# Alaska Disabled Veteran License Plate: Free Registration

> Alaska Veterans rated 50% or higher service-connected get free Disabled Veteran plates and one free vehicle registration. Here is how to apply.
>
> Canonical: https://benefitry.io/guides/alaska-disabled-veteran-license-plate
> Publisher: Benefitry (benefitry.io). Benefits audit software for US veterans and military families.
> Last updated: 2026-10-30 · First published: 2026-09-17
> Official sources cited: https://dmv.alaska.gov/vehicle-services/persons-with-disabilities/ · https://dmv.alaska.gov/vehicle-services/veteran-license-plates/ · https://dmv.alaska.gov/vehicle-services/general-vehicle-registration/ · https://veterans.alaska.gov/benefits/additional-benefits/license-and-license-plates/ · https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=28.10.181&secEnd=28.10.181 · https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=28.10.421&secEnd=28.10.421 · https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=29.45.030&secEnd=29.45.030 · https://dmv.alaska.gov/media/ssgb1rnj/v1.pdf · https://dmv.alaska.gov/media/jauf4ars/2024.pdf
> Note: Benefitry is informational software, not affiliated with the VA; it does not file claims or give claim advice (38 U.S.C. § 5901).

---
If you are an Alaska Veteran separated under conditions that were not dishonorable, with a combined service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher, the state will issue you Disabled Veteran license plates at no cost and register one vehicle for free. Alaska's standard registration fee is $100 per two-year cycle before any local registration tax. The DMV treats the free registration as a permanent exemption, so it keeps paying for as long as you drive.

![The Dalton Highway in Alaska runs toward a grey mountain through spruce forest](/guide-images/alaska-disabled-veteran-license-plate/highway-and-peak.webp)

## What it is

The Disabled Veteran plate is a specialty license plate issued by the [Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles](https://dmv.alaska.gov/vehicle-services/veteran-license-plates/) under Alaska Statute [AS 28.10.181(d)](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=28.10.181&secEnd=28.10.181). It does two things at once. It marks the vehicle with a Disabled Veteran designation, and it carries a real financial benefit: the statute directs the DMV to register one motor vehicle in the qualifying Veteran's name without charge.

Per the [Alaska DMV](https://dmv.alaska.gov/vehicle-services/persons-with-disabilities/), the plate comes in two versions:

| Version | What it requires | What it adds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| With parking privileges | Form 861 (Special Disability Parking Permit certification) plus VA proof of 50%+ service-connected disability | Disabled parking privileges, plate shows the accessibility symbol |
| Without parking privileges | VA proof of 50%+ combined service-connected disability only | Plate designation and the free registration, no parking privileges |

That second row matters. Many Veterans rated 50% or higher are fully mobile and do not want or qualify for disabled parking. Alaska lets you take the plate and the fee benefit anyway. You can also elect a design without the international symbol of accessibility, and the [Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs](https://veterans.alaska.gov/benefits/additional-benefits/license-and-license-plates/) notes that Disabled Veteran plates do not automatically come with parking privileges; parking requires the separate Form 861 certification of a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk.

## What it's worth

Both versions of the plate are issued at no cost, and one vehicle is registered free. Here is the worked math for a typical Alaska passenger vehicle:

- Alaska's standard passenger vehicle registration fee is $100 per two-year cycle. The state-fee portion alone is a guaranteed $50 per year in savings.
- Many boroughs and municipalities also levy a Motor Vehicle Registration Tax (MVRT), which the DMV collects with your registration. Per the Alaska DMV's [tax chart](https://dmv.alaska.gov/media/jauf4ars/2024.pdf), the tax varies by location and by the vehicle's model year.

The same DMV chart lists the Disabled Veteran exemption with "No Registration or MVRT fees" collected, only title and lienholder fees, so in a borough that levies MVRT the waived tax adds to your savings. The chart carries a 2024 revision date, so confirm your location with the DMV at 907-269-5551 before you count on the local-tax portion. The $50 per year in state fees is the floor either way.

One important limit, quoted from the DMV: "you are entitled to only one free vehicle registration. For any additional vehicles equipped with a disabled plate, standard registration fees will apply." You can put Disabled Veteran plates on multiple vehicles you own, but only one of them registers free.

## Who qualifies (and who doesn't)

You qualify if all of the following are true:

- **A combined service-connected rating of 50% or higher.** The DMV requires certification from the VA confirming a combined service-related disability of 50% or more. Your VA disability rating decision letter or a benefit summary letter from VA.gov is the standard proof.
- **A discharge that was not dishonorable.** Alaska's [disabled veteran definition](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=29.45.030&secEnd=29.45.030) requires separation from military service under a condition that is not dishonorable.
- **Alaska residency.** This is a state benefit tied to registering a vehicle in Alaska in your name.

Who does not qualify:

- Veterans rated below 50% combined. A 30% or 40% rating does not reach the threshold, no matter how the individual conditions stack. If you are unsure what your combined rating actually is, VA math is not simple addition; our [combined ratings guide](/guides/combined-ratings-explained) walks through it.
- Vehicles not registered in the Veteran's name. The free registration applies to one motor vehicle registered to the qualifying Veteran.
- Anyone wanting parking privileges without a qualifying mobility disability. The parking version requires the separate Form 861 medical certification; the rating alone is not enough.

![A river winds below a rocky ridge in autumn](/guide-images/alaska-disabled-veteran-license-plate/river-valley.webp)

## How to claim it

1. **Get your proof of rating and discharge.** Download a VA benefit summary letter from VA.gov or use your rating decision letter. It must show a combined service-connected rating of 50% or higher. The application also asks for proof of your character of discharge, such as your DD-214.
2. **Complete the Vehicle Transaction Application (Form V1).** The Alaska DMV's standard [vehicle application](https://dmv.alaska.gov/media/ssgb1rnj/v1.pdf) covers plate issuance. Choose the Disabled Veteran exemption in its exemption request section. If you want parking privileges, also complete Form 861, which requires medical certification of a permanent disability that limits walking.
3. **Submit online or at a DMV office.** The DMV accepts the application with supporting documents online. If anything in your situation is nonstandard, such as a jointly owned vehicle, call the DMV at 907-269-5551 before you file.
4. **Keep the exemption on one vehicle.** The V1 form describes the Disabled Veteran exemption as one permanent exemption per owner, which you can move to another vehicle by surrendering the previous registration.

There is no application deadline. You can claim this benefit at your next renewal or switch plates mid-cycle.

## Related benefits

- [VA disability pay rates for 2026](/guides/va-disability-pay-rates-2026) covers what your monthly VA compensation should be at 50% and above.
- [How VA combined ratings actually work](/guides/combined-ratings-explained) explains why 30% + 30% is not 60%, which decides whether you clear this benefit's threshold.
- Alaska also offers a free Veteran designation on your driver license or state ID at no additional fee, per the [Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs](https://veterans.alaska.gov/benefits/additional-benefits/license-and-license-plates/).
- See every Alaska benefit you qualify for in the [state benefits scan](/app/dashboard?tab=audit).

## What to do next

Run your rating through our [state benefits scan](/app/dashboard?tab=audit) to see this plate alongside every other Alaska benefit tied to your rating. Then [start your full benefits scan](https://benefitry.io/start) to see everything you qualify for across federal and state programs.