Miscellaneous

Arkansas Military, Veteran and Gold Star License Plates

Arkansas issues its military and veteran plates, including Armed Forces Veteran, Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, ex-POW and retiree plates, free of charge apart from a renewal fee of no more than $1. The Gold Star Family plate is free to a spouse, parent, sibling or child. A Women Veterans plate was added in October 2025 and the Pearl Harbor Survivor plate was retired.

Also called: 27-24-204, 27-24-206, 27-24-208, 27-24-210, 27-24-211, 27-24-216, Purple Heart plate, Medal of Honor plate, Gold Star Family plate, Women Veterans plate, Act 51 of 2025, Pearl Harbor Survivor, U.S. Armed Forces Retired.

For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child, survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

ArkansasState

Arkansas treats its military plates as a benefit, not a fundraiser. The free plates. Section 27-24-204 continues sixteen plates: Disabled Veteran, the non-service injury plate, Medal of Honor Recipient, Ex-Prisoner of War, Military Reserve, Merchant Marine, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Armed Forces Veteran, Distinguished Flying Cross, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, plus the Purple Heart - Combat Wounded plate and a Vietnam Era decal. Section 27-24-206, subsection (a) makes plates in this subchapter "free of charge to an eligible applicant", with the department allowed an annual renewal fee not over $1. A holder may have up to three additional plates at the ordinary registration fee; a Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, disabled veteran or retiree plate holder gets the first additional plate for no more than $1. The ex-POW plate and one additional ex-POW plate are free outright. The rules that section 27-24-204(d) requires limit every plate to an applicant with an honorable record of service or an honorable discharge. Retirees. Section 27-24-210 issues a "U.S. Armed Forces Retired" plate on proof of retirement orders from any branch, the Guard or the reserves, on the same terms. Surviving spouses. Section 27-24-208 lets a disabled veteran's plate be reissued to the surviving spouse for the $1 fee, a Purple Heart plate free of charge, and a Distinguished Flying Cross plate for the $1 fee. Other military plates can be reissued to a spouse for the ordinary registration fee. A spouse of a Medal of Honor, Purple Heart or Distinguished Flying Cross recipient can also get a new plate marked "Surviving Spouse". Gold Star Family. Section 27-24-211: one free plate, with free renewal, for a spouse, parent, sibling or child of a service member "killed or died in the honorable performance of his or her duty within one (1) year of receiving a service-connected injury or contracting a service-connected illness". Proof is a DD Form 1300 or serious incident report, or proof of DIC eligibility. A "combat-related death" decal is available where the member was killed in action. What changed in 2025. Act 51 of 2025 created a Women Veterans plate in new section 27-24-216, from October 1, 2025, for a woman veteran of any of the six armed forces who shows her licence and DD 214. Unlike the older plates it costs the registration fee plus a $15 design-use contribution that goes to the Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Program. The same act repealed the Pearl Harbor Survivor plate. The Army benefits library, re-read 2026-10-24, still does not mention the Women Veterans plate.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Arkansas Military, Veteran and Gold Star License Plates
Gate	Rule
An honorable record of service or honorable discharge	Ark. Code Ann. § 27-24-204(d)(2).
Gold Star Family: death in the honorable performance of duty, or within a year of a service-connected injury or illness	Ark. Code Ann. § 27-24-211(h)(1).

Documents the source lists

What the official source lists for an application, and where to get each document. It is a reference read from the source, not a full list of what the office may ask for; check with the office or an accredited representative before you apply. Needed means the source asks for it; Helps means the source calls it optional or says it speeds things up.

Needed DD214 or other separation documents
For the Women Veterans plate.
Where to get it Download it from milConnect if your branch has it there, or request it from the National Archives. A VA application can ask VA to request it for you.
Listed by Act 51 of 2025 (SB 45), Women Veterans plate read 2026-10-10

Sources

Legislation

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Act 51 of 2025 (SB 45) Created the Women Veterans license plate and repealed the Pearl Harbor Survivor plate

Catalog reconciledEnactedProgram created Program repealed

Signed 2025-02-13Takes effect 2025-10-01

Introduced Done, 2025-01-13, step 1 of 6
In committee Done, 2025-01-13, step 2 of 6
Passed one chamber Done, 2025-01-28, step 3 of 6
Passed both chambers Done, 2025-02-11, step 4 of 6
Signed by the governor Done, 2025-02-13, step 5 of 6
In effect Done, 2025-10-01, step 6 of 6

Expands and restricts Created the Women Veterans plate and repealed the Pearl Harbor Survivor plate.

Enacted Ark. Code Ann. § 27-24-216: a Women Veterans plate for a woman veteran of the six armed forces, at the registration fee plus a $15 design-use contribution to the Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Program. Removed the Pearl Harbor Survivor plate from §§ 27-24-204 and 27-24-206. Approved February 13, 2025; effective October 1, 2025.

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-24.

What changed then:

Description reworded (1 passage).

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.