Posted on February 29, 2024
State Representative Tami Zawistowski (R-61) this week submitted written testimony to the Veterans Affairs Committee in support of legislation she proposed that would halve the fee for veterans who request a special license plate designating their service from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Rep. Zawistowski proposed the concept which became committee bill 5287 – An Act Concerning the Fees for Veterans’ Specialty License Plates. If enacted, fees associated with special number plates for “any veteran or member of the armed forces” would be cut in half from the currently published fee.
In her testimony, Rep. Zawistowski wrote, “Right now, veterans across the state of Connecticut who would like to be recognized for their service and show solidarity with active military members through the use of specialty veteran license plates are forced to pay extra fees to do so. The sacrifices that veterans have made for our country are immeasurable, and I believe that reducing the fees our state charges for these plates would be a great step in our ongoing mission to acknowledge their dedication and service. We should take this opportunity to display our gratitude to all those who have served in our armed forces by reducing these fees and displaying that we remember and appreciate all that our veterans have done for our country
Currently, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles offers 15 different license plates to eligible veterans, including:
Connecticut Army National Guard Aviation plate; Disabled American Veterans plate; First Company Governor’s Foot Guard plate; First Company Governor’s Horse Guard plate; Greater Hartford Chapter of the Eighty-Second Airborne plate; Iwo Jima Survivor plate; Korean War Veterans Association plate; Laos Veterans of America plate; Marine Corps League plate; Military Order of the Purple Heart plate; National Guard Association of Connecticut (active) plate;National Guard Association of Connecticut (retired) plate; Pearl Harbor 1941 Survivor plate; Second Company Governor’s Foot Guard plate; and United States Submarine Veterans plate.
“It’s a simple change but will substantially lessen the financial burden on veterans and allow us to say thank you for serving admirably in defense and support of our state and nation,” Rep. Zawistowski said.