Media Contact: Kaleb Harmon PIO; [email protected]

Washington, DC—The DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) officially released the new Combat Wounded Veteran Purple Heart specialty vehicle tags available for DC Purple Heart recipients and their surviving spouses. The specialty tag has no annual fee and only includes a one-time $10 application fee which will be collected and deposited in the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affair Fund used to serve DC veterans. 

The Purple Heart tag was established in the DC Purple Heart License Plate Amendment Act of 2025 which became law on May 21, 2026. The tag was created to honor the bravery of DC’s Purple Heart veterans and recognize their service and sacrifice to our country. 

“I am profoundly grateful to Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Council for establishing the Purple Heart vehicle tag so we can honor the service and sacrifice of DC’s Purple Heart veterans,” said Gabriel Robinson, Director of DC DMV. “When the DC Purple Heart License Plate Amendment Act of 2025 became law, DC DMV worked quickly to create and release the Purple Heart tag because recognizing the bravery of our veterans should always be a priority. As of today, DC Purple Heart veterans or their surviving spouses can apply for the Purple Heart tag which reflects the decoration they earned in the line of duty.” 

In November of 2025, DC DMV Director Gabriel Robinson testified in favor of the Purple Heart Specialty Tag alongside Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs Director Julian Purdy and retired US Army Captain and Purple Heart recipient Eric Rudberg. Captain Rudberg is also the first DC resident to receive the Purple Heart tag. 

DC residents interested in applying for the Combat Wounded Veteran Purple Heart tag can learn more here. Press can find photo and video collateral from the unveiling ceremony here.