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Veteran on Your Licence — and Nine Ways to Prove It

West Virginia prints a United States Veterans designation on a driver's licence or ID card, usable as proof of veteran status. The accepted documents are unusually broad and worth listing, because older veterans are routinely turned away elsewhere for holding the wrong paper: DD Form 214, WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD, NAVCG 553, a Military ID card, or a current military licence. THE FEE IS NOT ESTABLISHED from the sources reviewed — ask when you go.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

West Virginia prints a United States Veterans designation on a driver's licence or ID card, usable as proof of veteran status. The accepted documents are unusually broad and worth listing, because older veterans are routinely turned away elsewhere for holding the wrong paper: DD Form 214, WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD, NAVCG 553, a Military ID card, or a current military licence. THE FEE IS NOT ESTABLISHED from the sources reviewed — ask when you go.

What it's worth: United States Veterans designation on the licence or ID

  • The designation is printed on the licence or ID card and is usable as PROOF OF VETERAN STATUS.
  • ACCEPTED DOCUMENTS: DD Form 214; WD AGO 53; WD AGO 55; WD AGO 53-55; NAVPERS 553; NAVMC 78PD; NAVCG 553; a Military ID card; or a current military licence.
  • The WD AGO and NAVPERS forms are what WWII and KOREA-ERA veterans actually hold — many states name only the DD-214.
  • THE FEE IS NOT ESTABLISHED from the sources reviewed.
  • Applied for on DMV form DMV-DS-23P.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • Your service meets the test.
  • West Virginia licences and IDs.

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. 1Check the accepted document list before assuming you cannot prove service — it is far wider than a DD-214.
  2. 2For WWII and Korea-era service, look for a WD AGO or NAVPERS form; those are named.
  3. 3Apply on DMV form DMV-DS-23P.
  4. 4Ask what the fee is; it is not published.
  5. 5Request it at renewal to avoid paying for a duplicate card if a fee applies.
Form
DMV-DS-23P, at a DMV office
File with
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles
Documents you will need
dd214
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
Worth knowingNaming the WD AGO and NAVPERS forms matters. A WWII veteran's family is often told to produce a DD-214 that never existed for that era, and West Virginia's list saves that argument.

Sources

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