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Texas Veteran and Disabled Veteran Driver License

The VETERAN designation on a Texas driver license or ID is free with an honorable or general discharge. A DISABLED VETERAN designation needs a 50% rating, or 40% with a lower extremity amputation. At 60% the whole license fee is waived, but not for a commercial license.

Also called: driver license, ID card, veteran designation, DPS, 521.426, fee exemption, 60 percent, CDL.

For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Texas puts three different things on a driver license or ID card, and they have three different tests. Mixing them up is the most common mistake here. The VETERAN designation is free and needs no rating. A veteran who was honorably discharged, or who has a general discharge under honorable conditions, from the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, or Texas National Guard may request it. A DD-214, DD-215, NGB-22, a VA disability letter, or a Texas license to carry with a veteran designator all work as proof. The designation can name the branch served. Adding it at renewal costs nothing; asking for a duplicate card mid-cycle costs the ordinary duplicate fee. The DISABLED VETERAN designation requires a disability rating of at least 50%, or at least 40% if it is accompanied by a lower extremity amputation, proved with a VA disability letter. This designation is the one Texas Parks and Wildlife will accept in place of a separate VA letter when a veteran applies for the free hunting and fishing package, which makes it worth having. The fee exemption is a third and higher bar. A veteran with a service-related disability of at least 60 percent pays nothing for a Texas driver license or ID card, provided the discharge was honorable, the veteran receives disability compensation from the United States government, and the veteran is not required to register as a sex offender. The exemption does not apply to a commercial driver license. So a veteran rated 50% can carry the DISABLED VETERAN label and still pay the fee; the waiver starts at 60%. One more provision helps a service member stationed away. An active duty service member, spouse, or dependent stationed outside Texas gets an automatic extension of the license expiration date until 90 days after discharge, so a license does not lapse while the holder cannot reach a Texas office. Apply at a DPS driver license office with the documentation. The 60% fee exemption is not applied automatically; it has to be claimed with proof at the counter.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Texas Veteran and Disabled Veteran Driver License
GateRule
50% for the DISABLED VETERAN designationThe designation requires a rating of at least 50%, or at least 40% with a lower extremity amputation. The free VETERAN designation requires no rating at all and is a separate thing.
60% for the license fee exemptionThe fee waiver needs a service-related disability of at least 60 percent, an honorable discharge, and receipt of disability compensation from the United States. It does not cover a commercial driver license.

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.

Sources

Updated

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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.