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HARTFORD –State Representative Anne Dauphinais (R-44) has introduced legislation this session to eliminate the fees paid to the state Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) for the purchase of commemorative license plates for veterans.

The legislation, HB-5576, An Act Eliminating the Fee for the Issuance of Commemorative Number Plates for Veterans, allows veterans and members of the armed forces to obtain commemorative number plates at no additional cost beyond the cost to register a motor vehicle. The bill now awaits further Transportation committee action.

During her testimony in front of the Transportation committee, Rep. Dauphinais requested that the committee take into consideration her proposal in order to ease the financial burden on our state veterans and she also believes we should remove this fee as a ‘thank you’ to those who have served our great country.

“I acknowledge our state faces difficult fiscal decisions. I also recognize that showing appreciation to our military veterans is important to all of us. Imagine, we charge a Gold Star family, or a disabled veteran a fee to recognize their service. It is for this reason I submit and support this bill which would eliminate the fee for commemorative license plates for our veterans,” Rep. Dauphinais said.

“Too many veterans cannot afford to pay the fee, and some think it is an affront. I believe this is a simple way to demonstrate we are grateful for their service. If we want to thank our veterans, we need to be able to recognize them. A license plate is an easily identifiable means to do so,” Rep. Dauphinais, who is a member of the Public Safety and Security committee.

According to the DMV website, available license plates for veterans include; U.S. military veterans, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, The National Guard Association of Connecticut (Active and Retired), U.S. Submarine Veterans, and Gold Star Families.

The cost for a commemorative plate in Connecticut is a one-time fee of $27.50. In subsequent years veterans would only be responsible paying the $80 registration fee.