Disabled Veteran License Plate Fee Waivers: All 51 States

Last updated: May 8, 2026

Every state and the District of Columbia waives at least some vehicle registration fees for service-connected disabled veterans. The most common qualifying threshold is a 100% VA disability rating; about a dozen states extend a partial waiver at 50%, and a handful — Texas, Florida, and a few others — issue a basic disabled-veteran plate at 10% or any service-connected rating. Surviving spouses keep the waiver in 38 states under specific eligibility rules.

VA disability rating thresholds

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs assigns service-connected disability ratings in 10-point increments from 0% to 100%. State vehicle-fee waivers are anchored to these federal ratings, but each state picks its own threshold. The four common state cutoffs:

• 100% rating — full waiver of registration and plate fees in 28 states. Includes 100% schedular and 100% Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
• 50% rating — partial waiver in 12 states. Some give half-price registration; others give the full plate-fee waiver but charge regular registration.
• 10% or any service-connected rating — basic disabled-veteran plate available in roughly 11 states. Florida (any rating) and Texas (10%+) are the largest. The plate may not include a registration-fee waiver.
• Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) or Automobile Allowance — automatic qualifying status under federal rules. Recipients qualify in every state regardless of percentage rating.

Veterans rated below their state's threshold can still receive a basic veteran plate at standard cost. See our veteran license plates guide for non-disability military plates available to all who served. The VA disability rating overview at va.gov is the definitive source for the federal rating system.

Which fees are typically waived

State waivers usually cover one or more of these fee components:

• Annual registration renewal fee — the biggest line item, typically $35-$300/year depending on state and vehicle type. Waived in 30+ states for 100% rated veterans.
• Special-plate manufacturing fee — the one-time or annual fee to produce the disabled-veteran plate. Usually $10-$30. Waived in most states.
• Title fee — the one-time charge for the vehicle title. Usually $15-$95. Waived in about 12 states.
• Vehicle property tax — annual ad valorem tax assessed by some states. Waived in 8 states (CA, GA, IL, KS, MS, NC, OK, VA partial).
• County wheel tax and special-district fees — locally assessed add-ons. Waived in some counties in IL, IN, KY, OH, TN.

The financial value of the waiver depends heavily on state baseline fees. A 100% disabled veteran in California saves $400-$600 per year on registration plus property tax savings; the same veteran in Arizona may save $40-$80 on the registration line alone, since Arizona's base registration is much lower. See cheapest states to register a car for the underlying state-by-state baseline.

State-by-state waiver rules

The table summarizes the minimum VA disability rating to qualify, what fees are waived, and how many vehicles each veteran may apply the waiver to. Each linked state page gives the official statute and downloadable application form.

Vehicles allowed per veteran

Almost every state limits the waiver to one vehicle owned (or co-owned) by the qualifying veteran. The two-vehicle exceptions:

• Texas — two vehicles per veteran; one of them may be a motorcycle.
• California and Maryland — one passenger vehicle plus one motorcycle.
• Florida — one vehicle with full waiver; veteran may obtain additional disabled-veteran plates at standard registration cost on additional vehicles.

The waiver follows the veteran, not the vehicle. Trading in a covered vehicle requires reapplying the waiver to the new registration. The lapse between vehicles can sometimes be patched with a brief proration credit; check the linked state page for the specific rule.

Vehicles co-owned with a non-veteran spouse usually still qualify, as long as the veteran is named on the title. A plate transfer between vehicles within the same household is generally allowed; the waiver re-applies to the destination vehicle.

Surviving spouse provisions

Thirty-eight states extend the disabled-veteran plate fee waiver to the unremarried surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran. The standard requirement is that the veteran was either (1) rated 100% disabled at the time of death or (2) died from a service-connected cause. Each state's rule varies on:

• Time limit — most states extend the waiver indefinitely as long as the spouse remains unremarried; a few states cap the waiver at 5-10 years post-death.
• Remarriage rule — Florida, Virginia, and several other states end the waiver upon remarriage. New York and California allow the waiver to continue if the spouse remarries after age 57 (mirroring the federal Dependency and Indemnity Compensation rule).
• Vehicle limit — surviving spouse usually limited to one vehicle.
• Application requirement — most states require the spouse to apply within 12-24 months of the veteran's death to preserve the waiver. Outside that window, the waiver may be denied.

Specially Adapted Housing recipients

Veterans qualifying for Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grants under VA housing-grant rules automatically qualify for the disabled-veteran plate waiver in every state, regardless of percentage rating. SAH eligibility includes loss of use of both legs, blindness in both eyes plus loss of use of one extremity, and certain severe burn injuries. Veterans with the federal Automobile Allowance and Adaptive Equipment grant also qualify automatically.

SAH-qualifying veterans should bring their VA grant approval letter to the state DMV. Many states accept the SAH letter in lieu of the standard rating letter and process the application in a single visit.

Application process and forms

The standard application package across all states includes:

1. VA disability rating letter (or Summary of Benefits) dated within 12 months. Available free at va.gov/records/get-letters as a downloadable PDF.
2. State disabled-veteran plate application. Form numbers vary widely. Common examples: California REG 256A, Texas Form VTR-615, Florida HSMV 83026, New York MV-664.1 (Disabled Veteran), Pennsylvania MV-145 (Disabled Veteran).
3. Proof of vehicle ownership — title or current registration in the veteran's name (or co-owned with spouse).
4. Photo ID — state driver's license or military ID.
5. Notarized signature in 12 states (CA, IL, KY, LA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA).

Allow 4-8 weeks for the plate to be manufactured and shipped. Most states issue a temporary registration receipt at application so the veteran can drive while waiting. Renewal is usually annual but sometimes lifetime (no-renewal-required) — Texas, Maryland, and Pennsylvania issue lifetime disabled-veteran plates. See our disabled handicap plate guide for the separate ADA placard system that often runs in parallel.

Common application mistakes

• Stale rating letter — the letter must be dated within 12 months. The VA's online system at va.gov regenerates the letter on demand at no cost; a 2-year-old letter will be rejected.
• Wrong percentage — TDIU (Total Disability Individual Unemployability) usually counts as 100% for state waivers. Bring the TDIU paragraph in the rating letter to confirm.
• Missing notarization — 12 states require notarized signatures. Bring the application unsigned and use a UPS Store, bank, or DMV notary.
• Vehicle not in veteran's name — the title or registration must list the veteran (or veteran + spouse co-ownership). A vehicle solely in a non-veteran spouse's name will not qualify until ownership is updated.
• Forgetting the second-vehicle rule — Texas allows two; California allows one passenger + one motorcycle. Attempting to apply to a third vehicle will be denied.
• Surviving-spouse application after the deadline — most states require application within 12-24 months of the veteran's death. After that window, the waiver may be permanently denied.

Sources

• VA — About disability ratings
• VA — Get your disability rating letter
• VA — Specially Adapted Housing grants
• VA — Automobile allowance and adaptive equipment
• USA.gov — State motor-vehicle services directory
• Each state's official DMV — see linked individual state pages above