Indiana military license plates are issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in more than 20 varieties, and which one you qualify for depends on your service history, decorations, disability status, or family relationship to a service member. The broadest option is the Hoosier Veteran plate, available to any honorably separated veteran for $15. Others recognize Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, Pearl Harbor survivors, Medal of Honor recipients, National Guard members, and Gold Star families, and some carry benefits like free metered parking or a waived plate fee.
Who Qualifies for Which Plate
Hoosier Veteran
Any Indiana resident who was honorably separated from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces can get a Hoosier Veteran plate. The BMV issues branch-specific versions for the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Merchant Marine, Navy, and Space Force. Eligibility and cost are the same across branches, so the choice is really about which emblem you want.
Disabled Hoosier Veteran
The Disabled Hoosier Veteran (DHV) plate is for veterans whose service-connected condition significantly affects mobility. Under Indiana law, you qualify if your military service resulted in any of the following:
- Loss of sight in both eyes, or permanent vision impairment severe enough to qualify for service-connected compensation.
- Loss of one or both hands or feet, or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet.
- A VA disability rating for a physical condition that prevents walking without pain or difficulty.
- A VA rating of at least 50% with service-related compensation, where at least 60% of the disability is attributable to a mobility impairment.
Your application must include a certificate from the VA or your branch of the Armed Forces confirming eligibility.
Purple Heart
Anyone who received a Purple Heart decoration qualifies for the Purple Heart plate. Surviving spouses who have not remarried also qualify. There is a separate Purple Heart Disability variant for recipients who are additionally eligible for a disability placard or disability registration plate.
Gold Star Family
The Gold Star Family plate honors relatives of service members who died on active duty or from injuries sustained during active duty. Indiana defines eligible family members broadly: biological, adoptive, and stepparents; biological, adopted, and stepchildren; siblings by blood, half-blood, adoption, or step-relationship; grandparents; great-grandparents; and spouses.
Other Military Plates
Indiana also issues plates for:
- Former prisoners of war (and, for at least some plates in this category, their surviving spouses).
- Members of the Indiana National Guard.
- Pearl Harbor survivors.
- Army Medal of Honor recipients.
- Veterans who received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
- A Support Our Troops plate, which is open to any Indiana resident and not limited to veterans.
What Each Plate Costs
Every Indiana plate carries standard registration fees and excise taxes based on your vehicle’s year and make and your county of residence. On top of that:
- Hoosier Veteran plates cost $15.
- Disabled Hoosier Veteran plates have no additional fee.
- Gold Star Family plates have no additional fee.
- Fees for other military plates vary by type; the BMV fee chart lists distinctive plate fees as varying.
- Personalization, where offered, adds $45.
How to Apply
Apply at a BMV branch with the correct form and supporting documents. The four forms the BMV lists for military plates are:
- State Form 32584, Certificate of Eligibility for Veteran License Plate, used for Hoosier Veteran plates.
- State Form 57107, Certification of Eligibility for Veteran License Plate.
- State Form 42070, Application for Disability License Plate or Parking Placard, used for Disabled Hoosier Veteran and disability-related plates.
- State Form 54181, Gold Star Family License Plate Application.
Documents depend on the plate:
- Hoosier Veteran: DD-214 or Discharge Certificate.
- Disabled Hoosier Veteran: certificate from the VA or your military branch confirming the qualifying condition.
- Purple Heart: documentation of the decoration; surviving spouses also need proof of the marriage and the veteran’s death.
- Gold Star Family: documentation establishing the family relationship and the service member’s death.
Forms are on the BMV website or at any branch. Have everything with you before you go, or you’ll be making a second trip.
Which Vehicles the Plates Fit
Military plates can go on passenger vehicles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and trucks with a declared gross weight of 11,000 pounds or less. Motorcycles must display the plate in a visible location on the rear. Low-digit plates (numbers 1 through 100) require authorization from the sponsoring organization before the BMV will issue them.
Parking Privileges and Penalties for Misuse
The Disabled Hoosier Veteran plate functions as a disability parking permit. Holders can park at metered spaces without charge and cannot be penalized for exceeding the posted time limit. Only the registered owner may use these parking privileges. If someone else parks the vehicle in a handicapped space while the registered veteran is not present, that person commits a Class C infraction with a minimum civil penalty of $100. Misuse of handicapped parking privileges by someone other than the registered veteran can also lead to revocation of the DHV plate itself.
Indiana’s accessible parking statute applies more broadly: parking in a space reserved for people with disabilities without a valid placard or qualifying plate is a Class C infraction, and so is parking in a reserved space with a qualifying plate when the person with a disability is not being transported at that time. The minimum civil judgment for either violation is $100.
The Purple Heart Disability plate carries its own anti-fraud provision. Anyone who knowingly or intentionally misrepresents their qualifications for that plate, or who drives a vehicle bearing one while knowing they are not entitled to it, commits a Class C misdemeanor.
Renewing a Military Plate
Renewal works the same as any Indiana registration: online, by mail, or at a branch, on or before the expiration date. Miss the deadline and the BMV adds a $15 administrative penalty. If your eligibility depends on disability status, keep your VA documentation current so any future verification goes smoothly.