A buried provision in Pennsylvania's veteran plate bill will require retail businesses to adjust their fee schedules—here's what you need to do.
Most Pennsylvania retailers don't realize that SB1428, a bill focused on veteran license plate categories, contains a provision that directly affects how they process vehicle registrations and collect fees. The bill raises special veteran plate surcharge fees by $5 across virtually every veteran plate type, effective one year after the bill becomes law.
If your business processes vehicle registrations, issues license plates, or handles title and tag services on behalf of customers—whether you're an auto dealer, a tag agency, or a registration service center—you will need to update your fee schedules. This applies to any business that collects the surcharge fees for special veteran plates and remits them to the state.
SB1428 uniformly increases the special plate surcharge by $5 across all veteran plate categories. Examples include:
This applies to plates for Purple Heart recipients, Korean War veterans, Persian Gulf War veterans, Vietnam Conflict veterans, Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, Afghanistan and Iraq veterans, Gold Star Family members, Silver Star recipients, Bronze Star recipients, and dozens of other veteran categories covered under the law.
Of each $5 increase, $5 is deposited into the Veterans' Trust Fund. The remainder covers administrative costs.
The fee increase becomes effective one year after SB1428 is enacted into law, according to Section 8 on Page 20 of the bill. The specific fee changes are codified in Section 3 (§1350), found on Page 5.
Once you receive official notification from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that the bill has been signed into law, you will have a 12-month window to prepare your systems, update point-of-sale terminals, revise customer-facing fee schedules, and train staff on the new charges.
Mark your calendar for the bill's enactment date. When it becomes law, contact the Department of Transportation or your industry association for a complete fee schedule. Review your current processes for collecting and remitting veteran plate surcharges to ensure your systems can accommodate the new amounts. If you use third-party software to process registrations, notify your vendor early so they can prepare updates.
Because the fee increase is uniform across all veteran plate types, the transition should be straightforward—but only if you plan ahead. Customers will likely ask about the increase, so having clear, accurate information ready will help manage the transition smoothly.
For a detailed breakdown of all veteran plate categories and their new fees under SB1428, a free business resource guide is available through the Pennsylvania Retail Merchants Association and local chambers of commerce.