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Purple Heart Plates Free on One Vehicle — and the Surviving Spouse Keeps Them

Virginia charges NO FEE for Purple Heart plates on ANY ONE MOTOR VEHICLE OWNED AND USED PERSONALLY by the recipient. Additional sets are charged at the standard plate fee, so the free one should go on the car you actually drive. The provision worth knowing is that the SURVIVING SPOUSE IS INCLUDED — the plates do not end with the recipient. No disability rating is required; this is decoration-based.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Virginia charges NO FEE for Purple Heart plates on ANY ONE MOTOR VEHICLE OWNED AND USED PERSONALLY by the recipient. Additional sets are charged at the standard plate fee, so the free one should go on the car you actually drive. The provision worth knowing is that the SURVIVING SPOUSE IS INCLUDED — the plates do not end with the recipient. No disability rating is required; this is decoration-based.

What it's worth: No plate fee on one personally owned and used vehicle

  • NO FEE for plates on ANY ONE MOTOR VEHICLE OWNED AND USED PERSONALLY by the applicant.
  • ADDITIONAL SETS at the standard plate fee.
  • THE SURVIVING SPOUSE IS INCLUDED — the plates do not end with the recipient.
  • NO DISABILITY RATING IS REQUIRED. It is decoration-based.
  • The vehicle must be owned AND USED PERSONALLY, so a company or family vehicle may not qualify.
  • Statutory basis: Va. Code §46.2-742.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are in one of the groups this reaches.
  • The service meets the test.
  • Virginia 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. 1Apply to the DMV with evidence of the Purple Heart.
  2. 2Put the free set on the vehicle you actually drive — only one is free.
  3. 3Check the ownership: it must be owned and used personally by you.
  4. 4A surviving spouse should ask about continuing the plates rather than surrendering them.
  5. 5Virginia has separate disabled veteran plate provisions; check which suits you better.
Form
Application to the Virginia DMV
File with
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
Documents you will need
dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Worth knowing"Owned and used personally" is doing work in this section. A vehicle titled to a business or to another family member may not attract the free plate.

Sources

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