Mississippi Disabled Veteran Benefits: Property, Tax, and Education

Mississippi disabled veteran benefits include a full property tax exemption on the homestead, exclusion of VA compensation and military retirement from state income tax, $1 license plates with no vehicle taxes, a hunting and fishing license exemption, tuition waivers for children, and admission to state veterans homes. Most require an honorable discharge and a VA-documented service-connected disability, though the rating percentage needed varies by program.

Full Property Tax Exemption on Your Home

The largest benefit by far: a veteran with a service-connected total disability who was honorably discharged pays no ad valorem (property) tax on their primary residence. The exemption is set by Mississippi Code § 27-33-67 and § 27-33-75 and covers veterans rated 100% by the VA, including those paid at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability.¹

The homestead includes your primary residence and surrounding land up to 160 acres total.² It stays in place as long as you occupy the property, and it passes to your unremarried surviving spouse. Move to a new home anywhere in the state and you have to re-establish the homestead claim at the new address.

File at the County Tax Assessor’s office between January 1 and April 1. Miss April 1 and you wait a full year to claim it, so put the deadline on a calendar as soon as you move in.³

State Income Tax Exclusion

Military retirement pay is fully exempt from Mississippi income tax. VA disability compensation and disability pensions are also excluded, along with compensation paid to a veteran’s family, grants for wheelchair-accessible housing, and grants for motor vehicles for veterans who have lost their sight or the use of their limbs.⁴ Stacked with the homestead exemption, a totally disabled veteran removes two of the largest recurring tax bills a household faces.

$1 License Plates and No Vehicle Taxes

Mississippi Code § 27-19-53 authorizes $1 disabled veteran plates that eliminate all ad valorem and privilege taxes on the vehicles they’re attached to. Two groups qualify:⁵

Veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability.
Veterans with a 70% or greater nonpermanent service-connected disability.

Either group can get up to two motor vehicle plates and one motorcycle plate at $1 each, covering passenger cars, pickups, and motorcycles. The tax exemption on the vehicle itself can save several hundred dollars a year depending on value. Buy the plates through the County Tax Collector in your county of legal residence.

An unremarried surviving spouse can keep or newly apply for the plates and renew them for up to two vehicles and one motorcycle, filing a sworn statement each year that they remain unmarried.

Purple Heart Plates

Purple Heart recipients have a separate program under Mississippi Code § 27-19-56.5 for up to five motor vehicle plates and one motorcycle plate. Only the first plate is exempt from ad valorem taxes, privilege taxes, and fees; additional plates cost the normal amount.⁶ An unremarried surviving spouse may keep one tax-exempt plate.

No Hunting or Fishing License Required

Mississippi Code § 49-7-5 exempts any resident adjudged by the VA to have a total service-connected disability from buying or carrying a hunting or fishing license, saltwater fishing included.⁷ You can either carry proof of your disability and residency in the field or get a free “Disabled Exempt” license from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks as convenient documentation.⁸ Season dates, bag limits, and harvest reporting still apply. The exemption only waives the fee, which normally runs $25 to $45 or more.

Education Benefits for Veterans and Their Children

Several programs run in parallel, and which one fits depends on who’s enrolling.

Tuition Waiver for Children of Disabled Veterans

Children of qualifying veterans can attend any Mississippi state university or public community college tuition-free. The parent must have died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability, be rated 100% or totally disabled by the VA, or have been discharged with a rating of 40% or more. The student has to be a Mississippi resident and cannot have turned 24 on the first day of the term they enroll in. The veteran parent must have been a Mississippi resident when entering service or have lived in the state long enough to meet the residency requirement before the child applies. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning runs the program.

The waiver covers tuition. It has historically not covered books, fees, or room and board, and students have to maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school.

In-State Tuition for Veterans

Any veteran as defined by Title 38, or anyone entitled to Title 38 education benefits, qualifies for in-state tuition at Mississippi’s state institutions no matter where they currently live.⁹ Active-duty personnel stationed in Mississippi also count as state residents for tuition.¹⁰

POW/MIA Dependent Scholarship

Children of service members officially reported as a prisoner of war or missing in action receive an eight-semester scholarship at any state-supported college or university. It covers tuition only, not books, food, supplies, or extracurricular fees. The service member’s official home of record and residence must be in Mississippi.¹⁰

National Guard Tuition

Mississippi National Guard members can draw from the State Education Assistance Program (SEAP), with per-semester and annual caps that vary by school type (state university, community college, or vocational program) and funding levels that depend on state appropriations.¹¹ Guard members using the Post-9/11 GI Bill are limited to the part-time SEAP amount, and you have to be a registered Mississippi voter to qualify.

State Veterans Homes

Mississippi runs state veterans homes offering long-term residential care. Any veteran who served on active duty and was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable can apply, and the spouse of a current resident may also be admitted. Mississippi residents get priority, but nonresidents can be accepted when no state resident is on the waiting list.⁴ Room rates and monthly costs aren’t posted on the state VA website; they’re included in the downloadable admission packets at msva.ms.gov.¹²

Documents, Offices, and Deadlines

Two documents cover nearly every application: your DD-214, showing discharge status, and a current VA Benefits Summary Letter, showing your rating and its effective date. Mississippi chancery clerks will record your discharge paperwork at no cost.¹⁰ Where you file depends on the benefit:

Property tax exemption: County Tax Assessor, between January 1 and April 1. Bring a Mississippi driver’s license or utility bill with your physical address and the legal description of the property. The April 1 deadline is firm.³
Disabled veteran or Purple Heart plates: County Tax Collector, renewed annually, with your VA disability documentation.
Hunting and fishing exemption: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, or carry proof in the field.⁸
Education programs: the financial aid office at the school where you or your dependent plans to enroll.

Most initial filings require an in-person visit. Check that every form shows the same VA file number and name spelling before you go; mismatched identifiers are the most common cause of processing delays.

1
Justia. Mississippi Code 27-33-67 – Exemptions for Persons Under 65 Years of Age Who Are Not Totally Disabled; Exemptions for Persons Over 65 Years of Age and Persons Who Are Totally Disabled
2
Cornell Law Institute. 35 Mississippi Code R 6-03-06-101.03 – Limits
3
Mississippi Department of Revenue. Homestead Exemption
4
MyArmyBenefits. Mississippi Military and Veterans Benefits
5
Justia. Mississippi Code 27-19-53 – Special License Tags or Plates; American Veterans With 100% Permanent or at Least 70% Nonpermanent Service-Connected Disabilities
6
Justia. Mississippi Code 27-19-56.5 – Special License Tags or Plates; Pearl Harbor Survivors and Purple Heart Recipients
7
Justia. Mississippi Code 49-7-5 – Fees for Resident Hunting, Fishing Licenses
8
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Permits and Applications
9
Justia. Mississippi Code 37-103-25 – Tuition and Fees for Attending State Institutions of Higher Learning
10
Mississippi VA. Mississippi Veteran Benefits for Disabled and Non-Disabled Veterans
11
Mississippi National Guard. Education Benefits
12
Mississippi VA. Veterans Homes