Most states offer a free veteran's designation on their driver's licenses, and if you want to get your full benefits as a veteran, you will want to make sure you get yours.
Having your driver's license updated with your veteran status ensures you easily can get special veteran’s-only discounts and other benefits that are offered by private businesses as well as state and local governments.
For What Kind of Discounts Are Veterans Eligible?
You may have visited our discounts section and have seen the hundreds of discounts that businesses offer to veterans. These discounts cover almost every type of business you can imagine: from golf courses to drugstores to theme parks. However it can be cumbersome to carry your DD-214 with you all the time in order to get these discounts, and that really isn't something you should be doing.
See: Military Discount Center, Deals and Freebies
To make it easy to get these discounts, you can apply for a veteran's ID card from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the VA only gives this card to honorably discharged veterans, and having to carry an extra ID card with you can be a hassle. That's why it's always good to get that veteran's designation on your driver's license.
Either your VA ID card or your state-issued ID or license with a veteran designation is usually all you need to take advantage of the many discounts listed in our discounts section as well as other discounts. These "other" discounts can be extremely beneficial if you take advantage of them.
What Other Veterans Discounts and Freebies Are Available?
Besides the usual discounts that national retailers and other businesses offer, many local companies offer veterans discounts. While most of these discounts are usually around 10% on goods and services, they can be worth a lot of money depending on the company. Sure, a 10% discount on breakfast isn't necessarily something that will make a big difference in your life, but if you are purchasing a big-ticket item, that discount can be a game changer.
Buying a new refrigerator? That 10% discount can be over $200. Just found out you need a new $10,000 furnace? That 10% discount is $1,000. How about home improvement? Many contractors offer 5% or 10% discounts on construction services like siding or a new roof. Those savings can add up very quickly.
So, all things being equal, you always should seek out the business that offers a veterans discount if you want to save money. It never hurts to ask whether the business offers a veterans discount when you are shopping around for services.
Also, many states offer a ton of discounts and other benefits for veterans that you may not be aware of, and having an easily accessible veteran’s ID card can make it much simpler for you and your family to receive them.
Related: Your 2023 State Veteran Benefits
For example, most states offer veterans some type of discount for admission to state parks or state fairs; others offer free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses. One thing you may not know is that many states offer these discounts to non-resident veterans.
So if you're planning a vacation this summer, or staying in and doing some home-improvement, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars just by using your veterans discount.
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