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Gold Star Plate — Parent, Spouse, Sibling or Child, and It Is Not Free

A Gold Star military specialty plate for the parent, spouse, sibling or child of a member who died while serving on active duty or as a result of that service. The relationship list is wider than most people expect — a sibling qualifies. The fee position is narrower than most people expect: $10 to issue, and the ordinary annual registration still applies.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

A Gold Star military specialty plate for the parent, spouse, sibling or child of a member who died while serving on active duty or as a result of that service. The relationship list is wider than most people expect — a sibling qualifies. The fee position is narrower than most people expect: $10 to issue, and the ordinary annual registration still applies.

What it's worth: $10 to issue the plate; ordinary annual registration still applies

  • The applicant must be a resident, hold a South Dakota driver licence or nondriver identification card, comply with the registration laws and pay the associated fees.
  • The statute names parent, spouse, sibling and child. A sibling of the deceased qualifies in their own right, which very few states allow.
  • The statute sets no remarriage condition on the Gold Star plate. It attaches to the relationship, not to marital status.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are family of a member who died in service.
  • You are 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. 1Apply through the county treasurer on the military specialty plate application. Falsifying that application is a misdemeanour under §32-5-158.
  2. 2Budget for the ordinary annual registration on top of the $10 issuance fee. §32-5-160 lifts registration for the disabled veteran, Prisoner of War, Pearl Harbor survivor, Purple Heart and Medal of Honor plates — the Gold Star plate is not on that list.
  3. 3Check the relationship before you assume you are out. Parent, spouse, sibling and child all qualify; the sibling route in particular is rarely mentioned.
  4. 4If the plate holder dies, §32-5-163 governs surrender of military specialty plates.
Form
Military specialty plate application
File with
Your county treasurer
Documents you will need
dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
CorrectionGuides that group the Gold Star plate with the honour plates and call the set fee-exempt are wrong here. §32-5-160 lists exactly which plates escape the annual registration fee, and the Gold Star plate is absent from that list. Expect to pay it.
Worth knowingThe sibling route is the one families miss. A brother or sister of a member who died on active duty qualifies for the plate in their own right — no dependency, no survivorship, just the relationship.
Known gapThe statute does not state which documents the treasurer will accept as proof of the death and the relationship. Ask the county treasurer before the trip; a DD214 alone will not establish the relationship.

Sources

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