Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — With a new generation of military veterans coming home from battle, the state of Utah wants to help them get the benefits they deserve. A new state law law should make a difference.
As of July 1, military veterans can get that veteran status printed right on their driver's license. It's a way to honor the vets, but it could also help law enforcement when officers come across a veteran in a tense situation.
KSL News caught up with Marine veteran Jose Lopez Wednesday at the Driver License Division Office in Draper. He was renewing his license early to take advantage of the law.
"It's a great idea," Lopez said. "I think every veteran should get it, regardless of whether they have another form of ID."
Lopez fought in the initial assault of Iraq, but he doesn't think veterans should have to fight to prove their veteran status when they get home. He also thinks the new license is a lot simpler than carrying other forms of ID from the VA, or discharge papers to prove veteran status.
A fellow Marine, Dennis Walker, processed the license for Lopez. He said he's handled three veterans' licenses since the law went into effect.
"I think it's a great thing (that) we're able to recognize our vets," Walker said.
Veterans from all eras can use the new license to get discounts from retailers — but it could potentially save lives as well. That's one reason the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs pushed legislators to pass the law.
In recent years, a handful of vets got into confrontations with police. Often, post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional battle scars were part of the reason.
"If it's a young guy, especially, police might realize this guy might have just come home from Iraq or Afghanistan," Lopez said.
When a police officer approaches a car on a traffic stop, that veteran identifier can make a big difference, the former Marine added. When the officer has that information, he or she might be able to decrease the volatility of a potentially dangerous situation.
"He might not just be driving reckless or angry, there might be some other issue," Lopez said. "It gives them a chance to back away from the situation and handle it differently than they normally would."
In some confrontations the license might not even come out. But when it does, law enforcement can use that information to start asking questions to diffuse the tension.
"It would be very beneficial to the officer, so he can maybe have a little bit of background on what he's dealing with," said Todd Holbrook, Driver License Division field office supervisor and a veteran himself.
Lopez also works in veterans outreach programs. He says he spoke with many veterans at a gathering on Independence Day and they were all eager to get the new license.
Veterans should bring their DD-214 papers for honorable discharge to the DMV, and check the lines on the paperwork for veteran status, when they go to get their new license.
Even if you just renewed your license, or you do not need to renew for several years, you can go in and apply for a duplicate for $18.
Statewide, there are about 150,000 veterans who would be eligible for the indicator.
Email: jboal@ksl.com
