More senior citizens now qualify for a reduction in their car registration fee.

State lawmakers earlier this year passed Act 60 of 2024 to increase the income eligibility limit for a reduced vehicle registration for retired people to $29,906, an increase of more than $10,000 from the prior limit. The new income limits took effect Sunday.

Those who qualify will pay an $11 processing fee to register their vehicle each year, rather than the standard $45 registration fee. This version of the legislation ties future annual adjustments to the Consumer Price Index.

“As many retirees deal with rising costs on a fixed income, this program provides a bit of relief to those who need it,” said Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint. “I was pleased to support the law making this change and encourage retirees to take advantage of the benefit.”

To qualify, applicants must be retired and receiving Social Security or other pension payments. Causer said that 100% of a veterans’ benefit payment or payment to the unmarried surviving spouse, upon the death of a veteran, should be excluded from the income calculation.

The applicant must be listed as an owner on the vehicle’s registration and only one vehicle per qualified applicant may be registered for the reduced fee. Qualifying vehicles must be a passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not more than 9,000 pounds.

Causer has been working to get an increased eligibility limit passed for nearly a decade. The state House of Representatives had approved the legislation at least twice since 2015. In addition to Causer, the legislation has been pushed recently by House Rep. Robert Merski, D-Erie.

“The enactment of my proposal will ease the financial burdens associated with vehicle ownership for retirees living on a fixed income,” Merski said in July. “The recent boosts to Social Security payments pushed many retirees above the income threshold to qualify for a reduced vehicle registration fee. The legislation signed into law today fixes that problem, demonstrating our ability to work in a bipartisan fashion to solve the complex issues facing Pennsylvanians. We are committed to enhancing the quality of life for all our citizens, and the enactment of my proposal honors the contributions of our retirees. They have given so much to our community, and it is only fitting that we give back in ways that acknowledge their needs and financial realities.”

For more information, including the application form, visit www.dmv.pa.gov and search “retired status vehicle registration.” Or contact Causer’s offices in Bradford (78 Main St., first floor, telephone 814-362-4400), Coudersport (279 Route 6 West, Office 2, telephone 814-274-9769) or Kane (54 N. Fraley St., Suite 2, telephone 814-837-0880).