Supporting Those Who Served: PennDOT Resources for Veterans

​Pennsylvania serves nearly 800,000 veterans, the fourth largest veteran population in the country. As a small token of our overwhelming gratitude, PennDOT is proud to offer services that benefit PA veterans every day.

Veterans Designation

Veterans have the option to request a Veterans Designation on their driver's license or identification card.

To qualify, a person must self-certify and have received a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty/DD214 or equivalent for service in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or the National Guard. Once the Veterans Designation has been added to a license or ID, it will automatically appear each time that product is renewed. There is no fee for the Veterans Designation itself; however, qualified applicants must pay any applicable initial issuance, renewal, or duplicate driver's license or identification card fees.

The Veterans Designation identifies the bearer as a veteran who honorably served their nation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Please note that other recognition, such as discounts and other tokens of appreciation, are determined by individual businesses and organizations.

Registration Plates

In Pennsylvania, you can replace your standard-issued registration plate with a Special Fund Registration Plate, which benefit a variety of organizations. Fifteen dollars from every Honoring our Veterans or Honoring Our Women Veterans registration plate sold aids the Veterans Trust Fund.

PennDOT also offers a variety of Military Registration Plates, available for veterans who served our country in a specific capacity or received certain honors. Please visit our website to see all available military registration plates and learn how to receive one.

Military Commercial Driver's License Testing Waiver

Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Knowledge and/or Skills Test can be waived for Pennsylvania residents who are on active or reserve military duty or recent honorably discharged veterans providing those service members have at least two years of experience operating a commercial motor vehicle as part of their military job requirements.

The waiver applies to CDL applicants who wish to operate vehicles similar to those they operated in the military. Therefore, those who drove combination type commercial (Class A) motor vehicles in the military will be eligible in Pennsylvania for a waiver to drive a combination type vehicle and those who drove a single motor vehicle of commercial type (Class B) in the military will be eligible in Pennsylvania for the waiver to drive that type of vehicle. Subject to the limitations and requirements of 49 CFR 383.77 (Refer to www.fmcsa.dot.gov) relating to substitute for knowledge and/or driving skills test, you must certify that you meet all the certifications required for a waiver under 49 CFR 383.77.

To determine if you qualify for the Military CDL Knowledge and/or Skills Test Waiver in Pennsylvania, please visit our website.

Additional Resources

Some veterans will find themselves eligible for PennDOT's retired status registration. Customers who qualify pay a $10 per year processing fee instead of the full registration renewal fee. There is no minimum age to qualify for this program.

In Pennsylvania, public transit is available, in some form, in all 67 counties. See our Public Transportation Services and Programs Map to find local options, including programs and services for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities.

The PA Veterans Registry is an online application that allows veterans, family members and people who work with veterans to connect with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to request information related to the valuable state benefits, programs and services offered. Take a moment to register at the link above.

Please share these resources with your friends and loved ones. To Pennsylvania's veterans and their families – thank you for your service and your sacrifice.