KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Virginia

HB94 • 2026

Vehicle registration fees; disabled veterans.

An Act to amend and reenact § 46.2-739 of the Code of Virginia, relating to vehicle registration fees; disabled veterans.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Bennett-Parker
Last action
2026-03-31
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about maintaining exemptions for special DV license plates, only extending them to standard passenger plates.

Disabled Veterans' Vehicle Registration Fee Exemption

This act extends the exemption from annual vehicle registration fees for disabled veterans and their unremarried surviving spouses to vehicles displaying standard passenger license plates, not just special plates.

What This Bill Does

  • Extends the current exemption from annual vehicle registration fees for disabled veterans or their unremarried surviving spouse to eligible vehicles displaying a standard passenger license plate.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Disabled veterans
  • Unremarried surviving spouses of disabled veterans

Terms To Know

Service-connected disability
A disability that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has determined is related to a veteran's military service.
Unremarried surviving spouse
The widow or widower of a disabled veteran who has not remarried after their spouse’s death.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the effective date for this change.
  • Only applies to vehicles displaying either special DV license plates or standard passenger license plates.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB94AHC1

2026-01-26

Transportation Amendment

Plain English: The amendment modifies the language in § 46.2-739 of Virginia's Code to specify that disabled veterans receive a passenger vehicle plate instead of plates.

  • Adds 'the Department's' after certain words in line 34.
  • Inserts 'passenger' after 'standard' in line 34.
  • Strikes out 'plates' and inserts 'plate' after 'license' in line 34.
  • The exact impact of these changes on disabled veterans' vehicle registration fees is not clear from the provided amendment text alone.
HB94AHC2

2026-01-27 • Committee

Department of Motor Vehicles Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment modifies the language in § 46.2-739 of Virginia's Code to specify that disabled veterans receive a passenger license plate instead of plates.

  • Adds 'the Department's' after certain words in line 34.
  • Inserts 'passenger' after 'standard' in line 34.
  • Strikes out 'plates' and inserts 'plate' after 'license' in line 34.
  • The exact impact of these changes on disabled veterans' vehicle registration fees is not clear from the provided amendment text alone.
HB94AH1

2026-01-29 • Committee

Transportation Amendment

Plain English: The amendment modifies the language in § 46.2-739 of Virginia's Code to specify that disabled veterans receive a passenger license plate from the Department without paying registration fees.

  • Adds 'the Department's' after 'or'.
  • Inserts 'passenger' after 'standard'.
  • Strikes 'plates' and inserts 'plate' after 'license'
  • The exact impact of these changes on the existing law is unclear without reviewing § 46.2-739 in its entirety.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 39 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0039)

  3. 2026-03-10 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

  4. 2026-03-10 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  5. 2026-03-06 House

    Signed by Speaker

  6. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Signed by President

  7. 2026-03-06 House

    Enrolled

  8. 2026-03-06 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB94ER)

  9. 2026-03-06 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB94)

  10. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  11. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Read third time

  13. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  14. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  15. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Rules suspended

  16. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Rules suspended

  17. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  18. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  19. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  20. 2026-02-25 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

  21. 2026-02-19 Transportation

    Reported from Transportation and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N 1-A)

  22. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  23. 2026-02-05 Transportation

    Referred to Committee on Transportation

  24. 2026-02-04 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB94)

  25. 2026-02-04 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB94)

  26. 2026-02-04 House

    Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 1-N 0-A)

  27. 2026-02-04 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  28. 2026-02-04 House

    Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

  29. 2026-02-03 House

    Read second time

  30. 2026-02-03 House

    committee amendments agreed to

  31. 2026-02-03 House

    Engrossed by House as amended

  32. 2026-02-02 House

    Read first time

  33. 2026-01-29 Transportation

    Reported from Transportation with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N)

  34. 2026-01-27 Department of Motor Vehicles

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)

  35. 2026-01-26 Department of Motor Vehicles

    House subcommittee offered

  36. 2026-01-23 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB94)

  37. 2026-01-19 Department of Motor Vehicles

    Assigned HTRAN sub: Department of Motor Vehicles

  38. 2026-01-02 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100158D

  39. 2026-01-02 Transportation

    Referred to Committee on Transportation

Official Summary Text

Vehicle registration fees; disabled veterans.
Extends the current exemption from annual vehicle registration fees for disabled veterans or their unremarried surviving spouse to eligible vehicles displaying a standard passenger license plate. Current law applies such exemption to a vehicle displaying disabled veteran special license plates.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend and reenact §
46.2-739
of the Code of Virginia, relating to vehicle registration fees; disabled veterans.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
46.2-739
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
46.2-739
. Special license plates for certain disabled veterans; fees.
A. On receipt of an application, the Commissioner shall issue special license plates to applicants who are veterans who have been certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a service-connected disability or unremarried surviving spouses of disabled veterans as defined in §
46.2-100
. Any special license plate issued to a disabled veteran pursuant to this subsection may be transferred, upon his death, to his unremarried surviving spouse. These license plates shall be special permanent red, white, and blue license plates bearing the letters "DV." The application shall be accompanied by a certification from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that the veteran's disability is service-connected. License plates issued under this subsection shall not permit the vehicles upon which they are displayed to use parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities that limit or impair their ability to walk.
B. On receipt of an application, the Commissioner shall issue special DV disabled parking license plates displaying the international symbol of access in the same size as the numbers and letters on the plate and in a color that contrasts to the background to veterans who are also persons with disabilities that limit or impair their ability to walk as defined in §
46.2-100
. The Commissioner shall require that such application be accompanied by a certification signed by a licensed physician, licensed podiatrist, licensed chiropractor, licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant to that effect. Special DV disabled parking license plates issued under this subsection shall authorize the vehicles upon which they are displayed to use parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities that limit or impair their ability to walk.
C. No annual registration fee, as prescribed in §
46.2-694
, and no annual fee, as set forth in subdivision B 3 of §
46.2-725
, shall be required for any one motor vehicle owned and used personally by any disabled veteran as defined in §
46.2-100
who has provided certification that such disability is service related as required in subsection A
or the unremarried surviving spouse of such disabled veteran, provided that such vehicle displays
special
license plates issued under this section
or the Department's

standard

passenger

license

plate

issued pursuant to Article 9 (§
46.2-711
et seq.)
.
D. The provisions of subdivisions B 1 and 2 of §
46.2-725
shall not apply to license plates issued under this section.