Montana Disabled Veteran Benefits

If you are a disabled veteran living in Montana, 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 relief program, state income tax treatment, vehicle and plate perks, parks and hunting/fishing, education for you and your kids, the state veterans' homes, hiring preference, and more. Every dollar figure, deadline, and form name below comes from an official Montana 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), never a paid company.

Heads-up on the military-retirement income tax break — the state's own webpage and the current law disagree. Montana's “Working Military Retirement Exemption” lets qualifying working retirees exempt half of their military retirement pay. The Montana Department of Revenue program page still describes it as claimable for only 5 consecutive years and says it “expires in tax year 2033.” But the current law, as I read it today, keeps the 5-consecutive-year limit yet no longer carries the 2033 end date for military retirement pay. In short: the 5-year cap still looks real, but the hard 2033 sunset may have been removed. Do not plan around either the sunset or its removal — confirm the current terms directly with the Department of Revenue before you file.

Sources Dept. of Revenue program page · the statute

Property tax exemption

What it is: Montana does not have a flat-dollar veteran property tax exemption. Instead, the Montana Disabled Veteran (MDV) Assistance Program reduces the property tax rate on your primary residence on a sliding scale keyed to your income. At the lowest income tier the reduction is 100% of the rate (the closest thing to a full exemption); as income rises the reduction steps down to 80%, 70%, then 50%, and above the top figure you get nothing. It is run by the Montana Department of Revenue through your local field office, and it is not automatic — you apply, and you re-apply as required.

The ways to qualify:

• As the disabled veteran: you must be rated 100% service-connected disabled by the VA, or paid at the 100% disabled rate. That “paid at the 100% rate” language matters: a veteran at Individual Unemployability (IU / TDIU) — rated below 100% on paper but paid at the 100% rate — qualifies on the same footing as a schedular 100% veteran. You show it with a current VA letter stating your disability status is 100%.
• As an unmarried surviving spouse: you qualify by providing VA documentation that the veteran (a) died while on active duty, (b) died from a service-connected disability, or (c) was rated 100% disabled at the time of death. You must remain unmarried and continue to own and occupy the home.

The income test (Tax Year 2026 figures, based on your 2024 Federal Adjusted Gross Income — “AGI”; the Dept. of Revenue inflation-adjusts these every year, so confirm the current numbers before relying):

• Single filer: $0–$48,152 → 100% rate reduction; $48,153–$52,968 → 80%; $52,969–$57,781 → 70%; $57,782–$62,598 → 50%. Above $62,598: no benefit.
• Married or Head of Household: $0–$57,781 → 100%; $57,782–$62,598 → 80%; $62,599–$67,412 → 70%; $67,413–$72,229 → 50%. Above $72,229: no benefit.
• Unmarried surviving spouse: $0–$40,127 → 100%; $40,128–$44,942 → 80%; $44,943–$49,758 → 70%; $49,759–$54,573 → 50%. Above $54,573: no benefit.

Property scope: the relief applies to your home and its lot; if the home sits on agricultural or forest land, the benefit is limited to the home and a one-acre homesite. Deadline: apply by April 15.

1. Get a current VA letter showing your disability status is 100% (or that you are paid at the 100% rate). If you cannot find it, a free VSO can help you pull it — see the last section.
2. File the Montana Disabled Veteran Property Tax Relief Application (Form MDV, PDF), or apply electronically from the Dept. of Revenue MDV form page. Surviving spouses attach the VA documentation of the veteran's death or 100% rating.
3. Submit it to your local Department of Revenue field office by April 15.
4. Confirm the current-year income brackets with the Dept. of Revenue or your local office before you count on a specific reduction tier — the thresholds move every year.

Sources Dept. of Revenue — MDV Program · the statute

State income tax

What it is: Montana does not tax your VA disability compensation, but it does tax ordinary military retirement pay by default, with a partial exemption if you keep working.

• VA disability compensation is federally tax-free, and Montana starts from your federal income figures — so your VA disability pay is not part of Montana taxable income.
• Military retirement pay is taxed as ordinary income in Montana by default: the state guide says to “treat your income, including your military pension, like other income for tax purposes.”
• Working Military Retirement Exemption (partial): a working military retiree can exempt 50% of military retirement pay (capped at the lesser of half the retirement income or your Montana-source wage/self-employment income). You qualify if you became a Montana resident after June 30, 2023, or were a resident before your retired pay began and stayed one. As noted in the box at the top, the current law keeps a 5-consecutive-year claiming limit; the 2033 sunset that the Dept. of Revenue page still lists no longer appears in the law — confirm current terms with the Dept. of Revenue. Claim it with the Working Military Retirement and Survivor Benefit Exemption (Form WMRE, PDF) attached to your Montana Individual Income Tax Return (Form 2).
• Active-duty pay exclusions (basic, special, and incentive pay while on active duty, plus combat-zone pay) apply only while you are on active duty, not to retirees or veterans.

1. Confirm your VA disability compensation never appears as income on your Montana return (it should not be on your federal return either, and Montana starts from your federal figures).
2. If you draw military retirement pay and still work, check whether you meet the residency trigger for the Working Military Retirement Exemption, and attach the Form WMRE (PDF) to your Montana Form 2.
3. Before relying on the exemption for a given year, call the Dept. of Revenue to confirm the current 5-year and expiration rules — the webpage and the law do not fully agree right now.

Sources Dept. of Revenue — Military Tax Guide · Working Military Retirement Exemption · the statute

Vehicles, plates & tolls

What it is: a 100%-rated disabled veteran pays no motor vehicle registration fees on up to two personal vehicles, can get special disabled-veteran plates, and can add a “Veteran” mark to a driver's license. (Montana has no toll roads, so there is no toll benefit.)

• Registration-fee waiver — 100% rated: a veteran currently rated 100% disabled, or paid at the 100% disabled rate, by the VA for a service-connected disability is exempt from all registration fees and the veterans' cemetery fee on two non-commercial vehicles (and two sets of special veteran plates).
• Purple Heart at 50%+: a veteran who is 50% or more service-connected disabled and has been awarded the Purple Heart also gets the two-vehicle registration-fee waiver — but, unlike the 100% group, this veteran still pays the veterans' cemetery fee.
• Surviving spouses: an unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died from a service-connected disability, or of a service member killed on active duty, also qualifies for the registration-fee waiver.
• Disabled-veteran plates & how to apply: bring your VA letter (100% rating or paid-at-100% status) to your local County Treasurer's office to set up the fee exemption and the disabled-veteran plates.
• Patriot license plate (a general veteran plate, not disability-specific): $20 to buy, then $15/year to renew; the fees support Montana Veterans Affairs Division programs.
• “Veteran” driver's-license designation: you can add a “Veteran” mark to your Montana driver's license or state ID.

1. Get your VA rating letter (stating 100% or paid-at-the-100%-rate). Surviving spouses bring the VA documentation of the veteran's service-connected death or active-duty death.
2. Take it to your County Treasurer's office and ask for the registration-fee exemption on up to two vehicles and, if you want them, the disabled-veteran plates.
3. If you can't locate the VA letter, call the Montana Veterans Affairs Division at 406-324-3742 for help pulling it.
4. Separately, if you want the “Veteran” mark on your license or a Patriot plate, ask about those at the same time.

Sources the statute · Motor Vehicle Division — Disabled Veteran plate · Motor Vehicle Division — Veteran Designation · Dept. of Justice — Military Services · Veterans Affairs Division — State Benefits

Recreation: parks, hunting & fishing

What it is: discounted camping and half-price hunting licenses for disabled and combat-injured veterans, run through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP). Note that most of these are structured around a Montana-resident disability status rather than a specific VA percentage.

• State-park day use: Montana residents who pay the $9 state-parks fee bundled into their annual vehicle registration pay no daily entrance fee at any Montana state park (a general resident benefit, not veteran-specific).
• Camping discount — 50% off: a Montana resident with veteran status gets 50% off camping fees at state parks (the discount does not apply to electrical-hookup fees). Proof accepted: a DD-214, a VA ID card, or a driver's license with the veteran designation. The same 50% camping discount is available to Montana residents with a qualifying disability.
• Combat-disabled hunting licenses: a veteran with certain combat-connected injuries can buy half-priced deer and antelope licenses (FWP issues up to 50 per year). Apply on FWP's annual combat-disabled application.
• Resident-with-a-disability Conservation License: a disabled Montana resident (not veteran-exclusive) can get an $8 Conservation License that unlocks half-price General Deer, General Elk, fishing, and Upland Game Bird licenses. Apply on FWP's resident-disability application.
• Purple Heart recipients: may fish and hunt upland game birds using only a Conservation License.
• Federal (not state) bonus: a disabled veteran is separately eligible for the free lifetime National Park Service / America the Beautiful Access Pass, good at federal sites nationwide including Glacier and Yellowstone. This is a federal benefit, not a Montana one.

1. For the parks discount, carry a DD-214, VA ID, or veteran-designated license and ask for the 50% camping discount at the park or when you book.
2. For the combat-disabled deer/antelope discount, download FWP's combat-disabled application and apply early — only 50 are issued each year.
3. If you are a disabled Montana resident, apply for the $8 Conservation License and the half-price big-game/fishing add-ons on the same FWP page.
4. For federal parks, get the free lifetime Access Pass; you can pick one up in person at Glacier or Yellowstone with your disability documentation.

Sources FWP — State Parks Fees · FWP — Disabled Licenses · Veterans Affairs Division — State Benefits · National Park Service — Access Pass

Education for you & your family

What it is: the Montana University System (MUS) waives in-state tuition for veterans who have used up their federal education benefits, plus a separate waiver for children of service members who died in service.

• Honorably Discharged Veteran Tuition Waiver: covers in-state tuition at MUS campuses as a “last-dollar” award (applied after all other federal/state aid and scholarships). You must be a Montana resident, have an Honorable discharge (“Honorable Under General Conditions” is not accepted), and have elected VA education benefits (Title 38 or Title 10) that have since expired or been exhausted. Apply by the third week of the first semester and keep satisfactory academic progress; it does not cover flat-fee courses.
• War Orphans Waiver (for children): a separate MUS waiver for a child age 25 or under whose parent died in service during WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, and who was a Montana resident when entering service.
• Purple Heart scholarship: the Montana Veterans Affairs Division references a $1,000 scholarship for a veteran who received the Purple Heart or a higher decoration. The administering office and current terms are not laid out on a dedicated program page, so confirm the amount and how to apply with the Montana Veterans Affairs Division.

1. Decide which fits: the veteran tuition waiver for you, or the War Orphans Waiver for your child if their parent died in a qualifying-era service.
2. Read the MUS Veteran Tuition Waiver fact sheet & application instructions (PDF) and apply through the “Apply Now” portal linked on the MUS Waivers page by the third week of your first semester.
3. Have your DD-214, proof of Montana residency, and VA documentation that your education benefits are exhausted ready to submit.
4. If you hold a Purple Heart, ask the Montana Veterans Affairs Division about the $1,000 scholarship and confirm the current terms.

Sources Montana University System — Tuition Waivers · Veterans Affairs Division — State Benefits

State Veterans' Homes & long-term care

What it is: Montana runs three State Veterans' Homes providing skilled nursing and rehabilitative care: the Montana Veterans' Home in Columbia Falls, the Southwest Montana Veterans Home in Butte, and the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive. They are run under the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and are Medicare/Medicaid- and VA-certified.

• Care offered: 24-hour skilled nursing, physical/occupational/speech therapy, wound care, and (at Columbia Falls) intermediate/skilled-care beds, domiciliary beds, and a dedicated Alzheimer's unit.
• Who can be admitted: an honorably discharged veteran, or the spouse of an honorably discharged veteran, who needs the level of care the home provides.
• Cost for higher-rated veterans: veterans rated 70%–100% service-connected generally have the VA cover the full cost of their nursing-home care, so there is typically no out-of-pocket cost for routine skilled care; other residents pay on a cost/sliding basis. Cost-share terms change, so confirm your specific situation directly with the home's admissions office.

1. Pick the closest home — Columbia Falls, Butte, or Glendive.
2. Review the admissions and referral information and confirm the service and care-need requirements.
3. Call that home's admissions office, request the application and physician's-statement packet, and confirm your cost given your VA rating (full VA-paid care is common at 70%+).
4. Have your DD-214 and VA rating letter ready to submit.

Sources DPHHS — Montana Veterans' Home · DPHHS — Admissions & Referral Information

State hiring & civil service

What it is: Montana gives eligible veterans — and disabled veterans first in line — a hiring preference for state government jobs, under the state's veterans' public-employment preference law.

• Who is an eligible veteran: a U.S. citizen, separated under honorable conditions, who served more than 180 consecutive days of active federal duty (other than training), or was a reservist/Guard member who served on federal active duty during a war or a campaign/expedition for which a campaign badge is authorized.
• Disabled-veteran priority: where an employer doesn't use a numeric scoring process, the preference runs in order — a disabled veteran first, then a person with a disability, then a veteran, then an eligible relative/spouse — over otherwise-equally-qualified applicants. A disabled veteran is one with an established service-connected disability, or who receives VA/military disability compensation or pension, or who holds a Purple Heart.
• Documentation: a DD-214 showing character of discharge (or an Adjutant General certification for National Guard service), plus a VA service-connected disability letter for disabled-veteran status. Claiming the preference is voluntary and kept confidential.

1. When you apply for a Montana state job at statecareers.mt.gov, claim the preference and upload your documentation.
2. For veteran status, attach your DD-214 (or Adjutant General certification); for disabled-veteran priority, also attach your VA disability letter.
3. Keep in mind the preference applies to your qualified, passing application — it moves you up among equally-qualified candidates, it does not replace the job's minimum qualifications.

Sources State Careers — Veterans' Preference

Other: burial, family relief, VSO help

What it is: a few more Montana programs worth knowing — state veterans' cemeteries, a family-relief fund for activated Guard/Reserve families, and the free VSO network.

• State veterans' cemeteries: eligible veterans (and often spouses/dependents) may be buried at one of three state veterans' cemeteries — Fort Harrison, Miles City, and Missoula — at low cost. For a 100%-rated disabled veteran, the veterans' cemetery fee is waived (see the Vehicles section).
• Montana Military Family Relief Fund: grants to help the families of activated Montana National Guard and Reserve members with housing and food costs during activation (a family-support benefit, not disability-specific).
• Free VSO network: the Montana Veterans Affairs Division staffs veteran service offices across the state that provide free claims representation to pursue federal and state benefits.

1. For burial planning, contact the Montana Veterans Affairs Division about eligibility and the three state cemeteries; a 100%-rated veteran's cemetery fee is waived.
2. If your family faces a Guard/Reserve activation hardship, look into the Military Family Relief Fund.
3. For any benefit application or a VA claim, use a free Montana VSO — see the next section.

Sources Veterans Affairs Division — State Benefits · Dept. of Military Affairs — Military Family Relief Fund

Who to call

The Montana Veterans Affairs Division (MVAD), part of the Department of Military Affairs, is your single front door for the state programs above and for a free accredited VSO to help with a VA claim, a rating, or applying for these benefits.

• Website: veterans.mt.gov
• Phone: 406-324-3742
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 1956 Mt. Majo Street, PO Box 4789, Fort Harrison, MT 59636-4789
• Property tax questions: your local Montana Dept. of Revenue field office.

1. Anything tied to your actual VA rating — filing a new claim, appealing, or arguing for a higher percentage — goes to a free accredited VSO. Call MVAD at 406-324-3742 or find one at VA.gov. Never pay a private company for basic claims help.
2. State-program questions (property tax, plates, parks, education, homes, hiring) go to the specific office linked in that section, or start at veterans.mt.gov.

Sources Dept. of Revenue — MDV Program

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