Colorado Disabled Veteran Benefits

If you are a disabled veteran living in Colorado, or thinking about moving here, this page puts every state-level benefit tied to your VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) disability rating in one place: the property tax exemption, state income tax breaks, vehicle plates and fee waivers, parks and hunting/fishing, education for you and your family, the state veterans homes, hiring preference, burial, and who to call. Every dollar figure, deadline, and form name below comes from an official Colorado source, and I link that source so you can check it yourself. Where the state's own pages leave a number unsettled, I tell you to confirm it rather than guess.

Plain-language promise: I keep the how-to steps here so you can act. The only thing I route out is filing or increasing a VA claim, because that is free claims work best handled by an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or your free County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO), never a paid company.

Pending in 2026 — a tuition waiver for the children of 100% disabled veterans. A bill moving through the 2026 legislature would waive in-state tuition at Colorado public colleges and universities for the qualified dependents of a veteran the VA has rated 100% permanently service-connected disabled, with the state's military and veterans affairs department certifying eligibility. Read this plainly: as of this writing it is a bill, not yet law (it was still in committee during the 2026 session), so do not rely on it yet. If you have a child heading to a Colorado public school, ask the school's veteran/military office and the state veterans division whether it has passed and taken effect before counting on it. Source the 2026 tuition-waiver bill

Property tax exemption

What it is: Colorado's property tax exemption for veterans with a disability is a partial exemption — it takes 50% off the first $200,000 of your home's actual value (so up to $100,000 of value comes off the tax rolls). It is not a full 100% exemption like some states offer; be clear-eyed about that. It applies only to your primary residence, and it is not automatic — you file an application with your County Assessor. There is no age test and no income test on the veteran version (that is what separates it from the senior-citizen exemption).

Every way you can qualify as the veteran (you need the service/residence basics PLUS one of the disability doors):

• Service and residence basics (all required): honorable discharge; served on active duty (National Guard members called to active federal service count); and you own and occupy the home as your primary residence, living there at least 51% of the year and paying Colorado resident taxes, having owned and occupied it since January 1 of the year you apply. Some county materials also state a 24-month active-duty service minimum — confirm that with your assessor for your situation.
• Disability door 1 — 100% Permanent & Total (P&T): the VA rates your service-connected disability 100% and Permanent and Total. This is the main route.
• Disability door 2 — Individual Unemployability (IU/TDIU) paid at the 100% rate: Colorado extended the exemption to veterans the VA has determined are Individually Unemployable — that is, rated at least 70% but compensated at the 100% rate because service-connected conditions keep you from holding substantially gainful employment. A 2021 change in the law added this route, so if you are IU you now qualify even though your schedular number is under 100%. Confirm your IU status shows on your VA letter.
• Disability door 3 — 100% permanent disability retirement (military branch or federal): the state guidance also recognizes a disability rated 100% and permanent through disability-retirement benefits administered by a branch of the U.S. armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If your 100%-and-permanent status comes through military/federal disability retirement rather than a VA schedular rating, you still qualify — bring the letter documenting it.

Gold Star Spouse route (surviving spouse): a surviving spouse who was legally married to the veteran at the time of death and has not remarried may receive the same 50%-of-first-$200,000 exemption on their primary residence. If no VA Benefit Summary Letter is available, the DD Form 1300 (Report of Casualty) is used instead. This is administered as the "Gold Star Spouse" exemption.

The forms and where to file: the exemption is approved by your County Assessor — do not mail your application to the state Division of Veterans Affairs or to the Division of Property Taxation, or it may be treated as late.

• Veteran application: Property Tax Exemption Application for Qualifying Disabled Veterans (PDF)
• Surviving-spouse application: Gold Star Spouse Application and Instructions (PDF)

1. Get your VA Benefit Summary Letter (Award Letter) showing 100% P&T, or your IU determination showing you are paid at the 100% rate. You can download it from VA.gov (the "Get your VA benefit letters" tool).
2. Download the veteran application (PDF) (or the Gold Star Spouse application if you are the surviving spouse), or pick one up from your County Assessor.
3. Attach the VA letter and complete the form. File it with your County Assessor — the filing window runs January 1 through July 1, and it must be postmarked or delivered by July 1 of the year you want the exemption. Applications that arrive after July 1 generally are not held for you; you re-apply when the window reopens January 1.
4. Confirm it posted by checking your next property tax notice for the exemption line, or call the assessor a few weeks after filing.

Sources Division of Veterans Affairs · Division of Property Taxation · the Individual Unemployability law · the state's plain-language FAQ

State income tax

What it is: Colorado does not tax your already federally tax-free VA disability compensation, and it gives an age-based subtraction on military retirement pay (Colorado does not fully exempt military retirement).

• VA disability compensation is federally tax-free, and Colorado does not add tax on top. Because Colorado income tax starts from your federal taxable income, compensation that is excluded federally never enters your Colorado return.
• Military retirement pay — age-based subtraction (not a full exemption): you may subtract military retirement benefits from Colorado taxable income up to a limit set by your age at year-end. Confirm the current-year dollar caps at the source, but as published they are: under age 55, up to $15,000; age 55–64, up to $20,000; age 65+, up to $24,000 (at 55 and older this runs through the general pension/annuity subtraction). Claimed on the Subtractions from Income Schedule, Form DR 0104AD (PDF).
• Combat-zone pay earned by a Colorado resident is exempt, and wages earned in Colorado by an eligible nonresident military spouse are not taxed by Colorado (Military Spouses Residency Relief Act conformity).
• No separate Colorado income-tax credit specific to service-connected disabled veterans (beyond the compensation being non-taxable) was found in official guidance. Re-check the current-year individual income tax booklet each filing season in case new legislation adds one.

1. Confirm your VA disability compensation never appears as income on your Colorado return (it should not appear on your federal return either, and Colorado starts from your federal figures).
2. If you receive military retirement pay, take the subtraction on Form DR 0104AD up to your age-based cap; verify the current-year figure with the Colorado Dept. of Revenue before you file.
3. If a prior return shows VA compensation as taxable, fix it with a preparer familiar with military filings or by contacting the Colorado Dept. of Revenue — this is a filing mechanic, not claims work.

Sources Dept. of Revenue — military servicemembers · Dept. of Revenue — retired servicemembers · income tax topics for servicemembers · individual income tax booklet

Vehicles, plates & tolls

What it is: the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV, part of the Dept. of Revenue) issues Disabled Veteran license plates and waives the registration fee and specific ownership tax for qualifying disabled veterans. Colorado does not run a statewide veteran toll-exemption program (there are no state-owned toll roads that exempt disabled-veteran plates), so this section is plates and fees.

• Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate: one set of plates is issued free of the registration fee and specific ownership tax. Additional sets carry a one-time fee.
• Who qualifies for the plate: an honorably discharged veteran with a 50% or greater permanent service-connected disability rating from the VA, or a veteran who has lost (or lost the use of) one or both feet or hands, or has a permanent vision impairment amounting to virtual/actual blindness.
• Fee & ownership-tax exemption without displaying the plate: a qualifying disabled veteran (50%+ service-connected, or loss/loss-of-use as above) gets the registration-fee and specific-ownership-tax exemption whether or not they choose to display the DV plate — a 2020 law made this clear.
• Disabled-parking privileges: to add the international symbol of access (disability parking) to a veteran plate you also submit the parking-privileges application.

Forms: Military License Plate Application, Form DR 2002 (PDF); and, if you want disabled-parking privileges, Parking Privileges Application, Form DR 2219 (PDF).

1. Get your VA Benefit Summary Letter confirming your 50%+ service-connected rating (or loss/loss-of-use), and your discharge document (DD Form 214).
2. Complete Form DR 2002 (and Form DR 2219 if you want the disability-parking symbol).
3. Take or mail the forms plus your VA letter and DD-214 to your County Motor Vehicle Office (the county Clerk & Recorder / DMV). Confirm at the counter that the registration fee and specific ownership tax are waived before you pay.

Sources Colorado DMV — military plates · Division of Veterans Affairs — DV license services · the 2020 fee-waiver law · DMV parking privileges

Recreation: parks, hunting & fishing

What it is: a free state-parks pass and a free lifetime hunting/fishing license for disabled veterans, run through Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

• Independence Pass (free state-park access): a free annual pass giving unlimited entry to all Colorado state parks, for a Colorado resident veteran who provides a VA letter showing a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable and VA compensation for a 50% or greater service-connected disability (a combined rating that equals 50%+ counts), or who is a Purple Heart recipient. Renew annually while you remain a Colorado resident.
• Columbine Pass: a low-cost annual state-parks pass for Colorado residents with a permanent disability (the internal research cited roughly $14/year — confirm the current price and exact disability threshold with CPW, since this pass is broader than the veteran-specific Independence Pass).
• Free Lifetime Small Game & Fishing Combination License: Colorado residents who are Purple Heart recipients or have an overall combined VA service-connected disability rating of 50% or more qualify for a free lifetime small-game-and-fishing combination license. Apply through CPW's disability license portal (cpwshop.com).
• Time-limited free entry for all veterans: CPW has, in recent years, given free state-park entry to veterans and military in the month of August and on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) — this is announced year to year and is not a guaranteed annual policy, so check the current CPW news release.

1. Get your VA letter showing a 50% or higher combined service-connected rating (or your Purple Heart proof).
2. For the free parks pass, apply for the Independence Pass (online, by phone, or in person) and renew each year.
3. For the free lifetime hunting/fishing license, apply through the CPW disability portal or by contacting CPW; upload/attach your VA disability letter.

Sources CPW — park specialty passes · CPW — hunters in the military · CPW — free entry on Nov. 11

Education for you & your family

What it is: Colorado's main education levers for veterans are an in-state tuition path (so you pay resident rates without a long residency wait) and some dependent programs; the big education dollars for disabled veterans generally come from federal VA programs, which Colorado schools process.

• In-state tuition for veterans: every Colorado public college and university must grant in-state tuition to an enrolled student who documents an honorable discharge and who meets the rules for a Colorado domicile for any length of time — you do not have to wait out the usual residency period. Institutions may (at their discretion) extend in-state tuition to the honorably discharged veteran's dependents on the same basis.
• Federal Chapter 35 (Dependents' Educational Assistance / DEA): a federal VA benefit — not a Colorado program — for the spouse and children of a veteran rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition (or who died of one). It is noted here because Colorado schools process it; confirm current eligibility and rates at VA.gov — education benefits for family members.
• Dependent Tuition Assistance Program (DTAP): a Colorado program for dependents of certain deceased or permanently disabled peace officers, firefighters, and National Guard members — confirm whether your situation fits, as its scope is narrower than "all disabled veterans."
• Pending — dependents of 100% disabled veterans: see the note at the top of this page; a bill to waive in-state tuition for dependents of 100% permanently disabled veterans was moving through the 2026 legislature but was not yet law at this writing.

1. If you are the veteran, document your honorable discharge and claim in-state tuition with your school's registrar/residency office.
2. If a spouse or child is going to school and you are rated P&T, apply for federal Chapter 35 DEA at VA.gov, and ask the school whether the pending Colorado dependent-tuition waiver has taken effect.
3. Coordinate any award with the school's veteran/military and financial-aid office so it applies against actual tuition owed.

Sources Dept. of Higher Education — military personnel · the residency rules · Dependent Tuition Assistance Program · the 2026 tuition-waiver bill

State Veterans' Homes & long-term care

What it is: Colorado runs five state Veterans Community Living Centers (VCLCs) — skilled nursing, short-term rehab, memory care, and (at Homelake) domiciliary cottages — through the Colorado Dept. of Human Services (CDHS).

• The five locations: Fitzsimons (Aurora); Bruce McCandless VCLC at Florence; Homelake (Monte Vista); Rifle; and Spanish Peaks VCLC at Walsenburg.
• Who is eligible: honorably discharged veterans, plus veterans' spouses/surviving spouses and Gold Star parents; medical/clinical criteria for the level of care must also be met.
• Paying for it: the centers accept Medicaid (Health First Colorado), VA benefits, and private pay; wartime veterans and their spouses/widows may qualify for additional income-based VA benefits toward the cost.
• Health First Colorado (Medicaid) alongside VA care: qualifying for VA facility care does not disqualify you from Colorado Medicaid, and having both can broaden the services available to you.

1. Pick the nearest VCLC from the location links above and open its page for the admissions contact.
2. Call that center's admissions office, ask for the application and physician's-statement packet, and confirm your specific cost given your VA rating and Medicaid status.
3. Have your discharge document (DD Form 214) and VA rating letter ready to submit.

Sources CDHS — Veterans Community Living Centers · Health Care Policy & Financing — programs for veterans

State hiring & civil service

What it is: Colorado adds preference points to your passing score on state hiring exams — more points if you are a disabled veteran.

• 10 points — a veteran with a service-connected disability who receives VA compensation or disability-retirement benefits.
• 5 points — a veteran (non-disabled) who served on active duty during a recognized war/armed-conflict period or earned a campaign badge/service medal.
• 5 points — the surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran (or of one who died of a service-connected condition), and the spouse of a veteran who cannot work due to a service-connected disability.
• Important limit: preference applies only to initial hiring, not to promotions — the Colorado Constitution bars veterans' preference on promotional opportunities within state government.

1. When you apply for a state job or exam through careers.colorado.gov, claim veteran status and request your preference points.
2. Attach your DD Form 214 (Member-4 copy showing character of service); if you are claiming the 10-point disabled preference, also attach your VA letter showing service-connected compensation.
3. Confirm the points posted to your passing score before an eligible list is finalized.

Sources State of Colorado Careers — veterans' preference

Other: burial & free claims help

What it is: Colorado operates state veterans cemeteries at no cost for interment, and every county has a free officer to help you with VA claims.

• State veterans cemeteries (no charge for interment): the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, 2830 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction, CO 81501 (office M–F 8:00am–4:30pm), and the Colorado State Veterans Center at Homelake, Monte Vista. The gravesite/niche, opening and closing, an upright granite marker, a vault for most casketed remains, and perpetual care are provided at no expense to the family. Eligibility mirrors federal VA national-cemetery eligibility with a Colorado connection; you can pre-register to settle eligibility early — bring the veteran's discharge document.
• Federal burial benefits (context, not state-specific): a gravesite in any VA national cemetery with space available, opening/closing, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate come at no cost.
• County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs): every Colorado county has a free Veterans Service Office that helps you file and appeal VA claims — this is the right free door for anything tied to your rating.

1. For burial planning, contact the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado (Grand Junction) or the Homelake center and ask to pre-register for an early eligibility determination.
2. For anything about your VA rating — a new claim, an appeal, or an increase — use your free County Veterans Service Officer. Never pay a private company for basic claims help.

Sources Colorado DMVA — veterans cemetery · National Cemetery Administration — Colorado cemeteries · County Veterans Service Offices

Who to call

The Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs (part of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs) is your single front door for the state programs above, and your free County Veterans Service Officer is your door for VA claims help.

• Website: vets.colorado.gov
• Main office: 155 Van Gordon St., Suite 201, Lakewood, CO 80228; phone 303-914-5832; hours M–F 8:30am–4:00pm.
• Free claims/rating help: your County Veterans Service Officer, or find an accredited VSO at VA.gov.
• Property tax questions: your County Assessor (they administer the exemption).

1. Anything tied to your actual VA rating — filing, appealing, or arguing for a higher percentage — goes to a free County Veterans Service Officer or accredited VSO. Find one via vets.colorado.gov or VA.gov.
2. State-program questions (property tax, plates, parks, education, homes, hiring) go to the specific office linked in that section, or start at vets.colorado.gov.

Sources Division of Veterans Affairs — contact & about · Division of Property Taxation

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