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Purple Heart, Medal of Honor and POW Plates — Free, With Statewide Metered Parking

South Carolina charges no registration fee for Purple Heart, Medal of Honor and former prisoner of war plates, and NO DISABILITY RATING IS REQUIRED for any of them. Plates ISSUED ON OR AFTER 6 MAY 2022 also carry FREE PARKING IN METERED OR TIMED SPACES STATEWIDE — a benefit worth real money in Charleston or Columbia and one that older plates do not carry, so a holder of a pre-2022 plate should ask about replacing it. Up to THREE PLATES per eligible type, one per vehicle. Application is MAIL-ONLY on an SCDMV form.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

South Carolina charges no registration fee for Purple Heart, Medal of Honor and former prisoner of war plates, and NO DISABILITY RATING IS REQUIRED for any of them. Plates ISSUED ON OR AFTER 6 MAY 2022 also carry FREE PARKING IN METERED OR TIMED SPACES STATEWIDE — a benefit worth real money in Charleston or Columbia and one that older plates do not carry, so a holder of a pre-2022 plate should ask about replacing it. Up to THREE PLATES per eligible type, one per vehicle. Application is MAIL-ONLY on an SCDMV form.

What it's worth: No registration fee, plus free metered parking statewide on plates issued since May 2022

  • NO REGISTRATION FEE for these plate types.
  • NO DISABILITY RATING IS REQUIRED on any of the three routes.
  • PLATES ISSUED ON OR AFTER 6 MAY 2022 INCLUDE FREE PARKING IN METERED OR TIMED SPACES STATEWIDE.
  • An older plate does not carry the parking benefit — ask SCDMV about replacing a pre-2022 plate.
  • UP TO THREE PLATES per eligible plate type, ONE PLATE PER VEHICLE.
  • APPLICATION IS MAIL-ONLY on an SCDMV form.
  • The parking benefit is worth most in Charleston, Columbia and other metered towns.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You meet one of the routes.
  • You were awarded the Purple Heart.
  • You were held as a prisoner of war.
  • You hold the Medal of Honor.
  • South Carolina vehicle registration.

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 already hold one of these plates and it was issued BEFORE 6 May 2022, ask about replacing it — the parking benefit attaches to newer plates.
  2. 2Apply by post. SCDMV does not take these applications at a counter.
  3. 3Have evidence of the award or of the POW status; no VA rating is needed.
  4. 4You may hold up to three plates of an eligible type, one per vehicle.
  5. 5Ask how the metered parking is recognised locally, so you can point to it if challenged.
Form
SCDMV military plate form, by post
File with
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
Documents you will need
dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Worth knowingThe 6 May 2022 cut-off is the unusual part. Two identical plates, one issued in 2021 and one in 2023, do not carry the same parking rights.

Sources

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