Who is Eligible for Military/Veteran Plates?

We offer several license plates exclusive to military personnel to acknowledge their service status. Each plate is available only to those individuals having served as an active-duty or reserve member (or their surviving, unmarried spouse) for the specific branch of the plate they are requesting.

We offer three plate types, Active Duty, Reserve, and Veteran, for each branch of the military. Your current military status must match what is displayed on the plate.

If you have “Active Duty” or “Reserve” license plates and your military status changes (e.g. you are honorably discharged), you must surrender your plates to your County Treasurer’s Office and reapply for new plates that reflect your new military status.

How do I Purchase and Renew Veteran/Military Plates?

When purchasing license plates, registering your vehicle, or renewing vehicle registration, the veteran designation on a driver license or ID card will not be accepted as proof of eligibility to receive veteran license plates or exemption from vehicle registration fees.

Veterans must continue to provide official documentation confirming eligibility to display veteran license plates or receive exemption from vehicle registration fees.

  • They must present to the County Treasurer’s Office an official certificate from your unit commander verifying your eligibility and authorizing the department to issue the plates:
    • U.S. Department of Defense form 214 (DD-214) or its successor
    • documents showing an other-than-dishonorable discharge
    • re-enlistment documents
  • Pay all applicable vehicle registration fees and any special license plate fees.

If you cannot find the Department of Veterans Affairs’ letter verifying your or your deceased spouse’s disability rating, payment status, or death due to service-connected injury or disability, contact the Veterans Service Office of the Montana Department of Veterans Affairs at (406) 324-3742.

Additional Benefits:

Fee Waivers

You are eligible to have certain light vehicle registration fees reduced if you entered active duty in Montana and are currently active or in the reserves stationed in another state.

To apply for a fee waiver, you will need to:

Submit Application for Military Registration (MV53) when registering a new vehicle or for an existing vehicle.

 

Reduced Fees for Disabled Veterans

Veterans with a service-related disability may qualify for reduced vehicle registration fees.

To apply for reduced fees as a disabled veteran, you will need to:

Provide a letter from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs stating that you are currently rated 100% disabled or are paid at the 100% disabled rate for a service-related disability to your local County Treasurer’s office.

To apply for reduced fees as a Purple Heart recipient, disabled veteran, you will need to:

  1. Provide a letter from the S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs stating that you are rated 50% or more disabled.
  2. Provide a U.S. Department of Defense form DD-214 verifying you are a recipient of a Purple Heart to your local County Treasurer’s office.

 

Surviving Spouses

Provided a surviving spouse of a military service member has not remarried, the spouse is entitled to the fee waiver(s) if the deceased spouse meets any one of the following criteria:

  • was a prisoner of war
  • was a veteran who had a 100% disability rating, or who was paid at the 100% rate
  • was a veteran who had at least a 50% disability rating and was awarded the Purple Heart (this excludes the veterans cemetery fee)
  • was killed while on active duty
  • died of a service-connected injury or disability
    • Necessary documentation – an official letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs, unless the military service member was killed on active duty, in which case the surviving spouse needs a letter from the U.S. Department of Defense.

 

Disabled Veterans

Veterans may be issued special license plates displaying the letters “DV”, which entitle them to disabled parking privileges, if they:

  • have been awarded the Purple Heart and have been rated as 50% or more disabled because of a service-connected injury
    • Necessary documentation – an official letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs stating the disability rating and U.S. Department of Defense form DD-214 verifying receipt of a Purple Heart.

    or

  • are currently rated 100% disabled or are paid at the 100% disabled rate for a service-connected disability
    • Necessary documentation – an official letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stating the disability rating or payment status.

Unlike other military license plates, DV plates cannot be transferred to a surviving spouse.

 

Gold Star Family

U.S. military family members who are eligible for a Gold Star Lapel Button may be issued special Gold Star Family license plates upon application and after paying all applicable motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer registration fees and special license plate fees.