How to Get a Washington State Disabled Veteran License Plate and WA Veteran Plates

Washington runs two separate programs that veterans often assume are the same thing: the free Disabled American Veteran (DAV) license plate, and the disabled veteran parking privileges program.

They have completely different eligibility thresholds, forms, and mailing addresses at the Department of Licensing (DOL). Applying for the wrong one—or assuming one automatically grants you the other—is the most common mistake Washington veterans make.

Washington’s Two Disabled Veteran Programs: DAV Plate vs. Parking Privileges (They Are Not the Same)

• Program 1: Disabled American Veteran (DAV) Plate. Requires a 100% service-connected disability rating.Free plate, exempt from license fees on one vehicle, for the life of the veteran. It does not grant disabled parking.
• Program 2: Disabled Veteran Parking Privileges. Requires a 70% or higher rating AND a federally defined service animal (updated Oct. 2025). Provides a placard, special plates or tabs for free metered parking. Without a service animal you use the standard civilian placard route instead, which needs a healthcare provider’s certification.

Program 1: Washington State Disabled American Veteran (DAV) License Plate

You qualify for Washington’s free DAV plate if you’re a Washington state vehicle owner who served in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard, and you meet all of the following:

• Received a qualifying discharge as described in RCW 41.04.005
• Have been rated by the VA or your military service branch
• Are receiving 100% service-connected compensation expected to last more than one year

Washington also extends DAV plate eligibility to veterans who, as a result of military service, have lost the use of both hands or one foot, or have become blind in both eyes.

What the DAV Plate Includes

The DAV plate exempts your vehicle from license fees on one vehicle per year, for the life of the veteran. This exemption applies only to motorcycles, motor homes, passenger vehicles, or trucks strictly for personal use.

You cannot register the vehicle under a business name or use it commercially. Washington only issues one set of these plates per qualifying veteran.

How to Apply for the Washington DAV License Plate (Mail-Only Process)

This is a mail-only process — you cannot get a DAV plate at a local vehicle licensing office, even though VLOs handle every other plate transaction on a walk-in basis.

1. Request a letter of eligibility from the VA verifying your 100% rating.
2. Complete the Military Services and Veterans License Plate Application (Form 420-500), checking the box for Disabled American Veteran plates.
3. Mail the application, VA letter, and any standard fees (like title transfer fees if applicable) to:

Special Plate Unit Department of Licensing PO Box 9909 Olympia, WA 98507-8500

Pro-Tip: If you have a Good To Go! electronic tolling pass, you must manually update your account with the WSDOT once your new plates are issued to avoid toll violations.

Program 2: Disabled Veteran Parking Privileges

Who Qualifies (New Rules as of Oct. 2025)

This program has a completely different threshold than the DAV plate. To qualify strictly under the veteran rules, you must:

1. Have a 70% or higher disability rating from the VA or U.S. Armed Forces, AND
2. Use a federally defined service animal.

What if I have a 70% rating but no service animal? You can still get disabled parking privileges, but you cannot use the fast-track veteran process. Instead you use the standard civilian process — Form TD-420-073 — which needs a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant to certify your mobility limitations, plus a separate signed authorisation on letterhead.

What It Provides

Once approved, you receive a separate “veteran with disabilities parking privilege” ID card, plus your choice of:

• Up to two blue placards
• One set of disabled veteran parking license plates
• One yellow disabled veteran parking tab (perfect if you already have the DAV plate and just want to add parking privileges to it)

Benefits include free parking on the street in any space that is time-restricted, including metered parking. The DAV plate itself carries no personalisation option. If you want custom text, that’s a separate personalised plate application with its own initial and annual fees.

How to Apply for Washington State Disabled Veteran Parking Privileges

Complete the Disabled Parking Application for Veterans (Form 420-105) and attach your current VA rating letter.Unlike the DAV plate, you can bring this application in person to any vehicle licensing office, or mail it to:

Application & Issuance Department of Licensing PO Box 9043 Olympia, WA 98507

Renewal Schedule

This is the detail that trips people up: the parking privilege (the placard and ID card) is renewed every 5 years.However, the plates and tabs that go with it must still be renewed annually, just like standard vehicle registration.

Frequently Asked Questions