To get Minnesota disabled veteran license plates, you need a 100% total and permanent service-connected disability rating from the VA, a vehicle registered in your name (or jointly with a spouse or domestic partner), and the right application form submitted with proof of your rating. Once approved, the state waives registration tax, plate fees, filing fees, and administrative surcharges on up to two vehicles at a time.
Who Qualifies
Minnesota statute defines a “veteran with a total service-connected disability” as someone who provides evidence of a 100% total and permanent disability rating issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Administration, or the retirement board of an armed forces branch.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.01 – Definitions Veterans rated as individually unemployable (TDIU) also meet this threshold, which matters because many TDIU-rated veterans assume they don’t qualify.2Cook County, MN. New MN DMV Benefits 2024
You must be a Minnesota resident, and the vehicle must be registered in your name alone or jointly with a spouse or domestic partner.3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168.012 – Vehicles Exempt From Tax, Fees Eligible vehicle types are passenger automobiles, pickup trucks rated at one ton or less, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. Commercial vehicles don’t qualify.
Which Plates You Can Choose
Minnesota doesn’t issue a single plate labeled “Disabled Veteran.” You pick between two routes, and the choice has practical consequences.
Standard Disability Plates
These carry the International Symbol of Access (the wheelchair symbol). Any person with a qualifying disability can get one, and a 100% rating easily meets the criteria. The advantage is clarity for accessible parking. Apply using form PS2904.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Disability License Plates
Veteran or Military Plates With a Disability Emblem
Minnesota offers veteran-specific plates recognizing particular service eras, campaigns, and awards, including Veterans, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Ex-POW, Gulf War, Afghanistan Campaign, and Iraq Campaign. Most can be ordered with a disability emblem added.5Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Special License Plates Brochure Apply using the Application for Special Plates (form PS2010).6Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Application for Special Plates
One boundary to be aware of: the “Disabled American Veterans” plate is a separate category that recognizes DAV membership and does not indicate a disability rating.
What the Exemption Covers
The dollar relief goes well beyond the annual registration tax. On up to two qualifying vehicles registered at the same time, the statute waives:3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168.012 – Vehicles Exempt From Tax, Fees
- The value-based annual registration tax.
- Administrative surcharges on registrations.
- The $8 renewal filing fee (or $12 for other transactions) and the $1 deputy registrar surcharge.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168.33 – Fees; Filing; Allocations
- The $15.50 standard plate fee ($13.50 for motorcycles), validation stickers, and transfer fees.5Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Special License Plates Brochure
Register a third vehicle if you want, but it will carry the standard taxes and fees.
What You Still Pay
Personalized plates carry a $100 fee that the exemption does not cover.5Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Special License Plates Brochure If you choose a specialty plate tied to a charitable contribution (such as the Support our Troops plate’s $30 annual contribution), that donation also isn’t covered.3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168.012 – Vehicles Exempt From Tax, Fees
Other Vehicle Benefits Worth Knowing
Starting January 1, 2024, qualifying veterans are exempt from title fees on up to two vehicles. Beginning July 1, 2024, one vehicle purchase is also exempt from state sales tax.8MyArmyBenefits. Minnesota Military and Veterans Benefits A free driver’s license or state-issued ID card is included as well.2Cook County, MN. New MN DMV Benefits 2024
How to Apply
Gather your documents before filling out any form. You’ll need your annual VA disability letter or VA decision letter showing the 100% total and permanent rating.9Morrison County, MN. 100% Disabled Veteran Benefits The name on the VA letter must match the name on your vehicle registration exactly. A name change since service should be resolved with the VA first; mismatches cause processing delays.
Complete form PS2010 for a veteran specialty plate, PS2904 for a standard disability plate, or both if you want a veteran plate alongside a separate disability plate. Both forms require your VIN and current registration details.
Submit the packet by mail to Driver and Vehicle Services, 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 195, St. Paul, MN 55101, or file in person at any deputy registrar office.10Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Contact In-person filing is often faster because staff can flag paperwork issues on the spot. Plates typically arrive by mail within several weeks. If your current tabs are about to expire while you wait, ask for a temporary permit.
Parking: What the Plate Does and Doesn’t Do
This is where veterans most often get caught out. A disability plate or a disability emblem on a veteran plate does not by itself give you full accessible parking rights in every situation. Minnesota requires a permanent disability parking certificate to accompany the disability plate application.11Washington County, MN. Disability Plates/Certificates
When you do have proper disability plates or a parking certificate, Minnesota grants three specific rights: parking in designated disability spaces, parking at public meters without paying, and parking in non-metered passenger spaces without regard to posted time limits.12Minnesota Council on Disability. Disability Parking The meter and time-limit waivers add up quickly if you make regular trips to VA medical facilities or downtown offices.
Renewal
The exemption isn’t one-and-done. It applies at every annual renewal for as long as you maintain the 100% total and permanent rating. Acceptable documentation at renewal includes your annual VA benefits letter or an electronic annual award letter.13LinkVet. Minnesota State Vehicle Registration Tax Relief Keep a current copy on hand each year so renewal doesn’t become a scramble. If your rating is later reduced below 100% total and permanent, the exemption ends going forward, though plates can typically be exchanged for standard-issue plates without penalty.