Ohio Disabled Veteran Benefits: Tax Relief, Scholarships, and Hiring Preference

Ohio disabled veteran benefits include a property tax exemption worth tens of thousands of dollars on a home’s value, a full state income tax exclusion on VA disability pay, free hunting and fishing licenses, free state park camping, free military license plates, scholarships for veterans’ children and caregivers, admission to state veterans homes, and emergency financial assistance through every county. Most of the largest programs require a 100% service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but several extend to lower ratings or to any honorably discharged veteran.

Property Tax Homestead Exemption

The single largest dollar benefit is the Homestead Exemption for disabled veterans under Ohio Revised Code 323.152, which shields up to $50,000 of a home’s market value from property taxation.¹²³ Unlike the standard homestead exemption for seniors and people with disabilities, this version has no income limit.

To qualify, you must hold a 100% VA disability rating or be paid at the 100% rate based on individual unemployability as of January 1 of the application year, and you must own and occupy the home as your principal residence on that date. Property titled to a corporation, partnership, or LLC does not qualify.¹

A surviving spouse can keep the exemption if they lived in the home at the time of the veteran’s death and continue to own and occupy it. Eligibility ends the year after the surviving spouse remarries.¹

File Form DTE 105I with your county auditor by December 31 of the application year. Attach a copy of your DD-214 and a VA award letter confirming the 100% rating or individual unemployability determination.¹

Ohio Income Tax Exclusions

VA disability compensation and pension payments are not subject to Ohio income tax. The same exclusion covers VA grants for wheelchair-accessible housing and for motor vehicles issued to veterans who have lost the use of limbs or sight.⁴⁵

These exclusions apply at any disability rating. A veteran rated at 10% pays no Ohio income tax on their VA compensation.

Free Military License Plates

Veterans with a 100% service-connected rating, or those receiving a VA monetary allowance to purchase a motor vehicle, can get up to two free military license plates from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The veteran must appear as an owner on the vehicle title.⁶

You can’t register these plates online. Visit a BMV deputy registrar office with your documentation, in which case plates arrive in seven to ten business days, or mail your documents to the address on your renewal notice, which takes three to four weeks.⁶

One boundary worth knowing: Ohio has no blanket sales tax exemption on vehicle purchases for disabled veterans. The federal VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment grant remain available separately to eligible veterans.

Free Hunting, Fishing, and Camping

Under Ohio Revised Code 1533.12, the Division of Wildlife issues free hunting and fishing privileges to permanently and totally disabled veterans and former prisoners of war who live in Ohio.⁷ The package covers a fishing license, hunting license, fur taker permit, deer permit, wild turkey permit, and wetlands habitat stamp.⁸

You must have lived in Ohio for at least six consecutive months, hold an honorable discharge, and have a VA-determined permanent and total disability. Veterans issued disabled veterans license plates under ORC 4503.41 also qualify. Submit Form DNR 9032-B to the Ohio Department of Veterans Services for certification; processing runs four to twelve weeks. Approval is good for five years, but the actual license still has to be obtained each year from a license agent or online, because licenses expire at the end of February.⁸

The Department of Natural Resources also runs a Disabled Veteran and Former Prisoner of War Free Camping Pass. The pass is good for five years and provides free camping at Ohio state parks. Eligibility goes to honorably discharged Ohio residents who are former POWs or permanently and totally disabled and receiving VA compensation. Pass holders still pay the $6.50 reservation fee and any modification fees, must be present at check-in as the primary occupant, and can’t transfer the benefit or use it on multiple sites at once. Apply at ReserveOhio.com or by mail with a VA benefit letter.⁹

Education Help for Children and Caregivers

Ohio’s disability-tied education benefits mostly flow to a veteran’s family, not the veteran.

War Orphan and Severely Disabled Veterans’ Children Scholarship

This scholarship pays general and instructional fees for up to five years of undergraduate study at eligible Ohio colleges. A child qualifies if the veteran parent is rated 60% or higher service-connected, is receiving VA benefits for a total and permanent non-service-connected disability, or is deceased, missing in action, or a former prisoner of war.⁴ The child must be an Ohio resident between 16 and 25 and enrolled full-time. Applications are due May 15 for the following school year.¹⁰ The 60% threshold makes this one of the few Ohio programs reachable below a 100% rating.

Hidden Heroes Scholarship

Caregivers of veterans with a 100% service-connected disability can receive tuition, fee, and book assistance through the Hidden Heroes Scholarship. The caregiver must be enrolled in the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, be an Ohio resident, and not be in default on federal student loans. Participating schools include Wright State University, the University of Dayton, and Lorain County Community College.⁴

Civil Service Hiring Preference

Under Ohio Revised Code 124.23, an honorably discharged veteran who lives in Ohio gets 20% added to their passing score on a state or local civil service examination. Reserve component members in good standing who have completed initial entry-level training receive a 15% credit. The two credits are mutually exclusive, and neither applies unless the applicant first achieves a passing grade without it.¹¹ Ohio does not add a separate enhanced preference tied to disability rating.

Ohio Veterans Homes

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services runs two state veterans homes, in Sandusky and Georgetown. Both offer intermediate nursing care and specialized memory care for Alzheimer’s and dementia. The Sandusky campus also has a domiciliary for veterans who can live independently or with light supervision.¹²

To be admitted, you must have been an Ohio citizen for at least one year, hold an honorable or under-honorable-conditions discharge, have served on active duty during a period of war or declared armed conflict (or received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or Vietnam Service Medal), and have a disability that renders you incapable of earning a living.¹²

Costs depend on level of care and whether the resident qualifies for VA per diem payments. On the most recently published fee schedule, monthly maximum rates for VA per diem-eligible residents ran from $649 for independent-living domiciliary care to $3,252 for nursing home special care units. Residents not eligible for VA per diem paid significantly higher rates, and individual assessments may come in lower based on verified income and assets.¹³

County Veterans Service Commissions

Every Ohio county has a Veterans Service Commission established under ORC Chapter 5901, funded largely by local property tax levies.¹⁴ These offices are often the fastest route to help for a disabled veteran, and the services are free.

County VSCs provide temporary, need-based financial help for housing, utilities, food, transportation, and clothing. Under ORC 5901.08, eligibility reaches veterans, active-duty members, and their spouses, surviving spouses, dependent parents, and minor or disabled children, provided they have lived in the county for at least three months.¹⁴ Caps vary by county. Montgomery County, for example, sets a $25,000 lifetime limit.¹⁵ Burial assistance is also available for indigent veterans; Butler County offers up to $1,000 when the funeral home bill is $5,000 or less.¹⁶

County service officers also prepare and file federal VA claims at no charge, including service-connected disability compensation, non-service-connected pension, and Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits. Ohio does not add a state supplement to federal Aid and Attendance, so the county office’s role is to help you reach the federal program.¹⁷¹⁸

Concealed Carry License Fee Waiver

Ohio waives the concealed handgun license fee for veterans. According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, veterans who present a DD-214 confirming an honorable discharge pay no fee, and the training requirement is also waived.¹⁹ A disability rating is not required.

What You Can Get With a Rating Below 100%

Most of Ohio’s headline benefits sit behind a 100% or permanent-and-total requirement. At lower ratings, your Ohio-side options are:

Ohio income tax exclusion on VA disability compensation, at any rating.
War Orphan and Severely Disabled Veterans’ Children Scholarship for your child, at a 60% or higher rating.⁴
Civil service exam preference, open to any honorably discharged veteran.¹¹
County VSC emergency financial assistance, based on need and veteran status rather than rating.¹⁴
Concealed carry fee and training waiver, open to any veteran with an honorable discharge.¹⁹

If you’re not sure what you qualify for, your county veterans service officer can walk through the full list at no cost. The Ohio Department of Veterans Services maintains a county directory and can be reached at (614) 644-0898.²⁰

1
Ohio Department of Taxation. DTE 105I Homestead Exemption Application for Disabled Veterans
2
Greene County Ohio. Homestead Exemption
3
Butler County Auditor. Homestead Exemption
4
MyArmyBenefits. Ohio State and Territory Benefits
5
TaxSlayer. Is My Military Income Taxable to Ohio
6
Ohio BMV. Military Veteran License Plates
7
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. ORC Section 1533.12
8
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. DNR Form 9032-B Disabled Veterans and Former POWs Five-Year Free License Application
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Ohio Department of Natural Resources. State Parks Camping Discounts
10
CollegeAdvantage. Ohio’s Higher Education Commitment to Our Veterans and Active Military
11
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. ORC Section 124.23
12
Ohio Department of Veterans Services. Ohio Veterans Home Admission Application
13
Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission. Ohio Veterans Home Application and Fee Schedule
14
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. ORC Chapter 5901
15
Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission. Financial Assistance
16
Butler County Veterans Service Commission. Financial Assistance
17
Lorain County Veterans Service Office. Pension
18
Fayette County Veterans Service Commission. Veterans Service Commission
19
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Concealed Carry Permit
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Ohio Department of Veterans Services. Ohio Veterans Homes