Wisconsin Disabled Veteran Benefits

Reviewed September 23, 2026

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If you are a disabled veteran living in Wisconsin, 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 credit, state income-tax breaks, vehicle plates and license perks, parks and hunting/fishing, education for you and your family, the state veterans homes, hiring preference, and burial. Every dollar figure, threshold, and form name below comes from an official Wisconsin 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. In Wisconsin your closest free VSO is your County or Tribal Veterans Service Office (CVSO/TVSO), and they also certify most of the benefits below.

One thing that surprises people: Wisconsin has no traditional property-tax "exemption" for disabled veterans. Instead it gives something that can be worth more — a refundable state income-tax credit equal to 100% of the property taxes you paid on your home (land up to one acre). "Refundable" means if the credit is larger than the income tax you owe, the state pays you the difference. It is only for veterans at the 100% level (see the exact rule below), and you claim it on your Wisconsin income-tax return, not at the assessor's office.

Property tax exemption

What it is: the Wisconsin Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit. It is a refundable credit on your Wisconsin income-tax return equal to 100% of the property taxes you paid during the year on your principal home, including the land up to one acre. Because it is refundable, you get the full value even if it is more than your income-tax bill. It does not apply to a second home, vacation property, rental, or the business-use portion of a property, and joint ownership with someone who is not an eligible spouse is prorated to your ownership share.

The one disability route to the full credit (there is only one, and it is strict):

• A 100% rating. You must have a service-connected disability rating of 100%, or a 100% rating based on Individual Unemployability (IU) — that is, the VA rates you unemployable and pays you at the 100% rate even if your schedular percentage is lower. Both of these count. A rating below 100% (for example 90%) does not qualify for this credit.

The residency test (you must meet one of these, and also be a current Wisconsin resident):

• You were a Wisconsin resident at the time you entered active duty; or
• You have been a Wisconsin resident for any consecutive 5-year period after entering active duty.
• Either way, you must currently be a Wisconsin resident for purposes of receiving veterans benefits.

Surviving spouse (unremarried) — every qualifying route: an unremarried surviving spouse can claim the same 100%-of-property-taxes credit if the veteran met the service/residency rules and any one of the following is true:

• The veteran died while a Wisconsin resident with a 100% service-connected (or IU) disability rating; or
• The veteran died on active duty as a Wisconsin resident; or
• The veteran (a Guard/Reserve member) died in the line of duty as a Wisconsin resident; or
• The veteran died as a Wisconsin resident on or after January 1, 2014, and the spouse receives Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the VA.

1. Contact your County or Tribal Veterans Service Office (CVSO/TVSO) and ask them to help you get a WDVA verification/certification of your eligibility for this credit. This is the document the state Revenue Dept requires.
2. Ask WDVA/CVSO about application booklet WDVA B0106 (PDF), which lays out the criteria and instructions and contains the WDVA verification request form.
3. Attach the WDVA verification to your Wisconsin income-tax return the first year you claim the credit. You do not have to re-attach it in later years unless your eligibility status changes.
4. Claim the credit on the veterans-and-surviving-spouses property-tax-credit line of your Wisconsin income-tax return (a tax preparer or the current-year state instructions will show the exact line, since forms change). Keep proof of the property taxes you paid.
5. If the credit exceeds your income-tax liability, the balance is refunded to you.

Sources State Veterans Affairs · State Revenue Dept

State income tax

What it is: Wisconsin does not add state tax on top of your already federally tax-free VA disability compensation, and it fully exempts military retirement pay with no age or income cap.

• VA disability compensation is federally tax-free, and Wisconsin follows that — it is not counted as income on your Wisconsin return. (This is the general federal rule, not something unique to Wisconsin.)
• Military retirement pay is 100% exempt from Wisconsin income tax — no age limit, no income cap. The state says plainly that "all retirement payments received from the U.S. military retirement system" are exempt, and that this includes Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), Reserve Component SBP (RCSBP), and Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) annuity payments.
• Watch-out — Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is different. The military-retirement exemption does not cover TSP distributions; the state treats TSP as tax-sheltered annuity income that remains taxable by Wisconsin. Confirm your own situation in the state's retirement-benefits guidance.
• No disabled-veteran-specific Wisconsin income-tax credit beyond the property-tax credit above was identified. Re-check the state's current-year military-tax publication each filing season in case new legislation adds one.

1. Make sure your VA disability compensation never shows up as income on your Wisconsin return (Wisconsin starts from your federal numbers, where it is already excluded).
2. If you receive military retirement pay or SBP, take the Wisconsin subtraction for it on the current-year return; check the state's military tax FAQ for the exact line.
3. If a past return taxed your VA compensation or military retirement pay by mistake, fix it with a preparer familiar with military filings or by contacting the Department of Revenue — this is a filing mechanic, not claims work.

Sources State Revenue Dept (military pub) · the military FAQ · the retirement-pay pub · the retirement-pay statute, Wis. Stat. §71.05(1)(am)

Vehicles, plates & tolls

What it is: Wisconsin has no toll roads, so there is no toll benefit. What the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation (WisDOT) does offer is disabled-veteran parking plates and a free "Veteran" mark on your license or ID; a separate program waives the fee on your first occupational license.

• Disabled Veteran (DV) parking plates: available to a veteran whose service-connected disability limits or impairs the ability to walk. Apply with WisDOT Form MV2172, Disabled Veteran Parking Identification Plate application (PDF), or through the WisDOT special plates portal.
• "Veteran" designation on your driver license or ID card: a free indicator eligible veterans can add so they can prove veteran status without carrying a DD-214. As of 2025 Wisconsin Act 207 (effective 4/10/2026), this designation is also available — for this license/ID indicator only, not for any other veteran benefit — to a former member of the U.S. armed forces, a reserve unit, or the National Guard who meets federal VA home-loan eligibility requirements, even if they don't meet Wisconsin's standard "veteran" definition.
• Initial occupational/professional license fee waiver: a one-time waiver of the fee for an initial professional or occupational license. For the WisDOT-issued credentials specifically, this covers five license types: buyer's license, driving instructor license, representative license, salesperson license, and salvage buyer identification (BID) card. Requires an honorable discharge and Wisconsin residency; WDVA determines your eligibility and issues a voucher that you present when applying. It covers the first license only, not renewals, and one waiver per veteran.
• Vehicle sales tax: Wisconsin does not offer a general disabled-veteran sales-tax exemption on the vehicle itself. What it does exempt is "mobility-enhancing equipment" — adaptive equipment/accessories that let a person with a disability enter, operate, or exit a vehicle — regardless of who paid for it, so this is broader than just VA-grant-funded vehicles. It exempts the equipment, not the base vehicle price. Confirm current treatment directly with the Department of Revenue before relying on it.

1. If your service-connected disability affects your ability to walk, complete Form MV2172 (a physician or the VA verifies the disability) and submit it to WisDOT for DV parking plates.
2. Next time you renew your license or ID, ask the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to add the free "Veteran" designation; bring your DD-214 or WDVA verification.
3. If you are about to get your first occupational/professional license, ask that licensing agency about the initial-license fee waiver before you pay.

Sources State Veterans Affairs · State Transportation Dept · State Health Dept · State Revenue Dept

Recreation: parks, hunting & fishing

What it is: the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) runs a tiered set of veteran discounts keyed to your VA rating; your CVSO certifies your rating for these. Important detail: Individual Unemployability (IU) satisfies the disability threshold at any percentage for these DNR programs, and the park pass covers day-use admission only — camping fees are not waived.

• Rated 50% or higher (or IU) — Wisconsin Resident Disabled Veteran Recreation Card, $7: a bundle that includes fishing, small game, vehicle park admission, Heritage Hill State Park admission, and a state trail pass. This is the best-value card for most disabled veterans.
• Rated 50% or higher — spring turkey harvest authorization, $10: lets you buy a spring turkey authorization for any zone or time period without going through the lottery drawing (license and stamp fees still apply).
• Rated 70% or higher (or IU, or receiving a non-service-connected VA pension) — Disabled Veteran fishing license, $3. Fishing only.
• Rated 70% or higher, or a former Prisoner of War (POW) — free Disabled Veteran / Former POW park admission card, issued as a 2-year or lifetime card, giving free park admission plus a trail pass (day-use admission only; camping not included). Apply on the Disabled Veteran Park Admission Card application, DNR Form 2500-123 (PDF).
• Recently returned veterans (any rating), one-time: a free small-game, archery, gun-deer, or annual fishing license, redeemable within 365 days of discharge via a WDVA-issued voucher (requires honorable discharge and service during a designated war/crisis period).
• Purple Heart recipients (separate track): a reduced-fee Conservation Patron License ($10 resident), resident rates for nonresident recipients on hunting/fishing/trapping, a one-time Class A bear license transfer, spring turkey authorization, and elk-application eligibility.

1. Get a letter from the VA showing your current service-connected rating (or IU status), then take it to your CVSO to certify your eligibility tier.
2. Pick the card that fits your rating: the $7 Recreation Card (50%+/IU) is the broad bundle; add the $3 fishing license or the free park card if you are 70%+.
3. For the free park/POW card, submit DNR Form 2500-123. Buy licenses through the DNR once certified.

Sources State Natural Resources Dept · the admission-fee waivers page · the state parks pass page

Education for you & your family

What it is: the Wisconsin GI Bill — a state-funded tuition program separate from the federal GI Bill — plus a reimbursement grant, both administered with WDVA. The Wisconsin GI Bill can also pay tuition for your spouse and children.

• Wisconsin GI Bill (state): full tuition and segregated-fee remission for up to 8 semesters or 128 credits, whichever is greater, at any Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) or Wisconsin Technical College System school. It waives tuition and mandatory segregated fees — not room, board, or books.
  • Veteran eligibility: honorable discharge (or general-under-honorable-conditions); Wisconsin resident at entry into active duty or a Wisconsin resident for at least 3 consecutive years immediately before the semester you enroll (reduced from 5 years by a 2023 law change — if you see "5 years" on an older WDVA form, the current rule is 3), plus a current Wisconsin resident; and any one of these qualifying service conditions: 90+ days of active duty during a designated war period; service in a designated crisis zone; 2 consecutive years of active duty (or your full initial service obligation, whichever is less); service under Executive Order 10957 (Aug. 10, 1961); entitlement to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, or another expeditionary medal; or discharge due to a service-connected disability (including one later adjudicated as service-connected), hardship, or a reduction in force.
  • Dependent (spouse/child) eligibility — Route 1: the veteran served honorably, meets the residency rule, and has been awarded at least a 30% service-connected disability rating by the VA. Route 2: the veteran met the residency rule and died on active duty, died of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty.
  • Child age window: at least 17 but not yet 26 years old.
• Veterans Education (VetEd) Reimbursement Grant: a tuition-reimbursement grant for veterans at a UW campus, a Wisconsin Technical College, or an eligible private Wisconsin institution. You generally must apply for/use the Wisconsin GI Bill first, then VetEd can help with remaining tuition. Confirm current eligibility with WDVA/CVSO.

1. Decide who is using it: you as the veteran, or your spouse/child (which needs your 30%+ rating, or a qualifying death in service).
2. Take your DD-214 and VA rating letter to your CVSO to get the WDVA eligibility certification for the Wisconsin GI Bill.
3. Give the certification to your school's veteran-services/registrar office so tuition and segregated fees are remitted; ask whether VetEd can cover anything left over.

Sources State Veterans Affairs · the tuition-programs fact sheet

State Veterans' Homes & long-term care

What it is: Wisconsin operates three Wisconsin Veterans Homes providing 24-hour skilled nursing care: King (near Waupaca), Chippewa Falls, and Union Grove. Care includes skilled nursing, physician services, physical/occupational/speech therapy, nutrition management, and optometry, podiatry, and dental services.

• Who can be admitted: veterans, their spouses, and Gold Star parents. The veteran generally needs an honorable discharge plus qualifying active-duty service (broadly, 2 years or the full initial obligation of peacetime service, or at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period). Apply using the WDVA 4000 Application for Admission (PDF).
• Cost: residents who can pay are billed monthly, and Medicare/Medicaid may apply. Under a federal rule (38 CFR §51.41), a veteran with a combined service-connected rating of 70% or higher (or rated Individual Unemployability) who needs nursing home care has that care paid in full by the VA under the state's VA home-care agreement — the state home may not separately charge the veteran, an insurer, or anyone else for it. WDVA's own homes pages do not restate this rule directly, so confirm your specific cost with the home's admissions office and your CVSO before relying on it. Contacts: King 715-258-5586, Chippewa Falls 715-720-6775, Union Grove 262-838-6700.

1. Pick the closest home (King, Chippewa Falls, or Union Grove) and call its admissions office; ask for the application and physician's-statement packet.
2. Ask directly, given your VA rating, what you will actually pay and whether the 70%+ VA-paid-cost rule applies to you.
3. Have your DD-214 and VA rating letter ready, and use the WDVA 4000 application. Your CVSO can help you assemble it.

Sources State Veterans Affairs

State hiring & civil service

What it is: Wisconsin gives veterans a hiring preference in the state civil-service process, plus a separate non-competitive hiring path that lets qualifying disabled veterans skip the exam entirely.

• Veterans hiring preference: Wisconsin's old numeric preference-point table (10-20 points added to an exam score) was repealed by 2015 Wisconsin Act 150 (effective July 1, 2016) when the state moved away from graded civil-service exams. The current mechanism is (1) a tiebreaker preference — if a veteran and another applicant are equally qualified, the veteran must be preferred, and (2) the state must additionally certify the top 3 highest-ranked disabled veterans rated 70%+ and the top 3 highest-ranked spouses of a 70%+ disabled veteran for consideration whenever a certification list is produced for a vacancy — the statute's top-3 provision is not textually limited to promotional positions, so treat it as applying to hiring generally, not just promotions. Confirm the exact current mechanics with DPM before relying on this description.
• Non-competitive appointment for disabled veterans (the standout benefit): a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or greater can be hired into a permanent entry-level state position without taking a civil-service exam or competing. Requirements: rating documentation dated within the last 12 months, a valid DD-214, and a discharge that is not punitive (not dishonorable/bad-conduct/certain other-than-honorable). Apply at wisc.jobs under "Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment," Job ID 3375.

1. When you apply for a Wisconsin civil-service exam, claim veteran status so the tiebreaker preference and (for promotional registers) the top-3 disabled-veteran certification can apply, with your DD-214 and VA rating letter ready.
2. If you are rated 30% or higher, use the non-competitive appointment route: create an account at wisc.jobs and apply to Job ID 3375 — no exam required.
3. Keep your VA rating documentation current (within 12 months) so it is accepted for the non-competitive path.

Sources State Personnel Div · State Veterans Affairs · the hiring-preference statute

Other: burial, grants, license fee waiver

What it is: a set of smaller but valuable programs — burial in a state veterans cemetery, WDVA emergency and retraining grants, and the one-time occupational-license fee waiver.

• Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemeteries: the state operates three — Southern (Union Grove), Central (near King), and Northern (Spooner). There is no charge to the eligible veteran for interment unless a private burial vault is used. For a spouse or dependent child, the current published fees are $1,700 for burial, $978 for cremated remains, $1,400 for a casket disinterment, $700 for a cremation disinterment, and $2,200 for a private burial vault. Eligibility follows federal VA National Cemetery Administration standards (honorable service, or 20 years in the Guard/Reserve qualifying for retired pay), and Wisconsin residency is not required. You can pre-register to confirm eligibility using the WDVA 2111 Pre-Registration for Cemetery Interment (PDF).
• Subsistence Aid & Health Care Aid grants: emergency help for a veteran who lost income due to illness, injury, or a natural disaster. Subsistence Aid pays up to $3,000 per consecutive 12-month period (awarded in up to 30-day increments, 90 days total). Health Care Aid has its own sub-caps: $800/12 months for dental, $4,000/24 months for extended dental, $400/12 months for vision, $200/12 months for hearing, and $1,875/24 months for hearing aids. Health Care Aid and Subsistence Aid share a combined $7,500 lifetime cap.
• Veterans Employment Grant: pays an employer — not the veteran directly — $5,000 for hiring a veteran full-time or $2,500 for hiring one part-time, when the veteran has a VA disability rating of 50% or higher. It's paid in two installments, after 6 and 12 months of employment. If you're job-hunting, it's worth mentioning to a prospective employer.
• Aid to Military Families: a separate emergency-assistance program for the unremarried surviving spouse/dependent children of a service member killed in the line of duty, or for the family of a currently activated/deployed Wisconsin National Guard member facing an economic emergency (vehicle or home-system failure, medical emergency, natural-disaster damage).
• Retraining Grant: up to $3,000 per year for up to 2 years (based on financial need) for a veteran who was involuntarily laid off/discharged (not for misconduct) within the prior year after 6+ months in the same job, or who had an involuntary income drop below federal poverty guidelines, and is enrolling in a training/OJT program completable within 2 years that leads to employment.
• Initial occupational-license fee waiver: a one-time waiver of the fee on your first professional or occupational license, spanning many state licensing agencies. See the Vehicles section above.
• WDVA loan programs are closed, not just undocumented. WDVA suspended new originations on all three of its veteran loan programs (Primary Mortgage Loan, Home Improvement Loan, and Personal Loan) under a December 2011 moratorium, and sold the remaining loan portfolio to the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) in 2018. WDVA's current benefits and housing/financial-services pages correctly no longer list a loans/mortgage category. A separate state agency page (Dept. of Military Affairs) still describes these loans in the present tense — that page is stale and should not be relied on.

1. For burial, pre-register now using the WDVA 2111 so eligibility is settled in advance; your family can also apply at time of need.
2. If you hit a financial emergency or an involuntary job loss, ask your CVSO about the Assistance Grant and the Retraining Grant before other options.
3. Getting your first occupational license? Ask that agency to waive the fee under the state's initial-license fee waiver.

Sources the cemeteries page · the Subsistence Aid & Health Care Aid grants page · the Veterans Employment Grant page · the retraining-grant page · the retraining fact sheet · State Health Dept · the WDVA benefits overview

Who to call

The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is your state front door, and your County or Tribal Veterans Service Office (CVSO/TVSO) is your free, local starting point — they certify most of the benefits above and connect you to a free accredited VSO for VA claims.

• Website: dva.wi.gov
• Phone: 1-800-WIS-VETS (1-800-947-8387)
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: 2135 Rimrock Road, PO Box 7843, Madison, WI 53707-7843 (Mon–Fri, 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)
• Online benefits portal: MyWisVets
• Property-tax-credit questions (the tax side): Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue — Veterans Credit FAQ

1. Anything tied to your actual VA rating — filing a new claim, appealing, or seeking a higher percentage or IU — goes to a free accredited VSO. Start at your CVSO/TVSO or find one at VA.gov. Never pay a private company for basic claims help.
2. State-program questions (property-tax credit, plates, parks, education, homes, hiring, burial) go to the specific office linked in that section, or start with WDVA at 1-800-947-8387.

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