Indiana State Park Passes for Disabled Veterans, Former POWs and Gold Star Families

A veteran eligible for the disabled Hoosier veteran plate buys a $25 annual state park pass instead of $50. A former POW or surviving spouse gets a free pass by mail every year, and a Gold Star family member gets free admission. Other veterans pay the ordinary fee.

Also called: IC 14-19-3-4, IC 14-19-3-1, IC 14-19-3-1.5, Golden Hoosier Passport, Disabled Hoosier Veteran Pass, $25, Gold Star Families Pass, former POW, state parks.

For: Veteran or service member, survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

IndianaState

IC 14-19-3-4 lets a resident "who is eligible for a disabled Hoosier veteran license plate under IC 9-18.5-5-1" buy an annual Golden Hoosier Passport at "fifty percent (50%)" of the ordinary resident annual pass, and makes it free to a resident "issued a prisoner of war license plate". The Department of Natural Resources sells the veteran version as the $25 Disabled Hoosier Veteran Pass, against a $50 resident annual pass. Show the plate at the gate or State Form 32584 signed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Former POWs and their surviving spouses have the free passport mailed each January. Where it works. The statute says the passport admits the resident, vehicle and passengers to "the Indiana state parks, recreation areas, reservoirs, forests, historic sites, museums, memorials, and other department properties for which admission is charged". Both the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Veterans Affairs say the veteran pass "is NOT valid for historic sites, museums, memorials". If refused at a DNR-run site that charges admission, the statute is on the veteran's side. Gold Star families. Since House Enrolled Act 1001 of 2025, IC 14-19-3-1 bars DNR from charging admission to a Gold Star family member displaying the Gold Star plate or a free annual pass, and IC 14-19-3-1.5 has DNR issue the pass on request to Indiana residents. What veterans generally do not get. The Army benefits library (re-read 2026-10-24) describes the POW pass as half price; IC 14-19-3-4 makes it free. DNR says plainly that "Veterans typically do not receive free admission at Indiana State Parks". House Bill 1556 of 2025, which would have made admission free for veterans, was never heard.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Indiana State Park Passes for Disabled Veterans, Former POWs and Gold Star Families
Gate	Rule
Eligible for the disabled Hoosier veteran plate	IC 14-19-3-4(a)(3), by reference to IC 9-18.5-5-1. The plate has routes with no percentage.

Sources

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.