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Veteran Designation for $8.25 — Free at Renewal — and the Placard That Still Pays the Meter

An honorably discharged veteran can add a Veteran designation to a driver licence for $8.25, or $12.25 on a commercial licence — and for nothing at all if it goes on during a renewal or another licence transaction. Separately: the disabled parking placard is a medical document with its own terms, and it does not waive a single parking fee. The Disabled Veteran plate does.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

An honorably discharged veteran can add a Veteran designation to a driver licence for $8.25, or $12.25 on a commercial licence — and for nothing at all if it goes on during a renewal or another licence transaction. Separately: the disabled parking placard is a medical document with its own terms, and it does not waive a single parking fee. The Disabled Veteran plate does.

What it's worth: $8.25 for the designation on a non-commercial licence, $12.25 on a commercial one — nothing extra at renewal

  • The department states that honorably discharged veterans can add a Veteran designation to their licence.
  • The published cost is $8.25 for a non-commercial licence and $12.25 for a commercial licence.
  • The department states there is no extra fee if the designation is added during a standard renewal or another licence transaction.
  • The proof required is a DD-214 or other evidence of honorable discharge, and the department points to the federal archives service for copies.
  • On disabled parking, the department states that only those with a permanent disability qualify for licence plates or expedited service permits, and that such a person may receive either plates and stickers for all vehicles they own plus one placard, or two placards with no plates or stickers.
  • Placard terms are: red temporary placards or motorcycle stickers valid up to six months; blue moderate placards or stickers valid up to two years; and plates, stickers or blue placards valid ten years for a permanent disability.
  • A licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant must certify the disability on the application, and must state whether the condition is subject to change and for how long it is expected to last.
  • Renewal of a temporary or moderate placard requires a new application and a new clinician signature; renewal of a permanent placard requires no new clinician signature, only the returned notice or a new application top half.
  • Placards may be used in any vehicle but only by the disabled individual; plates are assigned to a specific vehicle whose registered owner must be the person with a permanent disability.
  • The department states that handicapped plates and placards do not waive parking fees and that meter or garage parking charges must be paid.
  • The department states that Disabled Veteran plates are available to veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, and that these plates, together with Fallen Military and Gold Star plates, do carry a fee exemption at any facility owned by a state or local government agency.
  • Many veterans specialty plates can be obtained with the international symbol of access, and the department names Disabled Veteran, Ex-POW, Congressional Medal of Honor, Silver and Bronze Star, Pearl Harbor and Purple Heart among them.
  • The Disabled Veteran plate carries published total fees of $8.50 initial and $0 renewal.
  • The department states a minimum fine of $250 for illegally parking in a space designated for the disabled.
  • An out-of-state placard may be used while visiting, but once a person becomes a resident a state placard or plate is required and the out-of-state placard does not transfer.
  • The department issues authorisation letters naming the holder, which must be kept in the vehicle with plates or carried with a placard.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are the veteran.
  • Your discharge characterisation qualifies.
  • 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 only want the designation. Added during a standard renewal or another licence transaction it costs nothing extra; asked for on its own it is $8.25, or $12.25 on a commercial licence.
  2. 2Bring the DD-214 or other evidence of honorable discharge. If you do not have it, request a copy from the federal archives before booking the appointment rather than after.
  3. 3Understand what the placard is and is not. It is a medical document certified by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant — and it does not waive a single parking fee. Meters and garages are still payable.
  4. 4If you are rated at 100%, get the Disabled Veteran plate for the parking money. That plate, and the Fallen Military and Gold Star plates, do carry a fee exemption at facilities owned by state or local government.
  5. 5Choose your placard configuration deliberately. A person with a permanent disability may take plates and stickers for every vehicle they own plus one placard, OR two placards and no plates — and the second option is better if you are frequently a passenger.
  6. 6Ask for the international symbol of access on your veterans plate. It is available on Disabled Veteran, Ex-POW, Congressional Medal of Honor, Silver and Bronze Star, Pearl Harbor and Purple Heart plates, so you need not choose between recognition and access.
  7. 7Diarise placard expiry by colour: red up to six months, blue moderate up to two years, blue permanent ten years. Only the temporary and moderate renewals need a fresh clinician signature.
  8. 8Keep the authorisation letter where it belongs — in the vehicle if you have plates, on you if you use a placard. It is the document that proves the plate or placard is yours.
  9. 9If you have just moved here, replace the out-of-state placard. It is valid while visiting but does not transfer once you are a resident.
Form
Licence application for the designation; application SP-27 for disabled plates or placards
File with
A Department of Motor Vehicles office, or the online portal for placards
Documents you will need
dd214
Periodic
Re-confirmed from time to time.
CorrectionThe intuition is exactly inverted here. People assume the medical placard is the one that gets them out of paying, and the veteran plate is decorative. The department says the opposite on its own page: placards do not waive parking fees, and the Disabled Veteran, Fallen Military and Gold Star plates do.
CorrectionThe veteran designation is not free in general — it is free only when it rides along with a transaction you were doing anyway. Walking in specifically to add it costs $8.25, or $12.25 on a commercial licence.
Worth knowingThe permanent placard renewal is the small mercy in this record: after the first ten-year cycle no new clinician signature is needed, just the returned notice. Temporary and moderate placards do need a fresh signature every time.

Sources

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