California Veteran Designation on a Driver License or ID Card

The word VETERAN on the front of a California driver license or identification card. A county veterans service office verifies service on form VSD-001, and DMV charges its normal application fee.

Also called: veteran designation, driver license, ID card, VSD-001, DL 44, 12811, CVSO.

For: Veteran or service member.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

CaliforniaState

Vehicle Code section 12811 lets DMV print a veteran designation on a driver license or identification card. CalVet developed the verification form in consultation with DMV and the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers. A county veterans service office verifies the person's status as a veteran, signs the verification form, and returns it to the veteran, who presents it to DMV. The steps DMV lists are these. Complete a Driver's License and Identification Card Application, form DL 44 or eDL 44. Take a DD Form 214 to a county veterans service office and get a Veteran Status Verification Form, VSD-001, which DMV does not issue. Bring the completed VSD-001 to a DMV field office. Section 12811 requires applying in person at a field office that processes driver license and identification cards. DMV charges its normal nonrefundable application fee. The designation is not sold separately; it rides on a new, renewal, or duplicate card. There is no disability rating test and no wartime service test. The designation is a convenience. It lets a veteran prove veteran status to a business, a county office, or a program without carrying a DD Form 214. It is not itself an entitlement to any benefit, and a program that requires a rating will still ask for the VA letter.

Thresholds

No rating or income gate is recorded. Read the detail and the official source.

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
Take it to a county veterans service office for the Veteran Status Verification Form (VSD-001).
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 California DMV, veterans and active duty military read 2026-10-10

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-09-28.

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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.