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"Veteran" on Your Licence — No Extra Fee, and "Under Honorable Conditions" Counts

The word Veteran can be printed in the upper left corner of a driver licence, learner permit or non-driver photo ID. There is no additional fee for the designation itself, though the ordinary transaction fees apply. The proof must show a discharge characterised as Honorable OR Under Honorable Conditions — a wider door than most people assume — and it cannot be done online or by telephone.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

The word Veteran can be printed in the upper left corner of a driver licence, learner permit or non-driver photo ID. There is no additional fee for the designation itself, though the ordinary transaction fees apply. The proof must show a discharge characterised as Honorable OR Under Honorable Conditions — a wider door than most people assume — and it cannot be done online or by telephone.

What it's worth: No additional fee for the designation — ordinary transaction fees still apply

  • The department states that a qualified veteran who was honorably discharged and holds a state driver licence, learner permit or non-driver photo ID card may have the word "Veteran" printed on the document.
  • The designation appears in the upper left-hand corner of the photo document.
  • The department states there is no additional fee for the veteran status designation, but that all regular transaction fees apply.
  • Acceptable proof includes the DD 214 certificate of release or discharge from active duty and the DD 256 series honorable discharge certificates, among other military discharge certificates listed in the department’s table.
  • The department states the documentation must indicate the discharge as either "Honorable" or "Under Honorable Conditions".
  • In person, the application is form MV-44 submitted with the discharge proof at a department office.
  • By post, form MV-44 and photocopies — not originals — go to the department’s licence production bureau.
  • The department states you cannot apply by telephone or online.
  • Once received, the department states the designation will automatically appear on all future documents when they are replaced or renewed.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are the veteran.
  • The department accepts a discharge shown as Honorable or Under Honorable Conditions.
  • You are a New York resident.
  • Your home is in New York.

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. 1Check your discharge wording before deciding you are outside this. The department accepts documentation showing either "Honorable" or "Under Honorable Conditions" — a general discharge under honorable conditions is inside the door.
  2. 2Time it with a renewal or a replacement you were doing anyway. The designation itself costs nothing extra, but the regular transaction fee for the document is still payable, so pairing it with a renewal is the cheapest route.
  3. 3Complete form MV-44 and bring proof of discharge. The DD 214 is the usual document; the DD 256 series honorable discharge certificates are also named.
  4. 4If you post it, send PHOTOCOPIES. The department is explicit that copies rather than originals go to the licence production bureau — original discharge papers are hard to replace.
  5. 5Do not waste time looking for an online route. The department states the designation cannot be applied for by telephone or online, so it is an office visit or the post.
  6. 6Do this once and forget it. The department states that once you have the designation it appears automatically on all future documents when you replace or renew them.
  7. 7Be clear about what it is for. It is portable, wallet-sized proof of veteran status. It is not itself a discount, and any merchant honouring it is doing so voluntarily.
Form
MV-44, with proof of discharge
File with
A Department of Motor Vehicles office, or the licence production bureau by post
Documents you will need
dd214
Stays in place once granted
Tell the assessor when your rating changes — the disability portion moves with it.
CorrectionThe word "honorably" in the department’s eligibility sentence reads narrower than the rule actually is. The documentation requirement is the operative test, and it accepts a discharge indicated as "Under Honorable Conditions" as well as "Honorable". A veteran with a general discharge should apply rather than assume.
Worth knowingNo additional fee is not the same as free. The transaction that carries the designation — a renewal, a replacement, a new document — is charged at its normal rate. Adding it during a renewal you were doing anyway is what makes it genuinely cost nothing.
Known gapThe department publishes a table of acceptable discharge certificates that was not enumerated in full this session. If your discharge document is not a DD 214 or a DD 256, check that table before making the trip.

Sources

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