A VA disability rating opens more than a monthly check. States add their own benefits, and many tie them to a rating level: a hunting license at 50%, a free state park pass at 60%, a full property tax exemption at 100% permanent and total.
This page compares those tiers. The first table covers the states where we’ve published a detailed benefits-by-rating guide. The second lists, for all 51 jurisdictions, the rating rule behind the main property tax benefit and the state veterans agency’s website, where the full list of state benefits usually lives.
How rating tiers work
VA assigns ratings in 10% steps. A state benefit names the tier it needs, and the wording matters. “Any service-connected rating” means 10% or more. “Rated 100%” may or may not include a veteran paid at the 100% rate through individual unemployability (TDIU)1. “Permanent and total” means VA has also found the disability won’t improve.
For reference, 2026 compensation for a single veteran is $180.42 a month at 10%, $1,132.90 at 50%, $1,808.45 at 70% and $3,938.58 at 100%2. State perks are separate from, and in addition to, these payments.
States we've covered rating by rating
| State | Key tiers (from our state guide) |
|---|---|
| California | Any service-connected rating: college fee waiver for children (Plan B, income-tested); 50%: free Distinguished Veteran Pass and $10 hunting and fishing licenses; 70%: priority admission to the Veterans Homes of California; 100% or TDIU: Disabled Veterans' Exemption, larger from 2027 under SB 296. |
| Florida | Any rating: free lifetime family state park pass; 10%: $5,000 property tax exemption; 50%: free hunting and fishing licenses; 100% P&T: no homestead property tax, a free license plate, a free driver license and family education benefits. |
| Georgia | Any rating: 25% off park entry. With a GDVS discount card; 10%: business tax relief. Ten years free of local occupation taxes; 70%: state home fee paid. VA covers the daily fee; 100% or TDIU: $126,526 homestead exemption. Plus free plates and vehicle tax relief. |
| Illinois | 10%: free hunting and fishing. With an IDVA disability affidavit; 30% and 50%: EAV reductions. $2,500 and $5,000; 50%: no registration fee plate. One military series set; 70%: first $250,000 of EAV exempt. And no veterans home maintenance charge. |
| New York | Every 10% counts for property tax. Half your rating comes off assessed value, up to local caps; 40%: $5 licenses and the Access Pass. Hunting, fishing, trapping and state parks; 70%: free routine care in a state home. VA pays the home the full cost; P&T: a full exemption where offered. A new local option from October 2026. |
| North Carolina | Any rating: a Partially Disabled Veteran plate. At no added cost beyond the regular plate fee; 20%: scholarship eligibility for children. Class II, for wartime service-connected disabilities; 50%: a lifetime hunting and fishing license. For North Carolina residents; 100% or IU: a free Disabled Veterans plate. And P&T status unlocks the $45,000 homestead exclusion. |
| Ohio | Any rating. County veterans offices help free, and may grant emergency aid; 100% or TDIU. Homestead exemption on $59,400 of value (2026); Rated or paid at 100%. Disabled veteran plates without registration fees; Permanent and total. Free Ohio hunting and fishing licenses. |
| Pennsylvania | Any rating: a disabled veteran plate. From PennDOT, with VA or service certification; 60% to 99%: reduced licenses. A $1 hunting license if the disability is war-incurred; 100%: free licenses and possible tax relief. Plus PennDOT's severely disabled veteran plate; Specific injuries: $150 a month. Blind and amputee or paralyzed veterans pensions. |
| Texas | 10%: property tax savings start. $5,000 off one property; 50%: free hunting and fishing. Super Combo license; 60%: free driver's license and park entry. With a companion at the parks; 70%: free state veterans home care. Generally, per VLB. |
| Virginia | 30% and up. Discounted lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing licenses; 90% permanent. VMSDEP tuition waivers for a spouse and children; 100% P&T. Real estate and vehicle tax exemptions, and a free license; 100% letter. A free Veterans Disability Passport for state parks. |
Source: As cited in each WeFoundCare benefits-by-rating guide: 345678921011121314151617181920.
Full guides: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia.
The property tax rating rule in every state
Property tax is usually the largest rating-linked state benefit. The table below gives the headline rule from our property tax guide for each state, with the state veterans agency’s website for the broader list of benefits. For other perks in states without a detailed guide, check the agency site or a county veteran service officer.
| State | State veterans agency site | Property tax headline (from our state guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | va.alabama.gov | H-3: all property tax exempt. For a permanently and totally disabled owner, with no income limit. |
| Alaska | veterans.alaska.gov | $150,000 off assessed value. Required by state law in every taxing municipality. |
| Arizona | dvs.az.gov | Full exemption at 100% or TDIU. The primary residence is fully exempt. |
| Arkansas | portal.arkansas.gov | Home and personal property. Both are exempt for qualifying veterans. |
| California | calvet.ca.gov | Basic: $180,671 off in 2026. $185,889 in 2027. |
| Colorado | vets.colorado.gov | 50% of the first $200,000. Up to $100,000 of actual value is exempt. |
| Connecticut | portal.ct.gov | 100% P&T: full exemption. On the home, or one vehicle if you don't own a home. |
| Delaware | vets.delaware.gov | 100% P&T or unemployability. The two ways to qualify. |
| District of Columbia | communityaffairs.dc.gov | $445,000 off assessed value. For a veteran rated 100% P&T or paid at 100% for unemployability. |
| Florida | floridavets.org | 10% or more: $5,000 off. Applies to any property a qualifying veteran owns. |
| Georgia | veterans.georgia.gov | $126,526 off assessed value. Tax year 2026. |
| Hawaii | dod.hawaii.gov | Four counties, four rules. There's no state property tax. |
| Idaho | veterans.idaho.gov | Up to $1,500 off. On the home and up to one acre. |
| Illinois | veterans.illinois.gov | 30% to 49%: $2,500. Off equalized assessed value. |
| Indiana | in.gov | A 100% deduction for total disability. No assessed value cap starting with 2026 pay 2027. |
| Iowa | dva.iowa.gov | The whole tax on the homestead. For permanent 100% service-connected or P&T TDIU veterans. |
| Kansas | kovs.ks.gov | No outright exemption. Kansas uses refunds instead. |
| Kentucky | veterans.ky.gov | $49,100 off the assessed value. For the 2025 and 2026 tax years. |
| Louisiana | vetaffairs.la.gov | 100% or TDIU: fully exempt. The entire assessed value of the homestead. |
| Maine | maine.gov | Now: $6,000. For wartime veterans 62 or older or receiving total-disability benefits. |
| Maryland | veterans.maryland.gov | Permanent 100% rating: fully exempt. The dwelling and its yard. |
| Massachusetts | mass.gov | Starts at a 10% rating. Clause 22: $400 off the tax bill. |
| Michigan | michigan.gov | A full exemption. Not a partial discount. |
| Minnesota | mn.gov | $150,000 at 70% or more. Of homestead market value excluded. |
| Mississippi | msva.ms.gov | Total exemption at a total rating. Service-connected, honorably discharged. |
| Missouri | mvc.dps.mo.gov | Up to $1,100 for owners. And up to $750 for renters. |
| Montana | veterans.mt.gov | For 100% service-connected veterans. Rated, or paid at the 100% rate. |
| Nebraska | veterans.nebraska.gov | No income limit for 100% veterans. Category 4V covers 100% permanent or individual unemployability. |
| Nevada | veterans.nv.gov | For permanent ratings of 60% or more. Three tiers: 60–79%, 80–99% and 100%. |
| New Hampshire | nhveterans.nh.gov | $700 standard credit. For a total and permanent service-connected disability. |
| New Jersey | nj.gov | Full exemption at 100% P&T. On the main home you own and live in. |
| New Mexico | dvs.nm.gov | $10,000 veteran exemption. Up from $4,000, now adjusted for inflation. |
| New York | veterans.ny.gov | Half your rating comes off. On top of 15% for wartime and 10% for combat. |
| North Carolina | milvets.nc.gov | $45,000 off the home's value. Under G.S. 105-277.1C. |
| North Dakota | veterans.nd.gov | Starts at a 50% rating. Or TDIU paid at the 100% rate. |
| Ohio | dvs.ohio.gov | $59,400 of market value. For tax year 2026 ($58,000 for 2025). |
| Oklahoma | oklahoma.gov | The full value of the homestead. Not a fixed dollar slice. |
| Oregon | oregon.gov | Starts at 40% disability. Rated by VA or the armed forces. |
| Pennsylvania | pa.gov | 100%, IU or certain severe losses. Plus wartime service and an honorable discharge. |
| Rhode Island | vets.ri.gov | Amounts vary by town. R.I. Gen. Laws 44-3-4 lists dozens of town-specific amounts. |
| South Carolina | scdva.sc.gov | The home is fully exempt. For veterans permanently and totally disabled from service-connected disability. |
| South Dakota | vetaffairs.sd.gov | $200,000 off the home's value. Home, garage and lot, for veterans rated permanently and totally disabled from service. |
| Tennessee | tn.gov | A reimbursement, not an exemption. The state pays back tax on up to $175,000 of market value. |
| Texas | tvc.texas.gov | From 10%: $5,000 off. Rising to $12,000 at 70%. |
| Utah | veterans.utah.gov | Up to $535,459 of taxable value. The 2026 limit, adjusted each year. |
| Vermont | veterans.vermont.gov | $10,000 minimum. Off the appraised value, on municipal and education grand lists. |
| Virginia | dvs.virginia.gov | A full exemption. On the home and up to one acre, sometimes more. |
| Washington | dva.wa.gov | Income-based, not rating-based alone. Your county's thresholds decide the amount. |
| West Virginia | veterans.wv.gov | A credit that refunds the tax. For veterans rated 90% or more, or paid at the IU rate. |
| Wisconsin | dva.wi.gov | 100% of the tax back. On the primary home and up to one acre. |
| Wyoming | wyomilitary.wyo.gov | $6,000 of assessed value. Doubled from $3,000 starting with 2025 taxes. |
Source: State statutes, revenue departments and veterans agencies, as cited in each WeFoundCare state guide: 21222324252627282983031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535415555657585960611762632064656667.
Property tax guides: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Ratings that fall between tiers
A veteran at 60% in a state whose benefit starts at 70% gets nothing from that benefit, even though VA pays more at 60% than at 50%. When a family is close to a tier, a rating increase claim may be worth discussing with an accredited representative, especially if conditions have worsened with age. TDIU can also move a veteran into a 100% tier in states that count it; see TDIU and P&T property tax rules.
Spouses and survivors
Some rating-based perks pass to a surviving spouse, especially property tax exemptions; see surviving spouse rules by state. Many license and vehicle perks end at the veteran’s death. Federal survivor benefits are in our survivors guide.
To prove a rating to any state office, download the benefit summary letter and select the fields that show the combined rating, TDIU and P&T status68. Our letter guide explains each field. For the exemption amounts in every state, see property tax exemptions by state.