Washington Disabled Veteran Benefits

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If you are a disabled veteran living in Washington, 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, the fact that Washington has no state income tax, vehicle plates and fee waivers, parks and hunting/fishing, education for you and your kids, the state veterans homes, hiring preference, burial, and more. Every rating threshold, dollar figure, deadline, and form name below comes from an official Washington 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 for 2027 — a second new law makes this program bigger, not just who qualifies. A 2026 law (ESSB 6162, effective June 11, 2026) raises the county income-eligibility cutoffs to roughly 60% / 70% / 80% of your county's median household income for Income Thresholds 1/2/3 (up from 50%/60%/70%), and raises the dollar relief itself: Threshold 1's regular-levy exemption grows to the greater of $80,000 or 80% of your home's value (up from $60,000 or 60%), Threshold 2's grows to the greater of $70,000 or 45% (capped at $200,000, up from a $70,000 cap), and every qualifying tier — including Threshold 3 — is now exempt from the entire state school property-tax levy, not just half of it. These changes hit taxes levied for collection in 2027 and thereafter — the same cycle a new claim filed this year (2026) would first apply to. The dollar/percentage relief amounts above are fixed statewide; only the income cutoff that sorts you into a tier varies by county and changes over time — confirm your county's current cutoff with the state's 2027–2029 income threshold table or your county assessor before you assume you earn too much to qualify.

Sources DOR — ESSB 6162 changes · 2027–2029 income thresholds

Property tax exemption

What it is: Washington does not have a flat, rating-based full property-tax exemption the way some states do. Instead, disabled veterans use the same income-tested exemption program as seniors and people who retired due to disability. It is not automatic — you file with your local county assessor. Depending on your income tier it can wipe out a large share of your bill (all voter-approved special levies, the entire state school-levy portion, plus regular-levy tax on a big chunk of your home's value, plus a freeze on your assessed value), so at the lowest income tier the relief is substantial even though it is not labeled a “100% exemption.”

The two ways a disabled veteran qualifies (you need one) — then income and residency:

• Route 1 — a service-connected evaluation rating (threshold just dropped to 40%). A combined VA service-connected evaluation rating meets the disability test. Under a 2025 state law the required rating drops from 80% to 40% for property taxes levied for collection in 2027 and later; for taxes collected in 2026 and earlier the older 80% threshold still applies. Because this page looks ahead to 2027, most veterans reading now should use the 40% figure — but confirm which tax year you are applying for with your assessor.
• Route 2 — a total disability rating (no percentage needed; captures 100% schedular and Individual Unemployability). Separately from the percentage route above, the law qualifies any veteran with a total disability rating for a service-connected disability, without regard to the evaluation percent. In plain terms this covers a straight 100% schedular rating and veterans paid at the 100% rate through Individual Unemployability (IU / TDIU) — you do not need a numeric 100% rating, only a total-disability determination. This route is unchanged by the 2025 law.
• Plus, for either route: you must own and occupy the home as your primary residence in Washington, and your combined disposable income must be at or below your county's threshold. Crucially, VA disability compensation and VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) are excluded from that income calculation (military retirement pay is counted), which keeps many veterans under the cap. The 2026 law also excluded combat-related special compensation from the income count and, for calculating your combined disposable income, gives you a choice between two mutually exclusive options: either take a flat $7,500 standard deduction (plus another $7,500 if you have a spouse or domestic partner) in place of itemizing your medical expenses, or itemize your deductions — which is the only path that lets you also subtract up to $6,000 a year of income from renting out a room in your home. Per DOR's own guidance, you cannot claim both the standard deduction and the rental-income deduction in the same year. All of this is effective for taxes levied for collection in 2027 and later.

How much relief you get (three income tiers — the dollar/percentage amounts below are fixed statewide; only the income cutoff that sorts you into a tier is county-specific): for property taxes levied for collection in 2027 and thereafter (the cycle a claim filed today would first apply to):

• Income Threshold 1 (lowest income): exempt from all voter-approved excess levies, the entire state school levy, and regular-levy tax on the greater of $80,000 or 80% of your home's assessed value.
• Income Threshold 2 (middle): exempt from all excess levies and the entire state school levy, plus regular-levy tax on the greater of $70,000 or 45% of assessed value, capped at $200,000 of value.
• Income Threshold 3 (highest income that still qualifies): exempt from all excess levies and the entire state school levy only — no regular-levy value reduction.

Every tier above also freezes your home's assessed value for the program so future increases don't raise this part of your bill. For taxes levied for collection in 2026 and earlier, the older, lower figures apply instead (Threshold 1: greater of $60,000 or 60%; Threshold 2: greater of $50,000 or 35%, capped at $70,000; and only half the state levy, “state levy part 2,” was exempted at any tier). Ask your assessor which income threshold you fall into.

Deferral (a separate option): if your income is too high for the exemption, or on top of it, Washington also lets qualifying seniors/disabled owners defer property taxes and special assessments as a lien repaid later (with interest) rather than paying now. The deferral program's own income cutoff runs higher than the exemption's (about 90% of your county's median household income for taxes levied 2027 and later, up from 75%), so it can catch veterans whose income is too high for the exemption tiers above.

Surviving spouse (two separate helps):

• Continuing the exemption: a surviving spouse or domestic partner of a veteran who was receiving the exemption at the time of death can continue it if they are 57 or older, still own and occupy the home, and otherwise meet the exemption's income rules. Confirm continuation with your assessor.
• Property Tax Assistance Program for Widows/Widowers of Veterans (a grant, not a loan): a separate program that pays a grant toward property taxes. You qualify if you are the un-remarried widow/widower of a veteran who died as a result of a service-connected disability, OR was rated 100% disabled by the VA for the 10 years before death, OR was a former prisoner of war rated 100% disabled for the 1 year before death, OR died on active duty or in active training status — and you are at least 62 by December 31 (or retired due to disability) and have income at or below Income Threshold 3. The grant extends your relief to cover taxes on up to an additional $200,000 of assessed value if you're in Income Threshold 1, $150,000 in Threshold 2, or $100,000 in Threshold 3, on top of the base exemption above. File on Form 63-0023, Property Tax Assistance Application for Widows/Widowers of Veterans (PDF) at least 30 days before your taxes are due; WDVA will help you gather the required paperwork (the veteran's DD-214, your marriage certificate, the death certificate, and a qualifying VA letter).

1. Find your county assessor's office (the DOR page below has a clickable map linking all 39 county assessors). They administer this, not the state Department of Revenue directly.
2. Gather your VA disability award/rating letter (call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 if you need a fresh copy), proof you own and occupy the home, and last year's income figures — remembering that your VA disability compensation and DIC do not count toward the income test.
3. Get the exemption application, Form 64-0002, Senior Citizen and People with Disabilities Exemption from Real Property Taxes (PDF), from your assessor or DOR, and file it with your assessor.
4. Ask the assessor which income tier you land in and exactly what it exempts, and whether you should also file for the deferral.
5. If you are a qualifying surviving spouse, file Form 63-0023 for the widow/widower grant instead of (or in addition to) the exemption — ask the assessor which nets you more.
6. Confirm it posted by checking your next tax bill for the exemption line, or call the assessor a few weeks after filing.

Sources State Dept of Revenue — program overview · State Veterans Affairs (WDVA) · the statute (RCW 84.36.381) · 2025 rating-threshold law (EHB 1106) · DOR — ESSB 6162 changes · DOR exemptions & deferrals · widow/widower statute (RCW 84.39.010) · widow/widower program guide

State income tax

What it is: Washington has no state personal income tax at all — for veterans or anyone else — so there is nothing to tax and no state return to file.

• No state income tax on any individual income. Because Washington levies no personal income tax, there is no state tax on military retirement pay, VA disability compensation, Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments, or any other income, and no state veteran income-tax credit exists because there is no tax base to apply one against.
• VA disability compensation is also federally tax-free everywhere in the country (a federal rule, not state-specific), so it never appears as taxable income.

1. You do not file a Washington personal income tax return — there isn't one.
2. Confirm your VA disability compensation is not showing up as taxable on your federal return either; if it is, fix it with a preparer familiar with military filings (this is a filing mechanic, not claims work).

Sources State Dept of Revenue · IRS Publication 525

Vehicles, plates & tolls

What it is: the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) issues Disabled American Veteran plates that waive the license fee on one vehicle for life, plus disabled-veteran parking, a “Veteran” designation on your license, and narrow sales-tax exemptions for VA-funded adaptive equipment. Washington has no statewide toll network like a turnpike, so there is no veteran toll-pass program here.

• Disabled American Veteran (DAV) plate — license-fee exemption on one vehicle for life. You qualify if you served in any branch (including Reserves/National Guard), had a qualifying discharge, and are receiving 100% service-connected compensation expected to last more than one year — or you have loss of use of both hands or one foot, or blindness in both eyes from military service. The plate is exempt from license fees on one vehicle per year, for life, on motorcycles, motor homes, passenger vehicles, and personal-use trucks (not commercial). File the Military Services and Veterans License Plate Application (Form 420496, PDF) with your VA letter verifying 100% service-connected disability.
• Disabled veteran parking. WDVA describes a disabled-veteran parking permit for veterans with a 70% or higher rating who use a service animal; separately, DOL issues standard disabled parking to veterans who meet a qualifying mobility/medical condition. Use the Disabled Parking Application for Veterans (Form 420105, PDF) and confirm which route fits you.
• “Veteran” designation on your driver's license or ID. You can add a Veteran designation to a standard Washington license/ID.
• Sales-tax exemption/refund for VA-funded adaptive equipment. Washington exempts physician-prescribed automotive adaptive equipment (plus its installation and repair labor) from sales and use tax for a disabled veteran or disabled service member. Separately, if you used a VA adaptive housing grant (Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation) to build or modify your home, you can apply to DOR for a refund of up to $2,500 in state sales tax paid on that construction, subject to a statewide cap of $125,000 in total refunds per fiscal year (first come, first served). This is narrower than a blanket vehicle sales-tax exemption.

1. Request your VA rating/eligibility letter (VA at 1-800-827-1000) showing your service-connected percentage.
2. For DAV plates, complete Form 420496, check the Disabled American Veteran box, attach the VA letter, and submit to DOL; confirm the license-fee waiver applies before you pay.
3. For parking, complete Form 420105 and ask DOL which permit you qualify for.
4. For adaptive-equipment sales-tax exemptions, keep your VA reimbursement documentation and confirm current terms with the Department of Revenue before purchase.

Sources DMV — DAV plate · DMV — disabled veteran parking · WDVA — passes & tax exemptions · DOR — adaptive housing refund

Recreation: parks, hunting & fishing

What it is: a free lifetime state-parks pass at 30% and up, reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses at 30% and up, and the free federal Access Pass for national parks.

• Lifetime Disabled Veteran Pass (Washington State Parks) — 30% or greater. Free to Washington resident veterans with a 30% or higher combined service-connected disability (VA award letter required). It gives free day-use parking (no Discover Pass needed), free camping, free moorage, and free boat launch/trailer dump at State Parks, plus free day-use at Department of Fish & Wildlife and Department of Natural Resources sites. As of Oct. 1, 2025 camping itself stays free but a reservation/change fee applies ($8 online / $10 by phone). Apply on the Lifetime Disabled Veteran Pass Application (Form A-072-V, PDF).
• Reduced-fee hunting & fishing licenses — 30% or greater. Resident, honorably discharged veterans with a 30% or higher service-connected VA rating (and resident veterans 65+ with any service-connected rating) get reduced-fee licenses through the Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). Apply on the Hunter/Fisher Veterans Reduced Fee Application (PDF) with your VA percentage letter.
• Federal “America the Beautiful” Access Pass. A free lifetime pass for veterans (and any U.S. resident) with a permanent disability, covering entrance and standard amenity fees at national parks and other federal recreation lands — usable at Washington's federal sites like Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades. This is a federal benefit, not a state one.

1. Get your VA letter showing 30% or higher (for the parks pass and the reduced-fee licenses) and proof of Washington residency.
2. Mail the Lifetime Disabled Veteran Pass application to State Parks (allow up to 30 days).
3. Mail the WDFW reduced-fee application with your VA letter to the WDFW Licensing Division before buying your license.
4. If you have a permanent disability, get the free federal Access Pass for national parks.

Sources State Parks · Dept of Fish & Wildlife · National Park Service

Education for you & your family

What it is: a tuition waiver you (the veteran) may use, and a stronger, mandated waiver for the dependents of a 100% disabled or service-connected-deceased veteran.

• Veterans' tuition waiver (for you). State law lets Washington's public community colleges, technical colleges, colleges, and universities waive all or part of tuition and fees for eligible veterans and National Guard members. Each school runs its own program and sets its own scope, so contact the specific school.
• Dependent tuition waiver (for your spouse/children) — mandatory for 100% ratings. Washington public colleges and universities must waive all undergraduate tuition and fees for eligible children and spouses of a veteran rated 100% disabled (or who died as a result of military service), up to 250 quarter credits (or the semester equivalent). Graduate waivers are encouraged but not mandated. A book stipend of about $500/year is provided when the Legislature funds it, split across terms.
• Which schools participate: confirm through the state higher-education agency.

1. Decide who is using it: you (the veteran waiver) or your spouse/child (the mandatory dependent waiver if you are rated 100% or died from service).
2. Contact the veterans/financial-aid office at the specific Washington public college — the waiver is applied by the school, and terms vary by campus.
3. Submit your VA rating documentation (showing 100% for the dependent waiver) and the school's waiver application; ask about the $500 book stipend when funded.
4. Cross-check the school list at the state Student Achievement Council and the program summary from state Veterans Affairs.

Sources State Veterans Affairs (WDVA) · the statute · Student Achievement Council

State Veterans' Homes & long-term care

What it is: Washington runs four State Veterans Homes providing skilled nursing and long-term care: the Washington Soldiers Home (Orting), the Washington Veterans Home (Port Orchard), the Spokane Veterans Home, and the Walla Walla Veterans Home. They are Medicare- and Medicaid-certified and also accept private insurance and private pay.

• Who can be admitted: service in any branch (including National Guard) with an honorable discharge or current VA benefits eligibility, Washington residency, or qualifying status as a spouse, widow(er), or Gold Star parent of an eligible veteran, plus a care need the home can meet.
• Cost for higher-rated veterans: for a veteran rated 70%–100% service-connected (or whose nursing-level need stems from a service-connected condition), the federal VA pays the full cost of that nursing care, letting the veteran keep their VA, military, and personal retirement income. Confirm your specific situation with the home's admissions office.

1. Pick the nearest home (Orting, Port Orchard, Spokane, or Walla Walla) from the WDVA Veterans Homes directory.
2. Call WDVA admissions at 1-877-838-7787, confirm you meet the service/residency/care requirements, and request the application and physician's-statement packet.
3. Ask the admissions office to confirm your cost given your VA rating (full VA-paid care for a 70%–100% service-connected need).
4. Have your discharge document (DD Form 214) and VA rating letter ready to submit.

Sources State Veterans Affairs (WDVA) — Veterans Homes

State hiring & civil service

What it is: Washington adds points to civil-service exam scores for veterans and gives disabled veterans (and their spouses/partners) a stronger, non-competitive path into state jobs.

• Exam scoring preference: 10% added to a passing exam score for veterans who served in a wartime period (or when a campaign/expeditionary medal was authorized) and are not receiving military retired pay; 5% for veterans receiving military retired pay or who did not serve during a wartime period. Points apply until the first appointment (a separate 5% applies to a first promotion for state employees called to active duty).
• Disabled veterans — competitive and non-competitive preference. A veteran with a service-connected permanent and total disability, and that veteran's spouse or registered domestic partner, receive preference in both competitive and non-competitive state hiring; for non-competitive positions (no exam given), the agency must directly refer qualified eligible candidates to the hiring official.
• Who's eligible: qualifying veterans, surviving spouses, registered domestic partners of eligible veterans, and spouses/domestic partners of a permanently-and-totally disabled veteran. Claiming preference requires a qualifying-discharge document — a DD Form 214 or your equivalent National Guard discharge record.
• Job-search help: the Employment Security Department's WorkSource centers provide veteran employment representatives who give priority service to veterans with service-connected disabilities.

1. When you apply for a Washington state job or exam, claim veterans' preference and attach your DD Form 214 (or your National Guard discharge record) and VA rating letter.
2. If you (or your spouse/partner) qualify through a service-connected permanent and total disability, ask specifically about the non-competitive referral path described on the state careers site.
3. Use a WorkSource center via the Employment Security Department for priority job-search help.

Sources State careers site — veterans' preferences · Employment Security Dept

Other: burial, emergency aid, veteran business

What it is: a state veterans cemetery, emergency financial help through county veteran service offices, and the federal VA burial allowance.

• Washington State Veterans Cemetery (Medical Lake). Operated by WDVA, it offers in-ground casket burial, columbarium niches for cremated remains, in-ground cremation plots, and memorial walls. Eligibility mirrors national veterans-cemetery rules (qualifying service and a discharge other than dishonorable), and spouses and eligible dependent children may be buried there too. There is no cost to inter the veteran (covered by the federal VA plot allowance or a DoD claim); a $311 fee (effective Oct. 1, 2025, and adjusted annually for inflation, so confirm the current figure) is collected for a spouse or dependent. Apply with the Washington State Veterans Cemetery Eligibility Application (PDF) and the veteran's DD-214.
• Emergency financial assistance. WDVA and county veteran service offices administer emergency aid for in-need veterans and families (food, rent, utilities, transportation, medical, and burial/cremation help), with dollar caps that vary by county program — confirm current caps with your county office.
• Federal VA burial allowance. Separate from the state cemetery, the federal VA pays a burial allowance and plot allowance for eligible deceased veterans (amounts are set federally and adjusted periodically).

1. For burial at the state cemetery, submit the eligibility application with the DD-214; a pre-need determination now saves the family stress later.
2. For urgent needs (rent, utilities, transportation, medical), contact your county veteran service office and ask what emergency assistance is available and its current caps.
3. At time of death, the family also applies to the federal VA for the burial allowance.

Sources State Veterans Affairs (WDVA) — Cemetery · county services · VA burial benefits

Who to call

The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) 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: dva.wa.gov
• Phone: 1-800-562-2308  ·  Email: [email protected]
• Find a free county Veterans Service Officer: WDVA — County Services
• Property tax questions: your local county assessor (they administer the exemption) and Washington DOR — property tax exemption

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 WDVA at 1-800-562-2308, use a county VSO, or find an accredited representative 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 dva.wa.gov.

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