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 Michigan benefits
vehiclesstate

Register One Vehicle Free on a Total and Permanent Rating

A veteran the VA has rated totally and permanently disabled may register one passenger vehicle with a Disabled Veteran plate at no fee — with a one-time $5 administrative fee at first issue. Ex-prisoners of war qualify at any rating.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

A veteran the VA has rated totally and permanently disabled may register one passenger vehicle with a Disabled Veteran plate at no fee — with a one-time $5 administrative fee at first issue. Ex-prisoners of war qualify at any rating.

What it's worth: No registration fee on one passenger vehicle — $5 once, when the plate is first issued

  • The agency states that a veteran determined by the VA to have a total and permanent disability rating qualifies to register one passenger vehicle with a disabled veteran plate at no fee, and that there is a one-time $5 administrative fee when the plate is first issued.
  • Michigan registration fees are set by vehicle value, so the annual saving varies widely. The weight is a mid-range stand-in for one passenger vehicle, not a figure the State publishes.
  • Only one vehicle is covered. A second vehicle in the household is registered and paid for in the ordinary way.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are the veteran, or a spouse who may take over the plate.
  • The character of service is honorable or under honorable conditions.
  • The VA has rated the disability total and permanent.
  • Your home is in Michigan.

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 you are entitled to. A total or permanently total rating gets the permanent Disabled Veteran plate; a 50% to 90% rating gets the standard Disabled Veteran plate, which expires on your birthday and carries ordinary registration fees.
  2. 2Apply on the Application for Veteran License Plate (BDVR-87). New plates may be ordered by mail on that form; replacements can be ordered online or at a self-service station during a tab renewal.
  3. 3Expect the $5. The no-fee registration still carries a one-time $5 administrative fee when the plate is first issued.
  4. 4If you were a prisoner of war, apply regardless of your rating — the agency states ex-prisoners of war are eligible for this reduced-cost plate whatever the disability rating.
  5. 5Do not assume the plate gets you a disability parking space. The Secretary of State states that a disability placard is required to use either Disabled Veteran plate to park in a disability parking space.
  6. 6A surviving spouse should ask before letting the plate lapse: the Secretary of State states a spouse of a deceased veteran may transfer the permanent plate when the title is transferred, and may apply for the standard plate after submitting the paperwork.
Form
Application for Veteran License Plate (BDVR-87)
File with
A Secretary of State office, or by mail
Documents you will need
dd214 · va benefit summary letter
Automatic until something changes
The permanent Disabled Veteran plate does not expire, so there are no tabs to renew.
CorrectionA Disabled Veteran plate is not automatically a free plate. The Secretary of State states the standard Disabled Veteran plate for a 50% to 90% rating carries regular registration fees. The no-fee registration is stated only for a total and permanent rating.
Worth knowingThe permanent plate has no tabs and does not expire, which is a quiet second benefit — no renewal, no reminder to miss, no late fee. It also means the spouse transfer route matters, because there is no annual moment at which the situation gets reviewed.
Known gapWe could not read the Michigan Vehicle Code at source. Whether the no-fee registration extends to a motorcycle, and what happens to the fee if the vehicle is replaced mid-year, are not stated on either page we read.

Sources

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