Disabled Veteran Benefits by State
Every state treats a VA rating differently. This table compares the four benefits worth the most money in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: the property-tax exemption on your home, how the state taxes military retirement pay, the disabled-veteran license plate, and state tuition for you and your dependents. Sort any column, filter to what matters, then open your state for the exact rating required, the official source, and how to file.
52 jurisdictions shown
| State | Property-tax exemption | Military retirement pay | Disabled-veteran plate | State tuition benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $0 at 100%A permanent and total disability (Alabama's H-3 category) exempts your primary home from all state, county, and… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt under Ala. Code 40-18-20, no age requirement and no income cap. | No fee10% and up · First plate exempt from registration and issuance fees at 10%+… | No state programAlabama's only state education benefit is the G.I. Dependents' Scholarship, which goes to the veteran's dependents… |
| Alaska | PartialIf you are rated 50% or more, the first $150,000 of your home's assessed value is exempt from municipal… | No state income taxAlaska has no state personal income tax, so military retirement pay is not taxed. | No fee50% and up · Free plate (no initial or renewal fee) with combined… | No state programNo state tuition waiver for disabled veterans themselves; dependent UA waiver only for survivors (died in line of duty)… |
| Arizona | $0 at 100%A 100% service-connected rating fully exempts your primary residence (new for the 2026 tax year, first on bills… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay 100% exempt from Arizona income tax, no dollar cap (tax years 2020 and later). | No feeRating not stated · Disabled veteran license plates available at no additional plate fee… | YesState Tuition Waiver: tuition-free up to a Bachelor's at AZ public colleges; requires Purple Heart plus 50%+ VA rating. |
| Arkansas | $0 at 100%A 100% total and permanent (P&T) service-connected rating exempts your homestead and personal property from all… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from Arkansas income tax, effective tax year 2018 and continuing. | No fee30% and up · Free disabled veteran plate for a service-connected rating of 30% or… | No state programArkansas's Military Dependents Scholarship waives tuition, mandatory fees, and (when offered on-campus) room and meal… |
| California | PartialLow-income Disabled Veterans' Exemption | Partly exemptMilitary retirement generally taxed; up to $20,000 exclusion for 2025-2030 with AGI limits ($125k single, $250k… | No fee100% and up · DV plate for single disability rated 100% or Individual… | No state programCalifornia's CalVet College Fee Waiver is explicitly a dependents-only program: under Plan A, the unmarried child of a… |
| Colorado | Partial50% of the first $200,000 of your home's value is exempt (up to $100,000 off), at a 100% P&T rating, a VA… | Partly exemptColorado income tax applies; military retirement pay is not fully exempt, only an age-based subtraction from… | No fee50% and up · One Disabled Veteran plate issued free of registration fee and… | Yes, transferableColorado lets veterans (and their dependents, and active-duty stationed there) qualify for in-state tuition rates at… |
| Connecticut | $0 at 100%New law (Public Act 24-46, as amended by PA 25-168): if you have a service-connected permanent and total (P&T)… | Fully exemptConnecticut has a state income tax, but VA disability compensation is never part of federal AGI so it isn't CT… | Not stated | YesCT public colleges waive tuition for veterans separated due to a VA service-connected disability (CSCU, UConn, CSU… |
| Delaware | $0 at 100%One package: Delaware's statewide school-tax credit (100% of your regular, non-vocational school district tax)… | Partly exemptMilitary pension exclusion up to $25,000 (all ages) for tax year 2026 and after; Delaware has a personal income… | Not stated | No state programDelaware has no general state tuition waiver for the disabled veteran as a student. The only dependent-education… |
| District of Columbia | PartialThe Disabled Veterans Homestead Deduction takes $445,000 off your home's assessed value. You must be rated 100%… | TaxedDC fully taxes military retirement pay as ordinary income; the former $3,000 age-62 pension exclusion in D.C… | Not stated | No state programDC has no dedicated tuition waiver for disabled veterans or their dependents. The main aid program, DCTAG, is a general… |
| Florida | $0 at 100%A 100% permanent and total service-connected disability gives a full ($0) exemption from all ad valorem tax on… | No state income taxFlorida has no state personal income tax, so military retirement pay is not taxed at the state level. | No fee100% and up · Free DV plate for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability… | Yes, transferablePurple Heart/combat-decoration vets get undergraduate tuition waiver at state schools; separate scholarship for… |
| Georgia | PartialRequires a VA adjudication of 100% total disability, or pay at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability… | Partly exemptUp to $65,000 of military retirement pay exempt from GA income tax (effective tax year 2026, all ages). | No fee10% and up · Free DV plate (no registration, manufacturing, or annual fee), up to… | No state programGeorgia has no general tuition waiver for the disabled veteran as a student (the University System's 'resident tuition… |
| Hawaii | $0 at 100%On Oahu (Honolulu) and the Big Island (Hawaii County), a veteran totally disabled from active-duty injuries is… | Fully exemptHawaii excludes military pension/retirement pay entirely from state income (qualifying government retirement… | Standard feeRating not stated · The KB found no Hawaii disabled-veteran-specific discounted plate… | No state programHawaii offers no general tuition waiver for the disabled veteran as a student, only resident-tuition-rate access… |
| Idaho | Partial100% Disabled Veterans Property Tax Benefit | Partly exemptMilitary retirement pay: capped deduction under Idaho Code 63-3022A if disabled or age 62+, reduced by Social… | No fee100% and up · D.V. plate has no registration fee; requires 100% service-connected… | Yes, transferableIdaho grants eligible service members, veterans, and qualifying family members in-state residency status for tuition… |
| Illinois | PartialAt a 70% or higher rating, the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities exempts the first… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay is fully exempt from Illinois income tax (flat 4.95% state income tax). | No feeRating not stated · First set of Disabled Veteran plates issued free (registration fee… | No state programThe KB's Education section shows nothing for the veteran themselves; the only state tuition program is the Illinois… |
| Indiana | Partial$24,960 assessed-value deduction — wartime service, 10%+ rating (current 2026-payable bill) | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay is fully exempt from Indiana income tax; active-duty pay and SBP annuities also fully… | Reduced feeRating not stated · Disabled Hoosier Veteran plate: $15 (plus $45 if personalized), no… | Yes, transferableIndiana's veteran-facing tuition benefit is narrow: the Indiana National Guard Scholarship Extension Program pays 100%… |
| Iowa | $0 at 100%The Disabled Veteran Homestead Tax Credit (Iowa Code 425.15) waives 100% of the property tax on your homestead… | Fully exemptIowa fully excludes military retirement pay from state income tax regardless of age (Iowa Code… | No feeRating not stated · DV plate free (no fee, no registration fee) for veterans with a… | YesNew (HF 2491, signed 4/30/2026, effective 7/1/2026): a permanently and totally (100% P&T) service-connected disabled… |
| Kansas | PartialHomestead Refund (Form K-40H) | Fully exemptKansas fully exempts military retirement pay from state income tax as a subtraction from federal AGI. | No fee50% and up · Disabled Veteran plate free of the standard registration fee for… | No state programKansas has no tuition benefit for the veteran personally; the Kansas Hero's Scholarship instead waives tuition/fees… |
| Kentucky | PartialKentucky has no veteran-specific property-tax exemption enacted as of July 2026 -- HB 639 (2025) and HB 285… | Partly exemptRetired before 1998 fully exempt; retired after 1997 gets pension exclusion up to $31,110 (all pensions… | No fee100% and up · No-fee Disabled Veteran plate for veterans rated 100%… | No state programKentucky's KDVA tuition waiver (KRS 164.505/164.507/164.512/164.515) is dependents/survivors-only: the veteran's status… |
| Louisiana | $0 at 100%At a 100% service-connected rating, your primary residence is exempt from all ad valorem (property) taxation… | Fully exemptLouisiana fully exempts military retirement pay from state income tax (100% exclusion, no dollar cap… | No fee50% and up · Veterans rated 50% or more qualify for a disabled-veteran or… | No state programDependent Tuition Exemption at public colleges for children (and surviving spouses) if veteran is rated 90%+ or 100%… |
| Maine | PartialSpecially Adapted Housing exemption | Fully exemptMaine fully exempts military retirement pay (all branches, no age or dollar cap) from state income tax. | No fee100% and up · Disabled Veteran plate for 100% service-connected (100% VA comp)… | No state programState waiver is for dependents: 100% tuition and mandatory-fee waiver for children of a 100% permanent, total disabled… |
| Maryland | $0 at 100%A veteran rated 100% service-connected, permanent and total (P&T) is fully exempt from Maryland real property… | Partly exemptMilitary retirement subtraction: up to $12,500 (under 55) or $20,000 (age 55+) on Form 502. | No fee50% and up · Free disabled-veteran plate at 50%+. Separately, Transportation Art… | Yes, transferableMaryland's Douglas J.J. Peters VAIC Scholarship gives veterans who served in the Afghanistan/Iraq conflicts themselves… |
| Massachusetts | PartialClause 22C (P&T with specially adapted housing) | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay (including SBP/RCSBP/RSFPP annuities) is fully exempt from Massachusetts income tax… | No feeRating not stated · Under the 2024 HERO Act, a disabled veteran no longer pays the RMV… | YesFull or partial tuition waiver at MA public colleges for resident veterans, space-available, for undergraduate degree… |
| Michigan | $0 at 100%Your homestead is 100% exempt from property tax (special assessments still apply) if you are a Michigan… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay is exempt from Michigan individual income tax (deducted on Schedule 1). | No fee50% and up · DV plate issued free at 50%+ service-connected (expanded Oct 2024)… | No state programNo tuition waiver for the veteran; Children of Veterans Tuition Grant pays children (16-25) of totally, permanently… |
| Minnesota | PartialMinnesota excludes $300,000 of your homestead's market value from tax if you are rated 100% permanent and total… | Fully exemptMinnesota fully exempts 100% of qualifying military retirement pay via a subtraction on Schedule M1M. | No fee100% and up · 100% total and permanent (or TDIU): registration, plate, and title… | Yes, transferableMN GI Bill up to $15,000 for the veteran; dependents of veterans who died on active duty or from a service-connected… |
| Mississippi | $0 at 100%A veteran with a service-connected total (100%) disability rating who was honorably discharged pays no ad… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay is 100% exempt from Mississippi income tax, with no cap and no income phase-out. | Reduced fee70% and up · Rated 100% permanent or 70%+ nonpermanent SC disability: two vehicle… | Yes, transferableNon-resident tuition waiver: 100% of resident/non-resident tuition gap for veterans, dependents, and spouses at… |
| Missouri | $0 at 100%Missouri's only true full property tax exemption for veterans is for former Prisoners of War with a total… | Fully exemptMissouri allows a 100% deduction of military retirement pay from federal AGI (effective tax years on/after Jan… | No feeRating not stated · Free DV plates for MO-resident veterans with a service-connected… | YesReturning Heroes Act caps combat-veteran tuition at MO public colleges ($50/credit hr undergrad, 30% cap grad); benefit… |
| Montana | $0 at 100%Montana's MDV Assistance Program requires a 100% service-connected rating (or paid at the 100% rate) and is… | Partly exemptMilitary retirement taxed by default; Working Military Retirement Exemption (TY2026+) exempts up to 50% for… | No fee100% and up · 100% rated veterans exempt from all vehicle registration fees on up… | YesHonorably Discharged Veteran Tuition Waiver: in-state tuition (last-dollar) at MUS for any honorably discharged vet… |
| Nebraska | $0 at 100%A 100% permanent service-connected rating (or 100% IU) gets the full exemption as Category 4V: file Form 458… | Fully exemptMilitary retirees may exclude 100% of military retirement pay from Nebraska taxable income (tax years beginning… | No fee10% and up · DAV plates require a 10% or greater service-connected rating… | No state programWaiver of Tuition (up to 100% tuition at public colleges) applies only to dependents of a 100% P and T disabled vet… |
| Nevada | PartialDisabled Veterans' Exemption, 100% tier (FY2026/27) | No state income taxNevada has no state individual income tax at all, so military retirement pay is not taxed by the state. | Reduced fee100% and up · Disabled Veteran plate: $8.50 initial issuance, $0 annual renewal… | No state programNevada's NSHE tuition waivers run mainly to survivors: children and surviving spouses of a service member (including NV… |
| New Hampshire | PartialTax Credit for Service-Connected Total Disability (RSA 72:35) | No state income taxNH has no individual income tax; military retirement pay is not taxed (Interest & Dividends tax repealed Jan 1… | No feeRating not stated · Free special plate for amputee or paraplegic veterans rated… | No state programNew Hampshire has no tuition benefit for the disabled veteran personally in this KB; instead it gives a full tuition… |
| New Jersey | $0 at 100%The Disabled Veteran (D.V.S.S.E.) exemption fully and permanently waives local property tax on your principal… | Fully exemptNew Jersey does not tax U.S. military pension or survivor's-benefit payments. | Standard feeRating not stated · DV plate carries a $15 fee; requires DD-214 and VA award letter… | No state programNew Jersey has no tuition waiver for the disabled veteran themselves - the only veteran-facing waiver found (NJ… |
| New Mexico | $0 at 100%At a PERMANENT 100% service-connected rating, your primary residence is fully exempt from property tax (2024… | Partly exemptVA disability compensation is untaxed (never in federal AGI, which NM's tax starts from), but military… | No fee50% and up · New Mexico issues a free Disabled Veteran plate (no registration fee)… | YesWartime and Vietnam Veteran scholarships cover tuition for the veteran only (not dependents) at NM public/Tribal… |
| New York | PartialFull exemption for permanently & totally disabled veterans (new law, RPTL 458-a(11)) | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from NY State income tax; no income cap, no age requirement. | Not stated | YesVeterans Tuition Award covers up to SUNY undergrad tuition for the veteran; separate MERIT scholarship aids dependents… |
| North Carolina | PartialSpecially Adapted Housing certification (38 U.S.C. 2101) | Fully exemptNC fully exempts military retirement pay and SBP annuity payments from state income tax, effective tax years… | No fee100% and up · Free DV plate (no plate fee, no annual registration fee) for veterans… | No state programNorth Carolina's only state education benefits are the NC Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans (G.S. Ch. 165… |
| North Dakota | PartialAt a 100% rating (or IU paid at the 100% compensation rate), the credit exempts the full first $9,000 of your… | Fully exemptState has an income tax but military retirement pay is fully deductible/exempt from ND taxable income (tax year… | No fee100% and up · DAV plates for veterans certified 100% service-connected (or IU to… | No state programNo waiver for the veteran; dependents/spouse of a 100% rated veteran may attend ND public colleges tuition and fee free. |
| Ohio | PartialOhio's disabled-veteran homestead exemption removes about $58,000 of your home's appraised value from taxation… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from Ohio income tax, with no cap, income limit, or age restriction. | No feeRating not stated · Veteran with Disabilities plate; first vehicle registered free (no… | No state programOhio's War Orphans & Severely Disabled Veterans' Children Scholarship (WOS) pays tuition assistance to children of… |
| Oklahoma | $0 at 100%Oklahoma's constitution says '100% permanent disability,' but the Tax Commission's qualification rule and Form… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from state income tax (100 percent deductible, no cap), effective tax year… | Reduced fee50% and up · Disabled veteran plate for 50 percent or greater service-connected… | Yes, transferableChildren of a 100 percent P and T disabled veteran pay no tuition at public colleges; resident veterans get a… |
| Oregon | PartialOregon lowers your home's taxable assessed value by about $32,512 for 2026 (the higher, service-connected… | Partly exemptOnly military retirement pay for service before Oct 1, 1991 is subtractable; post-1991 service taxed… | Reduced fee0% and up · Disabled Veteran plates for any service-connected rating including… | Yes, transferableVeterans pay in-state tuition regardless of residency; Educational Bridge Grant up to $5,000; dependents covered… |
| Pennsylvania | $0 at 100%Pennsylvania fully exempts your primary residence from county, township/borough, and school property tax… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from PA income tax; no age or income limit (PA flat tax 3.07% otherwise). | Not stated | No state programNo distinct state tuition waiver for the veteran (only fed-mandated in-state rate). PEGP pays $500/semester (4 yrs max)… |
| Puerto Rico | $0 at 100%At a 100% (totally disabled) rating your primary home is completely exempt from municipal property tax (CRIM)… | Fully exemptLey 191-2024 fully exempts military retirement pay from PR income tax for bona fide residents, starting tax… | No feeRating not stated · Any honorably discharged veteran may obtain a veteran plate; the… | Yes, transferablePR-resident veterans without VA education benefits get free tuition at UPR and public institutions; spouse/children get… |
| Rhode Island | PartialFormer POW exemption | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from RI income tax (effective 2023), no age or income limit; SBP annuities… | No feeRating not stated · Disabled Veteran plates issued with DD-214 and VA disability… | YesDisabled Veterans Tuition Waiver: free tuition at CCRI, RIC, URI for RI-resident vets rated 10-100%; applies to the… |
| South Carolina | $0 at 100%Full ($0) property tax on your owner-occupied primary home plus up to 5 acres, at a total, permanent, and… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement pay fully exempt from SC income tax (no age threshold, no income cap), effective tax year… | No feeRating not stated · No fee for the Disabled Veteran plate; apply by mail (SCDMV Form… | No state programTuition waiver (tuition only) at SC public colleges for children age 26 or under of qualifying wartime veterans; none… |
| South Dakota | PartialAt a permanent-and-total service-connected rating, $200,000 of your owner-occupied home's assessed value is… | No state income taxSouth Dakota has no state individual income tax, so military retirement pay is not taxed. | Reduced feeRating not stated · DV plate for K-award, PL 187 grant, limb loss, or total-disability… | Yes, transferableSD-resident veterans get reduced/resident tuition; free tuition for children/spouses of POW/MIA and children of those… |
| Tennessee | PartialDisabled veteran tax relief (reimbursement) | No state income taxTennessee levies no state tax on wages, salaries, retirement income (including military retirement pay), or VA… | Not stated | YesHelping Heroes Grant, state education grant for veterans (up to $1,000/semester); dependent tuition waiver only for… |
| Texas | $0 at 100%Full $0 property tax on your residence homestead if you are awarded 100% VA disability compensation for a… | No state income taxTexas has no state personal income tax at all, so military retirement pay is not taxed. | Fee not stated50% and up · DV plate for a service-connected rating of at least 50% (or 40% if… | Yes, transferableHazlewood Act: up to 150 credit hours tuition exemption at Texas public colleges; transferable to a child if veteran is… |
| Utah | PartialAt a 100% rating you can apply the full maximum taxable-value exemption, reported as $535,459 for 2026. This… | Fully exemptNonrefundable credit of 4.5% of military retirement income (code AJ) offsets Utah's 4.5% flat tax; no income cap | Not stated | YesPurple Heart recipients get a full public-college tuition waiver; Veterans Tuition Gap grant covers tuition when GI… |
| Vermont | PartialDisabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption (50% and up) | Partly exemptAct 71 (2025) exempts military retirement pay if federal AGI is $125,000 or less; phased down to $175,000; none… | Not stated | No state programVT has no tuition benefit tied to disability (in-state tuition is fed-mandated). Its dependent scholarship covers only… |
| Virginia | $0 at 100%At a 100% permanent and total service-connected rating, or if you are paid at the 100% rate due to Individual… | Fully exemptMilitary retirement/SBP subtractable up to $40,000 for TY2025 and later (no age requirement); HB2700/HB588… | Standard feeRating not stated · Free for P&T, blind, or lost-limb veterans; other service-connected… | No state programVMSDEP waives tuition and mandatory fees (up to 8 semesters) at VA public colleges for spouse/children of a 90-100% P&T… |
| Washington | PartialProperty tax exemption for veterans with disabilities (40%+ for 2027+ collections; 80%+ for 2026 and earlier… | No state income taxWashington has no state personal income tax at all, so military retirement pay is not taxed. | No fee100% and up · DAV plate for veterans rated 100% (or loss of use/blindness); exempt… | Yes, transferableState law authorizes tuition/fee waivers for eligible veterans; dependents of 100% disabled vets get full undergrad… |
| West Virginia | Refunded in fullWest Virginia refunds 100% of the ad valorem property tax you TIMELY PAY on your homestead, as a refundable… | Fully exemptAll military retirement pay and SBP survivor annuities are fully exempt from WV income tax, with no dollar cap… | No fee100% and up · DV plate requires 100% permanent and total service-connected rating… | Yes, transferableTuition/fee waiver for Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients plus a $500/semester veteran re-education stipend… |
| Wisconsin | Refunded in fullWisconsin refunds 100% of the property taxes you PAY during the year on your primary residence (plus up to one… | Fully exemptWisconsin fully exempts all U.S. military retirement pay (incl. SBP/RCSBP/RSFPP annuities) with no age or… | Not stated | Yes, transferableWisconsin GI Bill remits full tuition and segregated fees at UW System and WI Technical Colleges (up to 8 semesters/128… |
| Wyoming | PartialDisabled veteran exemption ($6,000 of assessed value) | No state income taxWyoming levies no state individual income tax at all, so military retirement pay is not taxed by the state. | No fee50% and up · Disabled Veteran plate for residents with a 50% or greater… | Yes, transferableWyoming Veterans Tuition Benefit covers tuition at UW or community colleges up to 8 semesters; surviving spouse and… |
Every cell is sourced from the state’s own tax, DMV, or veterans-affairs authority. Where a state does not plainly publish a rule, the cell reads “Not stated” rather than a guess. Benefits change, so confirm with the official source on your state’s page before you file.
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Frequently asked questions
Which states have no property tax for 100% disabled veterans?
25 of the 52 jurisdictions below waive property tax entirely on a qualifying disabled veteran’s primary home. 24 of them require a 100% rating, and 1 reach a full exemption below 100% (West Virginia at 90%). 18 accept payment at the 100% rate through Individual Unemployability (IU) in place of a 100% schedular rating, and 3 are income-tested. Filter the table to “Full property-tax exemption” to see them, then estimate your own break with the property-tax calculator.
Do disabled veterans pay state income tax on VA disability compensation?
No. VA disability compensation is exempt from federal income tax under 38 U.S.C. §5301, and states do not tax it either. The column above is about something different: how each state taxes military retirement pay, which is a separate check and is taxed very differently from state to state.
Which state is best for disabled veterans?
It depends on which benefit is worth the most to you. A state with no income tax may still offer no property-tax exemption, and a state with a full property-tax exemption may tax your retirement pay. Compare the columns above for the benefits you would actually use, and read your state’s page for the filing steps.
How do I claim these state benefits?
Each benefit is claimed separately and none is automatic. Property-tax exemptions are filed with your county tax assessor, plates with your state DMV, and tuition benefits through your state’s department of veterans affairs or the school itself. Open your state’s page for the exact form, the rating required, and the deadline.