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"Veteran" on the Credential, No Fee — and Several Ways to Prove It

South Carolina prints a veteran designation on licences, permits and ID cards at NO FEE. What makes this record worth reading is the range of accepted proof: a DD-214, an NGB Form 22 for 20 or more years in the National Guard, a MILITARY RESERVE RETIREMENT LETTER, or a VA Veteran ID Card. And for PRE-1950 DISCHARGES a Certificate of Service is accepted — which matters, because DD-214s did not exist in that form and older veterans are routinely turned away elsewhere for want of one. Honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions discharge qualifies.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

South Carolina prints a veteran designation on licences, permits and ID cards at NO FEE. What makes this record worth reading is the range of accepted proof: a DD-214, an NGB Form 22 for 20 or more years in the National Guard, a MILITARY RESERVE RETIREMENT LETTER, or a VA Veteran ID Card. And for PRE-1950 DISCHARGES a Certificate of Service is accepted — which matters, because DD-214s did not exist in that form and older veterans are routinely turned away elsewhere for want of one. Honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions discharge qualifies.

What it's worth: Veteran designation added to a licence, permit or ID at no fee

  • SCDMV states there is NO FEE to add the designation.
  • Available on LICENCES, PERMITS AND ID CARDS.
  • Accepted proof: DD-214; NGB FORM 22 for 20 or more years in the National Guard; a MILITARY RESERVE RETIREMENT LETTER; or a VA VETERAN ID CARD.
  • PRE-1950 DISCHARGES MAY USE A CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE — a route older veterans are rarely offered elsewhere.
  • Honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions discharge qualifies.
  • It is identification. Whether any particular vendor honours it is their decision.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • Your discharge meets the test.
  • South Carolina credentials.

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. 1Take whichever proof you have — the accepted list is wider than a DD-214 alone.
  2. 2If the discharge predates 1950, take a Certificate of Service; it is expressly accepted.
  3. 3Guard members with 20 or more years can use an NGB Form 22.
  4. 4Reserve retirees can use the retirement letter.
  5. 5There is no fee for the designation itself; ask at renewal to avoid paying for a duplicate credential.
Form
Requested at an SCDMV office
File with
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
Documents you will need
dd214
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
Worth knowingThe pre-1950 Certificate of Service route is worth remembering generally. A WWII veteran or their family turned away for lack of a DD-214 is being asked for a document that did not exist yet.

Sources

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