Published
October 15, 2026
Veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled by the VA who paid registration taxes and fees for an Ohio Specialty Military License Plate at a Deputy Registrar on or after October 17, 2019 may qualify to claim a full refund of those charges from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles class action settlement. Claims close December 2, 2026, and require a copy of the VA disability rating letter.
Current Status
Claims are open. Eligibility documents must be received by the settlement administrator, online or by mail, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 2, 2026. The Ohio Court of Claims preliminarily approved the settlement on August 19, 2026, and the settlement fairness hearing is set for July 21, 2027; no final approval order has been entered, and no payment date has been announced.Free settlement alerts
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Status
Claims Open
Claim Deadline
December 2, 2026
must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET, online or by mail · not a postmark deadline
Estimated Payout
Full refund of plate taxes & fees
every qualifying purchase · excludes personalization or transfer fees · amount set from BMV records
Proof Required
Yes — VA letter + declaration
VA letter showing the 100% rating and its effective date · signed Declaration of Eligibility · the online form opens with the Class Member ID from the notice
What Changed Recently?
Judge Lisa L. Sadler of the Ohio Court of Claims granted preliminary approval of the settlement in Kacin v. Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, No. 2023-00204JD, in an order journalized August 19, 2026. The order appointed Kroll Settlement Administration as administrator and set December 2, 2026 as the deadline to claim, opt out or object. Notice has gone out by mail and email to people BMV’s records show bought a Specialty Military License Plate during the class period, and display notices are being posted at Deputy Registrar offices and county veterans service offices around Ohio.The case was filed March 17, 2023. In 2018, Ohio created a series of Specialty Military License Plates tied to a veteran’s branch of service, theater of service or honors. A 2019 budget bill amended Ohio Revised Code 4503.29(D)(2)(b), effective October 20, 2019, so that veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled could get those plates without paying the usual registration taxes and fees, as they already could for Disabled Veteran License Plates. The lawsuit alleged that BMV kept collecting the full fees from those veterans anyway. BMV denies the claims, and the court has not found that it did anything wrong. The case reached settlement after class certification was litigated through an appeal to Ohio’s Tenth District Court of Appeals.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class covers veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled who paid registration fees or taxes to an Ohio Deputy Registrar on or after October 17, 2019 for a Specialty Military License Plate for which those charges should have been waived under Ohio Revised Code 4503.29(D)(2)(b). In practice, that means three things had to be true:- The veteran bought a Specialty Military License Plate at an Ohio Deputy Registrar’s office on or after October 17, 2019.
- At the time of the purchase, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had rated or compensated the veteran’s service-connected disability at 100%.
- The veteran has not already received a refund from BMV for that purchase.
The court’s preliminary approval order estimated the class at up to 23,376 people.
How Much Can You Get?
Each eligible veteran receives a full refund of the registration taxes and fees paid for each qualifying Specialty Military License Plate purchase, including any sales tax. The refund does not cover separate services bought at the same time, such as personalizing or transferring the plate. There is no cap and no pro rata reduction: BMV calculates each refund from its own records of what was paid. As an example of scale, the court’s order notes that the class representative paid $111.07 for one plate in 2021.BMV also pays class counsel’s fees and costs, up to $375,000 including a $10,000 incentive award for the class representative, and separately pays Kroll’s notice and administration costs. None of those amounts are deducted from veterans’ refunds.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
Every claim needs two documents, which the settlement calls the Eligibility Documentation:- A Declaration of Eligibility, signed under penalty of perjury, listing the date of each Specialty Military License Plate purchase (and the plate number, if known), the effective date of the 100% rating, and confirming no prior refund. The form is posted on the settlement website’s Documents page.
- A copy of a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs showing a service-connected disability rated or compensated at 100% and the date as of which that determination was made.
The online upload form opens with a login that asks for the Class Member ID from the mailed or emailed notice. Veterans who did not receive a notice can mail the two documents to the administrator instead; the mailing instructions are on the settlement website. After the deadline, BMV checks each claim against its records, and a claimant whose eligibility is questioned gets seven days to send additional information.
What Is the Deadline?
The Eligibility Documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 2, 2026, whether it is uploaded or mailed. This is a receipt deadline, not a postmark deadline: anything that arrives later, for any reason, is not accepted.December 2, 2026 is also the deadline to opt out or object. An opt-out letter must be mailed to the administrator and received by that date; it must be personally signed and include the veteran’s name, address and telephone number, the case name, and an attestation of the same eligibility facts the declaration covers. Objections must be filed with the Ohio Court of Claims and sent to class counsel and BMV’s counsel by the same date. Under the settlement agreement, BMV may withdraw from the deal if more than 197 class members opt out.
How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed through the “Upload Eligibility Documentation” link on the official Ohio BMV license plate settlement website, where claimants enter their information, list their plate purchases, choose a payment method and upload the VA letter. The blank Declaration of Eligibility, the long-form notice and the settlement agreement are on the website’s Documents page.What Happens Next?
Class counsel’s fee request is due at least 14 days before the December 2 deadline. Within 14 days after the deadline, Kroll forwards all claims to BMV, which then has up to 120 days to confirm eligibility and calculate each refund, followed by the seven-day cure window for questioned claims. That long review is why the settlement fairness hearing is not until July 21, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, in person at the Ohio Court of Claims in Columbus. The court can change the date without further notice.If the court grants final approval and no appeal is filed, BMV transfers the money within 10 days after the approval becomes final, and Kroll sends refunds within 21 days after that, by check or by ACH, PayPal or Venmo if the claimant chose one. Checks are void 180 days after the distribution deadline, and unclaimed money goes back to BMV.
Sources and Verification
- Official settlement website (Kroll Settlement Administration)
- Settlement website FAQs
- Settlement documents, including the settlement agreement, the August 19, 2026 preliminary approval order, the long-form notice and the Declaration of Eligibility
Questions
Does the Ohio BMV settlement cover Disabled Veteran license plates?
No. Ohio’s Disabled Veteran License Plates were already issued without registration fees. The settlement covers the Specialty Military License Plates created in 2018, such as branch-of-service, theater-of-service and honors plates, bought by veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled on or after October 17, 2019.
What VA document does the Ohio BMV settlement require?
A copy of a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs showing that the veteran has a service-connected disability rated or compensated at 100% and the date that determination took effect. The rating has to have been in effect when the plate was bought.
Does a veteran who bought several Specialty Military License Plates file more than once?
No. The Declaration of Eligibility has space to list each qualifying purchase with its date and, if known, its plate number, and more purchases can be added on an attached sheet. The refund covers every qualifying purchase BMV confirms from its records.
Are mailed Ohio BMV claims judged by postmark?
No. The eligibility documents must be received by the settlement administrator by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 2, 2026. A mailed claim postmarked before the deadline but delivered after it does not count.
How will Ohio BMV settlement refunds be paid?
By paper check unless the claimant chooses direct deposit (ACH), PayPal or Venmo on the declaration. Refunds go out only after final approval and after BMV transfers the money, and checks are void 180 days after the distribution deadline. Unclaimed refunds go back to BMV.
Official Settlement Notice
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
Full refunds — no fixed fund
Case Title
Kacin v. Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Case Number
2023-00204JD
Court
Court of Claims of Ohio
Final Approval Hearing
July 21, 2027 at 10:00 AM ET
In person, Columbus · Judge Lisa L. Sadler
Administrator
Kroll Settlement Administration
Official Website
BMV License Plate Settlement.com
