RICHMOND, Va. — It's hard to believe that despite being home to the largest Navy base in the world, the Commonwealth of Virginia does not have a specialty license plate honoring the military branch.
That may soon change, now that the Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill to create a U.S. Navy license plate for Virginia drivers. The bill passed the State Senate earlier in the legislative session, and it now heads to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk.
If he signs it, the law will take effect on July 1. The plates would be available to all Navy veterans and active-duty members.
State Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) previously noted Virginia already has more than 300 specialty plates, including ones that honor the Army, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. She said a Navy plate is "long overdue."
For each of the revenue-sharing plates sold, the DMV will return $15 of every $25 collected annually to the non-profit Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, which provides emergency financial assistance to active-duty and retired personnel and their families.