New Hampshire offers several veteran license plate options through the NH Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), ranging from a standard veteran plate available to any honorably discharged veteran to a free disabled veteran plate for those with permanent and total service-connected disabilities.
This guide covers all NH veteran plate types, eligibility requirements, and the step-by-step instructions for navigating the state’s unique application process.
Important: Start at Your Local Town Clerk
Before you visit a state DMV office, remember that almost all vehicle registration transactions in New Hampshire begin at your Town or City Clerk’s Office. You must pay your municipal excise tax at the local level first. The state DMV cannot process your plates until this local tax is cleared or specifically exempted by your town.
NH Veteran Plate Types at a Glance
| Plate Type | Who Qualifies | Fees | Parking Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Veteran Plate | Honorably discharged veterans | Regular registration + $8 manufacturing fee | None |
| Veteran Decal Plate | Honorably discharged veterans | Regular registration + $15 special fee + $8 manufacturing fee | None |
| Disabled Veteran Plate | P&T disabled veterans / Specially adapted vehicle recipients | No charge for the first set | Free public parking (subject to local time limits) |
| Specialty Plates (Purple Heart, POW, Pearl Harbor) | Verified recipients and survivors | Regular registration + $8 manufacturing fee (first set free for POWs) | None |
Eligibility for Standard NH Veteran Plates
Any New Hampshire resident who has been honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces is eligible for the standard veteran plate.
- Trust Ownership: If your vehicle is held in a living trust, NH law (RSA 261:87-b) explicitly allows you to obtain a veteran plate for the vehicle, provided you (the veteran) are the primary driver.
NH Disabled Veteran License Plates (RSA 261:86)
Under RSA 261:86, an honorably discharged New Hampshire veteran is eligible for one free disabled veteran plate if they meet either of the following criteria:
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has rated you as permanently and totally (P&T) disabled due to a service-connected disability.
- You are an amputee or paraplegic who received a motor vehicle from the U.S. government.
Pro-Tip: The “Private” Plate Option: The disabled veteran plate automatically displays the wheelchair accessibility symbol. If you are a P&T veteran and prefer not to display the wheelchair symbol, you can opt to receive a standard veteran plate for free instead. However, if you choose this route, you forfeit the free public parking privileges.
The Truth About the Free Parking Benefit
Any motor vehicle displaying the New Hampshire disabled veteran license plate (with the wheelchair symbol) is allowed free parking in any city or town meter or public lot, provided the plate owner is being transported in the vehicle.
Warning on Time Limits: While the parking is free, it is not unlimited. Under NH RSA 265:74, every city or town has the legal discretion to enforce their own time limits (e.g., 2 hours, 10 hours, no overnight parking) on handicap spaces. If you exceed the town’s posted time limit, you will be ticketed.
Required Documents for NH Veteran Plate Applications
- Proof of Discharge: Your DD-214 or other acceptable military documentation showing an honorable discharge.
- The Correct VA Letter: If applying for the free disabled plate, do not bring a generic rating letter. Download your VA Benefit Summary Letter from VA.gov and verify that the specific box stating you are “Permanent and Total” is checked. If it only states 100% without P&T, the clerk will reject it.
How to Apply for New Hampshire Veteran License Plates
- Visit Your Town or City Clerk (Required before state processing)
- Bring your DD-214, your VA Benefit Summary Letter (if applying for the disabled plate), and your current vehicle registration or title to your local Town or City Clerk’s Office. You must process your local municipal excise tax here first.
- Process the Plate Request
- For standard veteran plates, the clerk will collect the regular registration fee plus the one-time $8 plate manufacturing fee. For disabled veteran plates, the clerk will process your fee exemptions.
- Finish at the State DMV (If your town clerk cannot issue the physical plates)
- Many Town Clerks can issue the plates directly. If yours cannot, they will give you the processed paperwork to take to any NH DMV office, or you can mail it to: NH Dept. of Safety, DMV – Registration Bureau, 23 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305.
NH Veteran Decal Plates: Options, Costs, and Ordering
New Hampshire also offers Veteran Decal Plates. These plates feature a distinctive veteran design and a 3″ x 3″ blank square where you can apply an authorized military decal.
- Plate Cost: The plate costs your regular registration fee, plus a $15 specialty plate fee, plus the $8 manufacturing fee.
- Decal Cost & Types: Decals are purchased separately through the NH Division of Veterans Services. Available decals include branch-specific logos, Medals of Valor (Silver Star, Bronze Star with “V”, etc.), and Gold Star Family markers.
- How to Buy Decals: Decals cost $10 for a pair. You must mail a check or money order payable to the “New Hampshire State Treasury” along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to the NH Division of Veterans Services. They do not accept credit cards or walk-ins.
Additional NH DMV Fee Exemptions for Disabled Veterans
Beyond the free disabled veteran plate, New Hampshire provides additional motor vehicle benefits to qualifying veterans:
- Vehicle Provided by VA: Veterans who are amputees, paraplegics, or blind and received their vehicle from the VA are entirely exempt from vehicle registration and driver’s license fees.
- P&T License Fee Waiver: Veterans with a P&T VA disability rating are exempt from the standard $50 driver’s license fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
The statute requires that the VA rate you as permanently and totally (P&T) disabled. While this usually corresponds to a 100% rating or TDIU, veterans who received a VA-provided vehicle as amputees or paraplegics also qualify regardless of their specific percentage rating.
Yes. Under RSA 261:86, a P&T disabled veteran may opt to receive a standard veteran plate without charge instead of the disabled veteran plate. However, you will not receive the free public parking benefit in that case.
Most registration transactions in New Hampshire begin at your Town or City Clerk’s Office, not the state DMV. You must clear your municipal excise tax at the town level before the state will issue a plate.
Yes. The standard veteran plate, the disabled veteran plate, and several specialty veteran plates (like the Purple Heart) are fully available to be issued as motorcycle plates.
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