Mass DOT:

Massachusetts’ Disabled Veterans
Benefitting from HERO Act

Eligible disabled veterans exempt from automobile excise tax,
receiving fee waivers for vehicle registration, driver’s licenses
and license renewals due to legislation signed in August 2024

BOSTON — Ahead of Veterans Day 2024, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor
Vehicles (RMV) and Executive Office of Veterans Services are reminding
veterans they are eligible to receive fee waivers for various transactions at the
RMV due to the most comprehensive piece of veterans’ legislation in
Massachusetts history which was signed into law by Governor Healey in August
2024. The HERO Act, (An Act Honoring, Empowering, and Recognizing our
Servicemembers and Veterans), includes over 30 provisions positively
impacting veterans, including specific transactions veterans may conduct at
the RMV.

“The expansion of the HERO Act enables us to show additional gratitude
toward veterans who served and sacrificed for our country,”
said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “While these
benefits are just a small token, we hope all qualifying individuals will make full
use of them in their dealings with the Registry. On behalf of all our MassDOT
employees, we say ‘thank you’ to veterans for your service.”

“It is an honor for all of us at the Registry of Motor Vehicles to facilitate the
expansion of the HERO Act on behalf of Massachusetts veterans,”
said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie. “With our service
documentation requirements now even more seamless, I encourage disabled
veterans and their family members to familiarize themselves with the
available benefits and to reach out to us with their questions.”

“We’re incredibly thankful for our partners at MassDOT for supporting the HERO
Act’s provisions that bring real relief to our disabled veterans,” said Secretary
Jon Santiago of the Executive Office of Veterans Services. “Waiving these
fees is a concrete step toward easing the daily burdens veterans face, and
from excise tax exemptions to waived license fees, we’re working to show that
Massachusetts stands firmly committed to them.”

Every motor vehicle registered in Massachusetts is subject to the annual
excise tax, unless exempted. Under the HERO Act expansion, all Massachusetts
residents who qualify as a disabled veteran are now eligible to receive
the excise tax exemption. To qualify, they must present a letter from the U.S.
Veterans Affairs Office to the city or town where their vehicle is garaged.

In addition, disabled veterans are no longer required to pay a vehicle
registration fee for any vehicle registered in their name. Previously, this
benefit could only be applied to one vehicle registered in their name. Also, all
of these veterans are no longer required to pay a transaction fee for a
passenger driver’s license or for a passenger driver’s license renewal.

A disabled veteran is determined by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs to either have a combined service-connected disability
rating of 100 percent or be individually unemployable due to their serviceconnected disability.
The legislation signed into law by Governor Healey in August 2024 increases
benefits, modernizes services and promotes inclusivity for veterans in
Massachusetts. In addition to provisions impacting veterans who drive, the
legislation expands access to behavioral health treatment, supports
businesses that hire veterans, updates the definition of a veteran, expands
the Veterans Equality Review Board's scope, and codifies medical and dental
benefits.
RMV information for military service members, veterans, and their families can
be found at mass.gov/military-and-veteran-rmv-information