates — Grandparents Named In, and a Front Plate Kept as a Memorial

The county director of finance issues special military-service number plates reading "GOLD STAR FAMILY" to an applicant who proves they would qualify for a gold star lapel button under 10 U.S.C. §1126 — and the subsection says in terms that being the grandparent of the deceased member does not disqualify you. The plates are issued for a fee, are not transferable, and when the qualified person dies the director of finance shall allow the survivor to keep the front plate as a memorial.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

The county director of finance issues special military-service number plates reading "GOLD STAR FAMILY" to an applicant who proves they would qualify for a gold star lapel button under 10 U.S.C. §1126 — and the subsection says in terms that being the grandparent of the deceased member does not disqualify you. The plates are issued for a fee, are not transferable, and when the qualified person dies the director of finance shall allow the survivor to keep the front plate as a memorial.

What it's worth: One set of GOLD STAR FAMILY plates, issued for a fee set by the county

  • The section opens with the words "shall provide, for a fee". No waiver appears anywhere in it, and the amount is a county matter rather than a figure in the statute — ask your county director of finance.
  • One set per qualified applicant. The plates must be assigned to a noncommercial passenger motor vehicle, a noncommercial motorcycle or a motor scooter registered in the qualified applicant's name.

Who is entitled to it

  • The plate runs on a gold star lapel button, which is a family award rather than a service record.
  • You are 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. 1Gather proof against the federal criterion, not a state form. Paragraph (a)(6) asks for specific proof that the applicant would qualify for a gold star lapel button under the criteria established by title 10 United States Code section 1126.
  2. 2If you are a grandparent, apply anyway. The proviso in paragraph (a)(6) exists precisely because the federal lapel button criteria are narrower, and it says the applicant shall not be disqualified for the plates because they are the grandparent of the deceased member.
  3. 3You are unlikely to need a discharge paper. The closing proviso of subsection (a) requires most applicants to attach their own most recent discharge or separation document showing an honourable or general under honourable conditions discharge — and excepts civilian applicants and applicants currently serving under paragraph (6).
  4. 4Do not plan on passing the plates on. Subsection (c) makes the registration certificate and the plates non-transferable to any other person, and requires them to be surrendered to the director of finance before the vehicle is sold.
  5. 5Ask about the memorial plate when the time comes. Subsection (c) directs the director of finance to allow the survivor of the qualified person, on request, to retain the FRONT plate as a memorial. It has to be asked for.
  6. 6Go to the right counter. These plates are a county function under this section — the same office that handles your registration, not the state veterans office.
Form
Application to the county director of finance, with the qualifying proof attached
File with
Your county director of finance — the counties, not a state agency, issue these
At each renewal
Claimed again whenever the underlying licence or registration renews.
Worth knowingThe section carries no remarriage clause of any kind. What it does carry is a non-transferability rule, which bites in a different way: the plates stay with the qualified person and cannot be handed to a new spouse or an adult child.
CorrectionThe plate is not free here. Guides that list gold star plates as a no-cost benefit are generalising from other jurisdictions; the operative words in this section are "shall provide, for a fee".

Sources

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