Sacramento, CA — A new program initiated by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) will help connect veterans in California with the services and benefits they have earned through their prior or current service in the U.S. Military.

When a Californian applies for a new driver’s license or renewal, or if they apply for an identification card, they will notice on the new application forms a check-off box that will permit the DMV to share the applicants contact information with CalVet. The veterans will then be sent information that gives a brief outline of services and benefits and includes a postage-paid reply card that the veteran fills out and returns to CalVet. Once the card is received the veteran will automatically begin receiving information about services like education benefits, employment assistance, disability and compensation payments, health care benefits and much more.

“The most challenging thing we have to do in this department is to ensure that veterans in California are educated about the benefits and services that they have earned through their honorable service in the military,” said CalVet Secretary Peter J. Gravett. “This partnership has the potential to help our department connect with nearly every one of the nearly 2 million veterans living in this state.”

Under the program initiated on July 1, U.S. veterans residing in California can simply check a box on the form to approve having benefit information sent to them by CalVet. Once the customer affirms their military service on the driver license application, the DMV will send the mailing address of the customer to CalVet for distribution of information relative to important services and benefits available to all veterans who served honorably in the military.

CalVet Services, through its “CalVet Connect” initiative has as its guiding philosophy that programs of benefits to veterans fulfill necessary, proper, and valid public purposes by promoting patriotism, by recognizing and rewarding sacrifice and service to country and by providing needed readjustment assistance to returning veterans and their families, whose lives were interrupted when they responded to their country’s call to military service.

The CalVet Services initiative has as its goal to help returning service members and their families with the sometimes difficult task of reentering civilian life. By utilizing online tools like its Reintegration form, the Department links returning veterans with service providers and resources. This program offers CalVet the opportunity to inform veterans and their dependents about veterans benefits and how to obtain these benefits through the process of application and representations of claims. CalVet’s partnership with DMV augments this program by allowing many military and service members who may not have been reached before, with the opportunity to share their contact information with CalVet so that appropriate benefits information can be provided to them.

Veterans wishing to contact CalVet’s reintegration program directly can do so by going to the following link: https://my.calvet.ca.gov/Pages/Intake/ReintegrationForm.aspx