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Free Texas Driver Licence or ID Card at a 60% Disability Rating

Waives the fee for a Texas driver licence or identification card for a veteran rated 60% or higher. It does not cover a commercial licence.

Verified August 17, 2026

What this benefit is

Texas DPS waives the fee for a driver licence or identification card for a veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 60 percent. It does not cover a commercial driver licence.

What it's worth: The full driver licence or ID card fee

  • Texas licences run for six or eight years, so the saving recurs at renewal rather than annually.
  • Fee amounts are set by DPS and change. Confirm the current fee at a driver licence office.

Who is entitled to it

  • An honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 60 percent or more,
  • who is a Texas resident.

Exceptions

The exemption does not apply to a commercial driver licence. A CDL is charged in full regardless of rating. Tex. Transp. Code §521.426

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.

The thing most people get wrong

Sixty for the fee, fifty for the designation — same office, two thresholds

The fee exemption starts at 60 percent. The "DISABLED VETERAN" designation printed on the card starts at 50 percent, or 40 percent with a lower-extremity amputation. A veteran rated 50 percent gets the designation free and pays for the licence. Ask for both at the same visit either way — the designation is free regardless, and coming back later means another appointment.

How to claim it

  1. 1Get a signed VA disability letter showing your rating.
  2. 2Take it to a DPS driver licence office with your identity documents.
  3. 3Ask for the veteran designation at the same time — it is free and adding it later means another trip.
File with
A Texas DPS driver licence office
Documents you will need
va disability award letter · tx dl or id · proof of identity
Applies at each renewal

Common mistakes that cost people this benefit

  • Expecting it to cover a CDL. It does not, at any rating.
  • Not asking for the veteran designation in the same visit.
  • Bringing a letter that says "service connected" without the percentage. DPS needs the number.
Worth knowingTwo different thresholds, one office. The fee exemption needs 60 percent; the "DISABLED VETERAN" designation on the card needs 50 percent, or 40 percent with a lower-extremity amputation. A veteran at 50 percent gets the designation free but pays for the licence.

Questions people ask

I am rated 50%. Is my licence free?
No — the fee exemption needs 60 percent. But the "DISABLED VETERAN" designation on your card is free at 50 percent, and worth having.
How often does this save me money?
At each renewal. Texas licences run six or eight years, so it is a recurring saving rather than an annual one.

Sources

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