The Overview
If you're the parent, child or spouse of a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty, Massachusetts now has a free license plate made for you. The Senate bill "An Act honoring Blue Star Families" directs the registrar of motor vehicles to provide a special "Blue Star Family" license plate, free of charge, to the parent, child or spouse of a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty. Each eligible family member can get one plate for a private passenger vehicle they own and mainly use, or, if they ride a privately owned motorcycle, a "Blue Star Family" emblem to attach to the registration plate. [](#ngr-2e6a67e1-0df1-4047-8997-c898044bc25b)
To qualify, a family member has to show the registrar satisfactory evidence, and an officer counts as killed in the line of duty if the officer's family is eligible for benefits under existing state law. Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed the legislation on July 15.
The Debate
On May 20, 2026, the Massachusetts House voted 156 to 0 to advance the bill as amended. The Senate passed it 38 to 0 on Jan. 15, 2026. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means is listed as the bill's lead sponsor. Sen. John J. Cronin, a Democrat, was named in local coverage as helping pass the bill.
What's Next
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles has a "Blue Star Family License Plate — Register Your Interest" page, but it doesn't say when general applications or plate issuance begins. The law makes the plate free for eligible families, and the sources we reviewed didn't give an appropriation or cost estimate for the state.
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