If you live in Virginia and hold a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability rating from the VA, the state layers its own benefits on top of your federal compensation. The big ones for a 100 percent disabled veteran in Virginia are a full real estate tax exemption on your home, no personal property tax or sales tax on one vehicle, free Disabled Veteran license plates, tuition waivers for your spouse and children at Virginia public colleges, free state park access, free lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, and a hiring preference for state government jobs. Several of these carry over to a surviving spouse who does not remarry.
Full Property Tax Exemption on Your Home
Virginia exempts the principal residence of a 100% service-connected, permanent, and totally disabled veteran from all real estate taxes. The exemption sits in the state constitution (Article X, Section 6-A) and is implemented at Code of Virginia § 58.1-3219.5 through § 58.1-3219.8.1Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia, Title 58.1, Chapter 32, Article 2.3
Who Qualifies
You need a VA rating of 100% service-connected, permanent, and total. Veterans rated less than 100% on the schedule but paid at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability (TDIU) also qualify, so long as the rating is permanent and total.2Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Tax Exemptions You have to occupy the home as your principal residence, but time spent in a hospital or nursing home does not disqualify you as long as the property isn’t leased out for money.1Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia, Title 58.1, Chapter 32, Article 2.3
What the Exemption Covers
The dwelling itself and up to one acre of the surrounding land are exempt, along with non-business outbuildings like a garage or shed. If your locality already exempts or defers taxes on more than one acre under § 58.1-3210, your veteran’s exemption matches that larger acreage. Manufactured homes qualify even if you don’t own the land beneath them, though the land in that case isn’t exempt.3Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia § 58.1-3219.5
How to Claim It
File an affidavit with your local Commissioner of the Revenue. The exemption starts on the date of your VA rating or the date you acquired the property, whichever is later, and you can apply before you’ve even bought a home. Eligibility disputes go to the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services; disputes over the assessed value go to circuit court.2Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Tax Exemptions
Surviving Spouses
The exemption passes to the surviving spouse if the veteran died on or after January 1, 2011, and the spouse does not remarry. A 2018 constitutional change lets the surviving spouse move to a different Virginia home and keep the exemption.4Virginia Code Commission. Constitution of Virginia, Article X, Section 6-A
Vehicle Taxes and License Plates
No Personal Property Tax on One Vehicle
Since January 1, 2021, Code of Virginia § 58.1-3668 exempts one motor vehicle from local personal property tax when it’s owned and used primarily by or for a 100% service-connected, permanent, and totally disabled veteran. The vehicle must be a passenger car or a pickup or panel truck registered for personal use, and if you’re married, either spouse can be the owner. TDIU veterans paid at the 100% rate qualify too.5City of Suffolk. Disabled Veteran Personal Property Tax Relief File the VA Summary of Benefits letter with your local Commissioner of the Revenue. This one ends at your death and does not transfer to a surviving spouse.2Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Tax Exemptions
Some localities offer an additional reduced tax rate on a vehicle under § 58.1-3506 for veterans who are blind, have lost the use of a limb, or are permanently and totally disabled. It’s optional at the local level, so ask your Commissioner of the Revenue whether your city or county participates.2Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Tax Exemptions
No Sales Tax on One Vehicle Purchase
A 100% permanent and totally disabled veteran is exempt from Virginia sales and use tax on the purchase of one vehicle owned and used primarily by or for the veteran. A spouse can be the purchaser if the vehicle is used primarily by or for the veteran. Submit DMV Form SUT-3 (Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption) with a copy of the VA Benefit Summary Letter.6MyAirForceBenefits. Virginia State and Territory Benefits
Free Disabled Veteran License Plates
The DMV issues one free set of Disabled Veteran (DV) plates to permanently and totally disabled veterans, with registration and special plate fees waived. Additional sets for other vehicles are available at standard fees. Bring a signed Certificate of Disability (Form VSA 54) or a VA benefit letter. Unremarried surviving spouses can also get one free set.7Virginia DMV. Disabled Veteran License Plates
State Income Tax
VA disability compensation is a qualified military benefit under federal law and is excluded from both federal and Virginia gross income, so it never appears on your return and there’s nothing to subtract.8Virginia Department of Taxation. Military Benefits FAQ
If you also receive military retirement pay that is taxable federally, Virginia offers a Military Benefits Subtraction of up to $40,000 for tax year 2025 and beyond, up from $30,000 in 2024. Both spouses on a joint return may each claim the subtraction if each has qualifying military benefits. Military disability retirement pay included in federal taxable income can also qualify for a separate Disability Income Subtraction, but the same dollars can’t be used for both.8Virginia Department of Taxation. Military Benefits FAQ
Tuition Waivers for Your Spouse and Children
The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) waives tuition and mandatory fees for up to eight semesters at any Virginia public college or university for the spouse and children of a veteran rated totally and permanently disabled (or at least 90% permanently disabled) from military service.9Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program
Children must be biological or adopted and between 16 and 29. Spouses must be the current spouse. A stipend for room, board, and books may be available each semester, with the amount set annually by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Apply through the VMSDEP portal; target dates are July 1 for fall, November 1 for spring, and April 1 for summer. You’ll need the DD Form 214, a VA Benefits Summary Narrative, proof of the family relationship, and proof of admission.9Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program
Free State Park Access
The Department of Conservation and Recreation issues a free Veteran Disability Passport to veterans with a 100% service-connected rating. It covers parking, admission, and boat launching at Virginia state parks and gives the veteran a 50% discount on camping, yurts, camping cabins, shelters, swimming, and equipment rentals. Parking covers everyone in the vehicle. Admission to museums, natural areas, and historic sites is covered for the veteran only, unless you need an assistant to enter, in which case that person is covered too. The 50% discounts stay with the veteran and can’t be transferred. The passport is valid as long as the 100% rating is in effect.10Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Veteran Disability Passport Application
Free Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses
Under § 29.1-302 of the Code of Virginia, Virginia residents with a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability qualify for free lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing licenses. A lifetime trapping license is $15. Licenses are nontransferable. You’ll submit a copy of your Virginia driver’s license or DMV ID plus either a VA Certification of Disability or a completed Veterans’ Certificate of Disability form validated by the VA; a VA ID card alone is not enough. Hunting applicants must have completed a Hunter Education course or previously held a hunting license after age 18. Processing may take up to 45 days. Non-resident disabled veterans have a separate special annual license.11Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Resident Disabled Veteran Lifetime License Application
State Job Hiring Preference
Code of Virginia § 2.2-2903 gives veterans with any service-connected disability rating a 10% credit added to their passing score on scored hiring tests for Virginia state government positions, double the 5% credit for veterans without a disability rating. For jobs without scored tests, agencies apply an equivalent preference during screening, and the preference stays with the applicant through the final hiring decision.12Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. Policy Guide – Preference for Veteran, National Guard, Surviving Spouse, Child Eligible veterans and spouses also receive priority of service at Virginia Works offices for federally funded employment programs, including job readiness assessments, resume help, and career counseling.13MyArmyBenefits. Virginia State and Territory Benefits
Other Benefits Worth Knowing
Homestead exemption boost. Under § 34-4.1, a Virginia veteran with a service-connected disability of 40% or more can shield an additional $10,000 in real and personal property from creditors, on top of the standard $25,000 homestead exemption (which itself doubles to $50,000 for disabled individuals). Filing procedures follow § 34-6 for real estate and § 34-14 for personal property.14Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia, Title 34, Chapter 2
Home modification grants. Virginia Housing’s Granting Freedom program provides grants of up to $8,000 (no repayment) for modifications like ramps, chairlifts, remote entry devices, and changes to bathrooms, kitchens, doorways, and sidewalks. Applications go through an accepted agent. This is separate from the federal VA’s Specially Adapted Housing grants.15Virginia Housing. Accessibility Grants
Veterans care centers. Virginia operates four state-run skilled nursing facilities for veterans, offering long-term nursing care, dementia and memory care, and short-term rehabilitation: Sitter & Barfoot in Richmond, Jones & Cabacoy in Virginia Beach, Davis & McDaniel in Roanoke, and Puller in Fauquier County. They accept private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, and most veterans also qualify for a VA per diem facility credit. Eligibility requires an honorable discharge, Virginia residency, and meeting medical requirements for nursing home care.16Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Veteran Skilled Nursing Facilities
Where to Get Help
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services runs 38 offices statewide and helps veterans file VA claims and apply for state benefits at no cost. Find the nearest office through the department’s website or by calling 844-VDVS-VET (844-838-7838).17Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Virginia Department of Veterans Services For the real estate tax exemption and the vehicle personal property tax exemption, the contact is always your local Commissioner of the Revenue.