Illinois disabled veteran benefits by VA rating rise in steps: 10% lets you fish without a license, 50% drops the plate registration fee, and permanent 100% brings residents free state-park camping.,, A permanent 100% service-connected rating also opens Illinois's MIA/POW Scholarship for a spouse or child and a grant of up to $250 a school year for each child aged 10 to 18.,

State jobs have no rating floor at all: under 20 ILCS 415/8b.7, Illinois adds 10 points to the civil service score of any veteran who holds VA proof of a service-connected disability. How Illinois compares with other states is on our hub for state benefits by VA rating.

In This Guide

Illinois Disabled Veteran Benefits by VA Rating: What Each Tier Unlocks

Five Illinois offices appear in the rows below: the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA), the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS), the Illinois Secretary of State, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and your county assessment office. "Not named" in the TDIU (Individual Unemployability) or P&T (permanent and total) column means the rule's wording doesn't mention it, not that it shuts you out; ask the agency before you apply.

VA rating Illinois benefit Who handles it TDIU? P&T? What to bring
Any service-connected rating (VA proof of a service-connected disability) 10 points on State civil service scores Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) Not named Not named VA proof of the service-connected disability
10% or more, or a VA total disability pension Fish without a license (515 ILCS 5/20-5(d)); free fishing and hunting license, per IDVA Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) issues the affidavit Not named Not named DD214 and current VA compensation or pension verification
30% to 49%, 50% to 69%, 70% or more Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD): $2,500 reduction in equalized assessed value (EAV) at 30% to 49%, $5,000 at 50% to 69%, first $250,000 of EAV exempt at 70% or more; full rules in our Illinois property tax guide Chief county assessment office Not named 100% P&T: no yearly reapplication Form PTAX-342, filed each year with the county
Disability declared 50% or more (not qualifying for the disability plate) Special plate without the symbol of access, no registration fee Illinois Secretary of State Not named Not named VA proof of the service-connected disability
Service-connected disability a medical provider certifies for disability plates Veterans-with-disabilities plate with the symbol of access, no registration fee Illinois Secretary of State Not named Not named Certification from a licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse
Permanent 100% service-connected (or listed limb loss, needing crutches or a wheelchair, or former POW); Illinois resident Free camping and admission in Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) parks; the statute names only the veteran IDVA issues the permit Not named Statute says "permanent" Award letter or other disability document, plus ID
Permanent 100% service-connected: the spouse or child applies MIA/POW Scholarship: no tuition or mandatory fees for the equivalent of 4 years at Illinois public colleges IDVA Named by IDVA Named by IDVA Online application through the ISAC student portal: DD214, VA award letter, proof of relationship and college registration,
Permanent 100% service-connected: a child aged 10 to 18 Up to $250 per child per school year, if funds are appropriated IDVA Named by IDVA Named by IDVA A new online application each academic year: school certification form, birth certificate, DD214, VA award letter, plus Illinois residency proof if the DD214 home of record isn't Illinois,

Any Service-Connected Rating: 10 Points on Illinois State Job Scores

Illinois's Personnel Code, 20 ILCS 415/8b.7, adds veteran preference as points to the scores of State civil service applicants who otherwise qualify, and the augmented ratings set the rank order for appointment. A veteran who currently holds proof of a service-connected disability from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or who received the Purple Heart, gets 10 points on Illinois State civil service scores, with no minimum disability rating.

CMS's rule, 80 Ill. Adm. Code 302.30, applies the same 10 points. A veteran without VA proof of a service-connected disability can still get 5 points for qualifying service during a time of hostilities, or 3 points for other qualifying service.

The federal benefits that follow your rating, starting with VA disability compensation, are sorted by tier on the state benefits by VA rating hub, and our disability compensation guide explains the monthly payment. To move up a tier, see our guide to asking VA for a higher rating.

10% and Up: Fishing Without a License, and Hunting per IDVA

Under 515 ILCS 5/20-5(d), a veteran whom VA certifies as at least 10% disabled with service-related disabilities, or who receives a total disability pension, may fish with sport fishing devices in lawful seasons without a fishing license. The fishing exemption carries one condition: the veteran's disability must not prevent fishing in a manner that is safe to the veteran and others.

IDVA's fishing and hunting permits page goes further than the fishing statute: it states that veterans receiving 10% or greater service-connected compensation, or a total disability pension, "are provided a fishing and hunting license free of charge." Confirm the hunting license with IDVA before the season opens.

A veteran using the free license must carry the affidavit the agency issues and show it on request while hunting or fishing. The papers IDVA wants for the affidavit are in Papers to Bring.

30% to 90%: Property Tax Tiers and the 50% Plate With No Registration Fee

Illinois's Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD) changes at 30%, 50% and 70%, and the three reductions are in the table above. A veteran rated below 30% may still qualify for Illinois's separate Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities (35 ILCS 200/15-168), a $2,000 reduction in EAV based on a Social Security-style test of whether a disability keeps you from any substantial gainful activity, not on a VA rating; a home can't receive it in the same year as SHEVD. Who qualifies for SHEVD, the filing form and how a surviving spouse keeps the exemption are in our Illinois disabled veteran property tax guide, and how states treat TDIU and P&T for property tax is in our rating comparison.

The 50% plate, and the plate a medical provider certifies

Illinois's plate statute, 625 ILCS 5/3-609, as amended by P.A. 104-682 effective July 31, 2026, gives an Illinois veteran with VA proof of a service-connected disability two ways to register without paying any registration fee:

  1. The 50% plate. A veteran whose degree of disability has been declared 50% or more, but whose disability doesn't qualify for persons-with-disabilities plates under Section 3-616, may apply to the Secretary of State for a special registration plate without the international symbol of access.
  2. The certified plate. When a licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse certifies that the service-connected disability qualifies the veteran for persons-with-disabilities plates or decals under Section 3-616, the veteran may apply for veterans-with-disabilities plates displaying the international symbol of access.

Apply for either plate at a Secretary of State facility or by mail, with the papers listed in Papers to Bring.

Under 625 ILCS 5/3-609 as it reads today, either plate covers one passenger vehicle, one motorcycle, or one second-division vehicle weighing 8,000 pounds or less. A later version from P.A. 104-603, effective July 1, 2027, lets a veteran apply for up to 2 sets of the veterans-with-disabilities plates that display the symbol of access.

Ratings of 60%, 70%, 80% and 90%

No Illinois benefit in this guide is keyed to a 60%, 80% or 90% rating on its own. A veteran rated 60% to 90% meets the rating tests of the job points, the 10% fishing exemption, the 50% plate and the matching SHEVD tier, with 70% or more reaching the top SHEVD tier.,,,

The threshold that matters most in this band is federal. Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), VA's regular threshold for Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is one service-connected disability rated 60% or more, or two or more disabilities with at least one rated 40% or more and a combined rating of 70% or more.

Permanent 100%: Free Camping and Admission in Illinois State Parks

Under 20 ILCS 2805/5, every Illinois-resident veteran with a disability is exempt from all camping and admission fees in parks under IDNR's control. The statute counts a resident veteran as disabled if the veteran has any of these:

  • a permanent disability from service-connected causes with 100% disability,
  • the permanent loss of use of a leg or both legs, an arm or both arms, or any combination of them,
  • a disability so severe that the veteran can't move without crutches or a wheelchair.

A former prisoner of war who lives in Illinois gets the same exemption from camping and admission fees in IDNR parks.

To claim the Illinois park exemption, take the papers listed in Papers to Bring to any IDVA office, which issues a free use permit; the agency tells applicants to apply through their local Veteran Service Office.

Permanent 100%: The MIA/POW Scholarship and the $250 Children's Grant

Both Illinois education benefits go to a veteran's family, and both statutes use the same disability test: a permanent disability from service-connected causes with 100% disability. 105 ILCS 5/30-14.2 (the MIA/POW Scholarship) and 330 ILCS 105/1 (the children's Educational Opportunity Grant) also cover the family of a veteran who is a prisoner of war or missing in action, or who died of a service-connected disability.,

MIA/POW Scholarship: Free Public-College Tuition for a Spouse or Child

Created by 105 ILCS 5/30-14.2, Illinois's Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship, known as the MIA/POW Scholarship, lets the holder attend a State-controlled university or public community college in Illinois without paying tuition or mandatory fees for the equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms.

The veteran must meet one of three Illinois residency tests under 105 ILCS 5/30-14.2:

  • an Illinois resident when entering service,
  • an Illinois resident within 6 months after entering service, or
  • an Illinois resident when the family applies, after having lived in Illinois for at least 15 consecutive years at some point after entering service.

IDVA determines MIA/POW Scholarship eligibility. The application is online: IDVA sends applicants to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) student portal (Program Applications & Status Checks). A spouse or natural child uploads:

  • the marriage certificate (a spouse) or a birth certificate naming the veteran (a child),
  • the veteran's DD214 or Casualty Report,
  • a VA award letter showing 100% permanent and total disability or a service-connected death,
  • proof of college registration or acceptance,
  • proof of 15 consecutive years of Illinois residency, if it applies.

Once eligibility is established, Illinois's rule (95 Ill. Adm. Code 116.90) says the student is issued an eligibility letter.

Children's Grant: Up to $250 a School Year for Ages 10 to 18

Illinois's Deceased, Disabled, and MIA-POW Veteran's Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant pays up to $250 per child per school year for children aged 10 to 18. Under 330 ILCS 105/1, IDVA pays the children's grant only insofar as money is appropriated for it.

For the children's grant, the child must have lived in Illinois for the 12 months before applying, and the veteran must meet the same residency test as the MIA/POW Scholarship. IDVA says the $250 grant helps with enrollment costs at an Illinois elementary, middle or junior high, high, or home school, and that families must apply again each academic year.

The grant uses the same ISAC portal. A first application needs:

  • a School Certification Form from each child's principal or registrar,
  • the child's birth certificate,
  • the veteran's DD214 for each period of active duty,
  • a VA award letter showing 100% permanent and total disability (including through Individual Unemployability) or a service-connected death,
  • any adoption decree, guardianship records or marriage certificate that applies.

If the home of record on the DD214 or Casualty Report isn't Illinois, IDVA also asks for proof that the veteran lived in Illinois within six months after entering active duty, or for 15 consecutive years after entering active duty as of the application date. Illinois tax records, voter registration, property or county assessor records, utility records, or a Secretary of State driving record such as the driver's abstract are accepted.

TDIU and P&T: What IDVA Says and What the Statutes Say

VA says TDIU can pay disability compensation at the same level as a 100% rating, and that when a veteran is granted TDIU the monthly payment changes but the disability rating stays the same. So a veteran rated 70% and paid through TDIU still holds a 70% rating, and whether an Illinois rule treats that veteran as 100% depends on the rule's wording.

For the other rows, ask the agency before you assume either way. Our TDIU guide covers how to claim TDIU, and below VA's regular thresholds, 38 CFR 4.16(b) lets VA consider TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

What "permanent" means on a VA rating

"Permanent and total" (P&T) is a VA finding about how long a total disability will last. Under 38 CFR 3.340, a total disability is permanent when the impairment is "reasonably certain to continue throughout the life of the disabled person." Illinois's park, scholarship and grant statutes each ask for a permanent 100% service-connected disability, so a 100% rating that VA hasn't found permanent may not meet those three tests.,,

Papers to Bring, and Where to Take Them

Most Illinois rows want proof of your current rating. VA's Benefit Summary Letter, which VA.gov says is sometimes called a VA award letter, is one of the letters a veteran can download to prove status for benefits that require one. Download it from VA.gov's letters page after signing in with an identity-verified account.

An IDVA office handles two of the rows:

  1. The fishing and hunting affidavit: bring your DD214 and current verification of your VA compensation or pension.
  2. The park permit: bring the award letter or other disability document and proper identification, or, for a former POW, government ID showing former-POW status.

For a plate, bring VA proof of your service-connected disability to the Secretary of State, plus the medical certification if you want the plate with the symbol of access. The mailing address is Secretary of State, 501 S. 2nd Street, Howlett Building, Springfield, IL 62756. For the symbol-of-access plate, the Secretary of State also asks for the full VA rating decision letter showing at least a 10% service-connected walking disability, its Disabled Veteran Certification for Placard or Plates completed by a licensed physician, and a DD214 showing an honorable or under-honorable discharge. For a spouse's or parent's State job points, Illinois CMS asks for a VA award letter dated within the last year showing the veteran is 100% service-connected disabled.

Illinois Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouses, Children and Survivors

If you're looking this up for a parent with a new VA rating, or after a veteran in your family has died, start with the scholarship and the children's grant below. A veteran's rating opens some Illinois benefits to family members; for others, the governing statute names only the veteran:

  • State jobs: 20 ILCS 415/8b.7 gives the spouse of a veteran whose service-connected disability prevents the veteran from qualifying for civil service, and the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died of service-connected causes, the preference the veteran would have had. It also gives one parent of an unmarried veteran who died of service-connected causes, or whose service-connected disability prevents the veteran from qualifying for civil service, 10 points on State civil service scores. CMS says no extra points go to the spouse or parent if the veteran already claimed the preference or works for the State.
  • The MIA/POW Scholarship: 105 ILCS 5/30-14.2 covers a spouse, a natural child, a child adopted before 18, a child younger than 18 under court-ordered guardianship for at least 2 continuous years before applying, or a stepchild who was under 18 when the veteran married. The remarriage and divorce rule is in the box above.
  • The children's grant: children aged 10 to 18 who meet the 12-month Illinois domicile rule.
  • State parks: 20 ILCS 2805/5 and IDVA name only the veteran; neither extends the IDNR park fee exemption to a spouse, child or grandchild.

You don't have to apply alone: IDVA's Veteran Service Officers give dependents and survivors free help applying for state benefits.

When a veteran or spouse needs care, see our guides to Illinois state veterans homes, VA Aid and Attendance in Illinois and VA benefits for senior care in Illinois. For how Illinois taxes retirement income, see our Illinois retirement income tax guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to live in Illinois to get the free fishing and hunting license?

Not according to IDVA, which states that disabled veterans receiving 10% or greater service-connected compensation, or a total disability pension, don't have to buy fishing and hunting licenses "regardless of state of residency." The park exemption is worded differently: 20 ILCS 2805/5 grants free IDNR camping and admission to veterans who are Illinois residents.

Do I have to prove my rating again when I renew the 50% plate?

Usually yes. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-609, a renewal of a fee-free veteran registration must come with documentation of eligibility unless the veteran has a permanent qualifying disability. A current Benefit Summary Letter from VA.gov is one way to show VA's current finding.

How long does my child have to use the MIA/POW Scholarship?

Under 105 ILCS 5/30-14.2, a spouse or child may use the MIA/POW Scholarship without regard to age. IDVA runs the scholarship on a points system measured in semester hours, with a maximum of 120 points, and says the total benefit expires 12 years from the date of enrollment in a course of study.

My rating went to 100% but VA didn't call it permanent. Which Illinois rows still apply?

The rows keyed to a percentage alone still apply to a 100% rating: the 10% fishing exemption, the 50% plate and the SHEVD tier for 70% or more.,, The Illinois park, scholarship and grant statutes ask for a permanent disability, so ask IDVA how your letter reads before you apply, and see asking VA for a higher rating if your condition has worsened.,,

Free Help From IDVA Veteran Service Officers

IDVA's Veteran Service Officers are trained and accredited by VA to give free assistance to veterans and their dependents and survivors, including applying for federal and state benefits. IDVA says its Veteran Service Offices can serve veterans remotely and that no benefit requires face-to-face interaction. IDVA's office locator lists its offices; not every service is offered at every location, and IDVA asks veterans whose county isn't listed to contact its main office.

IDVA's main line is 217-782-6641, its toll-free line is 800-437-9824, and its TTY line is 844-760-8103. If a claim is denied, our guide to appealing a VA decision explains your options.

Learn More

VA BenefitsState Benefits for Disabled Veterans by VA RatingState benefits for disabled veterans by VA rating turn on wording. See what each tier unlocks, whether TDIU counts, when P&T is required and what to bring. VA BenefitsYour Guide to the Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption in IllinoisRated 30% or more by the VA? Illinois takes $2,500 or $5,000 off your home's assessed value, or exempts the first $250,000 at 70%. Here's how to file. VA BenefitsVA Individual Unemployability (TDIU)TDIU over 65: VA can't rate you on age, but retiring because of age rather than service-connected conditions won't qualify. How to apply, work and keep it. VA BenefitsVA Benefits You Can Use for Senior Care in IllinoisIllinois veterans can access VA home care, Aid and Attendance pension, the five state veterans homes, and community care. See which fits, and how to apply. VA BenefitsState Veterans Homes in IllinoisIllinois runs five veterans homes, in Anna, Chicago, LaSalle, Manteno and Quincy. IDVA bases the monthly charge on income, not savings. Here's how to apply. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in IllinoisVA Aid and Attendance in Illinois for 2026: who qualifies, the $34,488 yearly maximum for a veteran with a spouse, how to apply, and free IDVA filing help.

Take your Benefit Summary Letter to an IDVA Veteran Service Officer for free help, or chat with Brevy's care navigator about what your VA rating unlocks in Illinois at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

Still have questions?

Brevy answers from this guide and every other guide here, and can check what you qualify for.

BC

Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.