Colorado’s veteran exemption uses the same 50%-of-$200,000 formula as its long-standing senior exemption, and it has no age requirement for veterans12. The state reimburses the county treasurer, so local budgets don’t suffer when you claim it1.
Here’s who qualifies, what it’s worth, how the senior exemption interacts with it and how to apply.
Who qualifies
| Applicant | Main requirement | Remarriage |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran with a disability | Honorable discharge and a VA service-connected rating of 100% permanent, or individual unemployability (TDIU) | n/a |
| Surviving spouse of an exempt veteran | Veteran previously received the exemption; spouse still lives in the same home | Must not have remarried |
| Gold Star spouse | Service member died in the line of duty with a DoD death gratuity, or from a VA-determined service-connected cause with DIC being paid | Does not disqualify |
Source: Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs and Division of Property Taxation31
The Division of Veterans Affairs’ FAQ adds that TDIU veterans qualify when rated at least 70% but paid at the 100% rate, and that there’s no age requirement for veterans3. The home must have been owned and occupied as your primary residence since January 1 of the year you apply32.
What it's worth
Half of the first $200,000 of actual value is exempt, so the most any home can have taken off is $100,000 of actual value. A house valued at $480,000 is taxed as if it were worth $380,000; a house worth $150,000 has $75,000 exempted1. The dollar saving depends on Colorado’s residential assessment rate and your local mill levy, so ask your county assessor or treasurer for an estimate.
Unlike some states, Colorado doesn’t fully exempt the home of a 100% disabled veteran. It’s a fixed slice, which is why the exemption matters most to veterans in lower- and middle-value homes.
If you also qualify as a senior
The senior exemption uses the same formula and, for tax year 2026, requires being born on or before January 1, 1961 and having owned and occupied the home continuously since January 1, 20162. A property can only get one exemption a year, even if one owner qualifies as a senior and another as a disabled veteran1. So for an older couple, there’s no stacking. File under whichever program is easier to document, and keep the other as a fallback if circumstances change.
If the veteran moves to a nursing home
Colorado treats the home as the veteran’s primary residence during a temporary stay in a nursing home or assisted living if it stays empty or is occupied only by a spouse or financial dependents3. Renting it out to someone else would end that. Homes held in a trust or entity purely for estate planning can still qualify3.
How to apply
Since January 1, 2024, applications go straight to your county assessor, not the Division of Veterans Affairs. Send the application with your VA Benefit Summary Letter between January 1 and July 13. Applications received July 2 through December 31 aren’t held over; many are destroyed for security reasons, and you’ll need to reapply when the window reopens3.
- Get the official form. From DOLA's Division of Property Taxation or your assessor's office3.
- Attach your VA letter. It must show 100% P&T or TDIU; most assessors want one dated within 365 days. Gold Star spouses without a letter can send DD Form 13003. See getting your VA benefit summary letter.
- Include SSNs. The state uses them to stop duplicate exemptions; the Division suggests mailing or hand-delivering rather than emailing3.
- Mail or deliver to your assessor. For example, Jefferson County uses a dedicated senior and veteran exemption mailbox, and El Paso County's assessor is at 1675 Garden of the Gods Road3.
After approval
You don’t reapply each year at the same address unless your VA status changes. If you move, file a new application with your VA letter for the new home between January 1 and July 13. Tell the assessor within 60 days about any change in ownership or occupancy; there are penalties for not doing so, and the exemption is never granted for years before your first application1.
A Colorado example
A 68-year-old Army veteran in Pueblo is rated 80% and paid at the 100% rate through TDIU. He has owned his home since 2015. In March he downloads the application, attaches a fresh VA Benefit Summary Letter and hand-delivers both to the Pueblo County Assessor. Half of the first $200,000 of his home’s value comes off the taxable value that year31. If he dies, his wife can keep it on the same home as long as she doesn’t remarry3.
Mistakes to avoid
Free help
Questions about the rules can go to the Division of Property Taxation at 303-864-7777 or your assessor1. For other states, see disabled veteran property tax by state.