Some 1.6 million veterans across the state of Florida will now be recognized and honored for their military service through their driver's license or identification card.
Gov. Rick Scott signed HB 1165, allowing veterans who have served their nation honorably and live in Florida, the privilege to add a veteran designation to their driver's license.
At a Tuesday news conference hosted by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at their headquarters in Tallahassee, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll announced and issued the first Florida veteran, Commander Mark Alvarez of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3308, with a new identification card.
"I am pretty honored, of course, for being the first receiving this," said Commander Alvarez. "As District 2 Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars, we are always looking for ways to improve veterans' lives here in the state of Florida."
Carroll said the new feature on the driver's license is just one way the state can show its appreciation to military veterans.
"The new feature gives veterans an easy way to show proof of their veteran status, which is not always an easy task," said Carroll. "We hope that retailers and restaurants that offer discounts to military veterans will accept the license with the "V" on it as proof that someone is a veteran."
The lieutenant governor and Gov. Rick Scott are both U.S. Navy veterans. Carroll also previously served as executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs.
The veteran designation on the driver's license or identification card will be a blue "V" at the bottom of the card.
DHSMV Executive Director Julie Jones explained what veterans should bring with them when they visit a driver's license office to replace or renew their credentials:
They should do the following:
Present their DD-214, which shows their honorable discharge from active duty.
Pay a one-time $1 fee, in addition to the replacement or renewal fee.
Visit www.GatherGoGet.com to make sure they have all the other documents required.
To add the "V" to a license or identity card, veterans can visit any Florida driver's license office, including those operated by county tax collectors.
Florida is the third state to recognize veterans through its driver's licenses.
"The Department is honored to provide this service to our military veterans as a way to show our gratitude for their service to our nation," Jones reiterated.
Reach Marcus Joseph, a Sunshine State News intern, at Marcus@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859.
