Starting today, regular and reserve members of the Canadian Forces who hold a trade qualification will be eligible to apply for special veterans B.C. licence plates to commemorate their years of service.

Until this weekend, the plates were available only to veterans during times of war or post-war or to military personnel who served a NATO or United Nations operation. The B.C. Veterans Commemorative Association wanted the program expanded and the province's justice ministry agreed to take the necessary steps to make it happen.

"I'm very pleased that these specialty licence plates are now available to serving regular and reserve soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen of the Canadian Forces," said Prince George-Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond, B.C.'s Justice Minister and Attorney General and now the acting Finance Minister.

Members of the RCMP and municipal police services are also eligible for the program, which started in 2004. The veterans plates feature a red poppy in a powder blue background. So far, 39,000 sets of plates have been distributed.

To be declared eligible, interested applicants must supply a proof of service along with a one-time $5 administrative fee to the British Columbia Veterans Commemorative Association, Royal Canadian Legion -- BC Yukon Command, or the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association.

Once a proof of eligibility document has been received, the member can order the plates through any Autoplan broker. There is no additional fee for the veterans plates once the regular plates have been brought back to the insurance broker.