New Mexico Veteran Designation on a Driver's License or ID

A veteran can have "Veteran" printed on a New Mexico driver's license or ID card at no extra cost on a first issue or renewal, on showing a DD-214 or a VA veteran ID card; adding it at another time costs the ordinary replacement fee.

Also called: veteran designation, driver license, ID card, MVD, DD-214, Veteran ID Card.

For: Veteran or service member.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

New MexicoState

The Motor Vehicle Division's page: "Starting in November 2012, the New Mexico MVD has provided a way for veterans to be acknowledged on their Driver's Licenses and ID's. The veteran's designation can be added at no additional cost during a first-time issuance or renewal. You only pay for your credential. If just adding designation, customer must pay regular replacement cost depending on 4 or 8 years." Bring "either a DD214 or Veteran's Card" to a Motor Vehicle Division office or service provider; the document need not be shown again on later visits, and the designation can be removed at a later replacement or renewal. The designation is a convenient way to prove veteran status for retail discounts and for some state programmes, but agencies that certify eligibility, such as the Department of Veterans' Services for the property tax exemptions, still ask for the discharge document itself.

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 a Veteran ID card
One of the proofs the source accepts.
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 MVD, veteran designation read 2026-10-10

Sources

MVD, Veteran Designation (read 2026-10-24)Official

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-24.

What changed then:

Summary reworded.
Citation updated to “MVD, Veteran Designation (read 2026-10-24)” (was “MVD, veteran designation”).
Source removed: “Army benefits library, New Mexico”.
And 2 more changes.

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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.