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Gold Star Family — a $10 Decal for Everyone, and a Free Plate for Mothers

New Hampshire has both. RSA 261-C:3-a supports a Gold Star Family decal, issued by the veterans division for $10 which buys two, applied to the state's multi-use decal number plate. RSA 261:87-c separately provides gold star NUMBER PLATES to the mothers and stepmothers of service members killed on duty, with no number plate fees. The decal reaches the wider Gold Star family; the plate is for mothers and stepmothers.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

New Hampshire has both. RSA 261-C:3-a supports a Gold Star Family decal, issued by the veterans division for $10 which buys two, applied to the state's multi-use decal number plate. RSA 261:87-c separately provides gold star NUMBER PLATES to the mothers and stepmothers of service members killed on duty, with no number plate fees. The decal reaches the wider Gold Star family; the plate is for mothers and stepmothers.

What it's worth: $10 for two Gold Star Family decals — or, for a mother or stepmother, a gold star number plate with no plate fees

  • RSA 261:87-c, as amended in 2018, provides gold star number plates for the mothers and stepmothers of service members killed on duty, and charges no number plate fees for them. This is a plate, not a decal, and it is a separate route from the decal below.
  • The Division of Veterans Services is responsible for providing specialised licence plate decals authorised to be affixed to the state’s multi-use decal number plates, as dictated by HB 261 and HB 549.
  • The decals the division provides are: service-specific decals for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard; a Veteran decal; Medal of Valor decals for the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Silver Star and Bronze Star with the "V" device; and the Gold Star Family decal.
  • A multi-use decal plate is required for decal placement, and the division states it must be the non-veteran multi-use plate unless the applicant happens to be a Gold Star family member AND a veteran.
  • The division points to RSA 261-C:3-a for Gold Star Family decal eligibility, and states that one requirement is a DD Form 1300.
  • The multi-use veterans decal plates sit under RSA 261-C.
  • The decal order process is by post: a cheque or money order for $10.00 payable to the state treasury, together with a self-addressed envelope large enough to hold a three inch by three inch decal.
  • The division states that $10.00 purchases two decals.
  • Orders go to the veterans division care of service decals at its Manchester address.
  • The division publishes separate order forms for the veteran multi-use decal and for the Gold Star Family decal.
  • The division’s enquiry line for decals is (603) 624-9230.

Who is entitled to it

  • You may be in the Gold Star family class the decal serves.
  • 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. 1If you are the mother or stepmother of a service member killed on duty, ask the DMV about the gold star number plate under RSA 261:87-c. It is a plate rather than a decal and it carries no number plate fees.
  2. 2For the decal route, obtain a multi-use decal number plate first — the division states it must be the non-veteran version unless you are both a Gold Star family member and a veteran.
  3. 3Send the veterans division a cheque or money order for $10.00 payable to the state treasury, with a self-addressed envelope large enough for a three inch by three inch decal. That buys two decals.
  4. 4Have the DD Form 1300 ready — the division names it as one of the requirements under RSA 261-C:3-a.
  5. 5Use the Gold Star Family order form rather than the veteran multi-use decal form. They are separate.
  6. 6The decal enquiry line is (603) 624-9230.
Form
Gold Star Family decal order form, posted with a cheque or money order
File with
The Division of Veterans Services, care of service decals, Manchester
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
CorrectionThis record used to say outright that no Gold Star plate exists in New Hampshire and told readers to stop looking for one. RSA 261:87-c provides gold star number plates to mothers and stepmothers of service members killed on duty, free of number plate fees. The decal and the plate are two different things and both are real.

Sources

Why only one source type: The Division of Veterans Services is the body that issues these decals, sets the $10.00 price, names the DD Form 1300 requirement and states the plate restriction. The statute host refused every request this session, so the administering agency’s own page is the authority used here.

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