Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire has signed into law a bill that provides special “Gold Star Parents” license plates for mothers and fathers of fallen servicemen and women from Washington. 

The plates resemble those now available to Pearl Harbor veterans, former POWs and Medal of Honor recipients. 

Gold Star Parents’ license plates will be available to families who are certified by the state Department of Veterans Affairs beginning next Jan. 1 at no extra charge. 

The Gold Star has its roots in the first and second World Wars, when families who had lost a loved one to war displayed a banner with a gold star in their windows.