VA Black Hills Health Care System

The arrow indicates where the "Veteran designation" will appear on a South Dakota drivers license.

Effective July 1, 2012, the state of South Dakota will now provide a designation on driver’s licenses for honorably discharged Veterans. South Dakota now joins several other states which have added the 'Veterans designation' to their driver license making it easier for Veterans to prove their status at the numerous hotel chains and retail outlets that offer veterans discounts.

'The new feature gives Veterans an easy way to show proof of their Veteran status, which is not always an easy task," said Steve Harding, Deputy Secretary for the South Dako-ta Department of Veterans Affairs.

To add the designation to a license or ID card, Veterans can visit any South Dakota driver license office. Locations of the driver license offices can be found at: http://dps.sd.gov/licensing/driver_licensing/exam_schedule.aspx.

Veterans will need to present their DD-214 which shows their honorable discharge from active duty or a certificate signed by a County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer verifying their Veteran status.

Other documents required to obtain a driver license can be found at: http://dps.sd.gov/licensing/driver_licensing/obtain_a_license.aspx.

Veterans, who need to obtain a copy of their DD-214, may request it through their County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer. A complete list of service officers, their contact information and their office hours can be found at http://mva.sd.gov/vet_service_officers.html.