LEBANON COUNTY — The option to add an American flag with the word “VETERAN” on a driver’s license or identification card has been a hit for veterans across the Commonwealth.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the option, known as a veterans designation, has grown rapidly since the program began in 2014, topping more than half a million.
“More than 500,000 Pennsylvania’s veterans opting for this patriotic designation illustrates how proud these men and women are to have worn the uniform,” Maj. Gen. Tony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said. “Pennsylvania is home to the fourth-largest veterans’ population in the country and we are thrilled to honor their tremendous service through this program.”
Qualified applicants for the veterans designation must have served in the United States Armed Forces and/or the reserve component, and have been discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable, the department’s release states.
The veterans designation does not entitle a veteran to any special consideration or discount but rather identified the bearer as a veteran, the release adds. There is no fee for the veterans designation, however regular renewal or duplicate fees still apply.
To renew a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and add the veterans designation, applicants must complete and mail in a DL-143CD form and applicable fees. To obtain a duplicate CDL with the veterans designation, applicants must complete and mail in a DL-80CD form and applicable fees. Veterans holding a non-commercial driver’s license or identification card can immediately apply for the designation by visiting www.dmv.pa.gov and clicking on the American flag/veterans designation icon.
