North Carolina Disabled Veteran Benefits by VA Rating

In North Carolina, a 50% VA rating opens reduced-fee lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, and a 100% rating opens the free Disabled Veteran license plate.1,2 The North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NCDMVA) also reserves the free North Carolina Disabled Veteran plate for veterans who receive Individual Unemployability (I.U.) and are paid at the 100% rate.2

North Carolina disabled veteran benefits by VA rating reach further down the scale, too. The state's employment preference law sets no rating percentage, a veteran rated below 100% can get the Partially Disabled Veteran plate for the regular registration fee, and a child of a veteran compensated for a wartime service-connected disability of 20% or more may qualify for a state scholarship.3,2,4 A service-connected permanent and total (P&T) disability certification is one route to North Carolina's $45,000 Disabled Veteran Property Tax Homestead Exclusion.5 How North Carolina compares with other states is on our hub for state benefits by VA rating.

In This Guide

• Find Your Tier
• No Rating Required: State Jobs
• The Partially Disabled Veteran Plate
• Wartime Scholarship, Class II
• Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses
• The Middle of the Scale
• The Free Disabled Veteran Plate
• TDIU in North Carolina
• Certification and Proof
• Family Routes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Free Claims Help

Find Your Tier: North Carolina Disabled Veteran Benefits by VA Rating

Find your rating in the first column. "Not named" in the TDIU or P&T column means the rule's wording is silent on it, not that it shuts you out; ask the agency before you apply.

No Rating Required: North Carolina State Job Preference

North Carolina rewrote its state personnel law in 2026. Session Law 2026-40 repealed Chapter 126 of the General Statutes and replaced it, effective October 1, 2026, with a new Chapter 126A, the North Carolina Human Resources Act. Its preference section, G.S. 126A-57.3, grants veterans, eligible National Guard members and other eligible persons preference in employment for positions subject to G.S. 126A-51 with every agency.3 The definition of who qualifies sets no VA rating percentage, and it doesn't limit veterans to those who served during a period of war. An "eligible person" is any of these:

• a veteran,
• the spouse of a disabled veteran,
• the surviving spouse or dependent of a deceased veteran,
• an eligible member of the National Guard, or
• the spouse of a service member serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.3

A "veteran" here served on active duty for reasons other than training and was discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. An eligible National Guard member is a North Carolina resident who is a current member in good standing of the North Carolina Army or Air National Guard, or a former member discharged under honorable conditions with at least six years of creditable service; the surviving spouse or dependent of a North Carolina Army or Air National Guard member also counts.3

The new law leaves the details to the State Human Resources Commission, which must adopt a veteran and National Guard preference policy, and an eligible person who believes the preference was denied may appeal under G.S. 126A-83 and 126A-84. Under G.S. 126A-57, the preference is third in the order of hiring priority, after the career employee promotional priority and, at equal priority, the reduction-in-force priority and certain reemployment rights of former exempt policymaking or managerial employees. A grievance or appeal started under the old Chapter 126 before October 1, 2026 that isn't finally resolved is still governed by the old rules.3

Not every public job is covered. Chapter 126A exempts local employees from G.S. 126A-57.3: employees of area mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse authorities (except as Chapter 122C provides), local social services departments, county and district health departments, and local emergency management agencies that receive federal grant-in-aid funds, plus any other county employee a board of county commissioners designates. For those exempted jobs, G.S. 128-15 applies instead.3 NCDMVA's employment page says veterans, disabled veterans, their spouses and National Guard members receive preference when applying for state, county and local government jobs in North Carolina.3

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

Below 100%: The Partially Disabled Veteran Plate

G.S. 20-79.4(b)(189) makes the Partially Disabled Veteran plate issuable to a veteran who "suffered a service connected disability of less than 100%," for the registered owner of a motor vehicle or a motorcycle.2

The Partially Disabled Veteran plate isn't free. Under G.S. 20-79.7(a1), it carries the regular motor vehicle registration fee, and the statute's fee table lists the added special-plate fee for this plate as "None." NCDMVA's license plate page describes it the same way, listing it among plates available "at no additional cost than the regular license plate."2

NCDMVA decides which plate your rating fits. NCDMVA reserves the free Disabled Veteran plate for a combined 100% rating or I.U. paid at the 100% rate and says "all other ratings will receive a partially disabled veteran certification."2 The certification itself is Section 3 of form MVR-33A, covered in Certification and Proof.7

20% or More (Wartime): The Children's Scholarship, Class II

North Carolina's Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans, run by NCDMVA under G.S. 143B-1223 to 143B-1227, sorts children into classes by the veteran parent's status.4 Under G.S. 143B-1226, Class II may go to no more than 100 children a year whose veteran parent is receiving, or was at death receiving, VA compensation for a wartime service-connected disability rated 20% or more but less than 100%, or who was awarded a Purple Heart.4 For new applications in the 2026-2027 academic year, S.L. 2026-1 lets the Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs raise the Class II cap from 100 to 200 children.4,8

NCDMVA says the veteran's qualifying criteria must have occurred during a period of war, so a peacetime rating doesn't open Class II of the Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans.4

Class II awards also depend on funding right now. For 2026-2027, the Secretary, after consulting the State Education Assistance Authority, decides whether to award new Class I-A, I-B and IV scholarships first, and Class II and III awards may be decided afterward depending on available funds. If funds still fall short, the Authority may adjust and standardize award amounts, including a lottery, pro rata room-and-board awards, or both, and every award notice must say the award is contingent on available funds.4,8

Don't plan around a date from memory. NCDMVA's scholarship page gives a February 14 deadline when the veteran's disability is less than 100% service connected or the veteran served in a combat zone, but it doesn't say which academic year that applies to, and it says the Fall 2026 deadline has passed and the portal is closed to new applicants. For 2027-2028, the General Assembly's staff analysis says the Secretary must open applications to new applicants no later than April 1, 2027, and the priority period must close by May 1, 2027.4 Check NCDMVA's scholarship page for the current window before you apply.

At a State educational institution, a full scholarship under G.S. 143B-1225 is tuition, a standard board allowance, a standard room allowance and required institutional fees. Only one scholarship is granted per child.4 The child's own requirements are in Family Routes.

50% or More: Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses From $15

A North Carolina resident who is a 50%-or-more disabled veteran, as determined by VA, can buy a lifetime hunting or fishing license at a reduced fee. The Wildlife Resources Commission's current application for resident disabled veterans lists these prices:1

• lifetime inland fishing, coastal recreational fishing, or hunting and inland fishing combination: $15 each
• sportsman: $131
• sportsman/coastal recreational fishing: $144
• a $5 transaction fee on top of the license price1

The application says the license stays valid for your lifetime "so long as the individual remains fifty percent or more disabled," and VA certification of the rating must be submitted with it.1

If you look up the license statutes, you'll still see older dollar amounts. G.S. 113-270.1B(e) has the Wildlife Resources Commission set fees by rule and says the statutory fees expire when those rules take effect, so go by the Commission's application.1

A 70% Rating in North Carolina: Every Row Below 100%, and the Road to I.U.

None of the North Carolina benefits in this guide is keyed to a 60%, 70%, 80% or 90% rating as such. A veteran rated in that range meets the rating test of every row below 100%: state job preference, the Partially Disabled Veteran plate, the 50% lifetime licenses, and Class II of the children's scholarship when the disability is from wartime service.3,2,1,4

The rating that matters most in this band is federal. Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), one service-connected disability rated 60% or more, or a combined rating of 70% or more with one disability at 40% or more, meets VA's regular threshold for Individual Unemployability (TDIU).9 If VA grants TDIU and pays you at the 100% rate, NCDMVA's wording puts you in line for the free Disabled Veteran plate.2

At 100% or I.U. Paid at 100%: The Free Disabled Veteran Plate

G.S. 20-79.4(b)(64) makes the Disabled Veteran plate issuable to a veteran who suffered a 100% service-connected disability, for a motor vehicle or a motorcycle.2 NCDMVA words the test as a combined rating of 100%, or I.U. paid at the 100% rate.2

The rules for the 100% Disabled Veteran plate, per G.S. 20-79.7(a) and NCDMVA:2

• Free: on request, the state issues a single plate each year for both a motor vehicle and a motorcycle, free of charge.
• Weight limit: the free-of-charge rule stops at a registered weight of 6,000 pounds; above that, the regular registration fees in G.S. 20-88 apply.
• Personalization: you get four spaces for a personalized message, which carries a yearly personalization fee whatever plate you choose.
• Surviving spouse: the plate holder's surviving spouse may keep renewing it as long as the spouse doesn't remarry, a condition verified at renewal.2

Scholarship Class I-B for a 100% wartime rating

Class I-B goes to a child whose veteran parent is receiving, or was at death receiving, compensation for a wartime service-connected disability of 100% as rated by VA. Class I-B is a limited scholarship: tuition, required institutional fees and short-term workforce training courses leading to industry credentials, but not the board and room allowances.4 The Class I-B text says "100% as rated by" VA and doesn't mention I.U.; if the veteran parent is paid at 100% through I.U., ask NCDMVA how it reads the class.

Property tax with a P&T certification

North Carolina's Disabled Veteran Property Tax Homestead Exclusion takes the first $45,000 of a permanent residence's appraised value off the tax base. One of the homestead exclusion's three routes is a VA certification that the veteran has a service-connected, permanent and total disability; the others are having received benefits under 38 U.S.C. 2101 or a service-connected death.5 Filing rules, surviving spouses and the NCDVA-9 form are in our North Carolina disabled veteran property tax guide.

TDIU in North Carolina: Named by NCDMVA, Silent in the Statutes

VA says that when a veteran is granted TDIU, the monthly compensation payment changes to the 100% level but the disability rating stays the same.9 So a TDIU veteran's 70% rating is still a 70% rating on paper, and whether a North Carolina rule treats that veteran as 100% depends on its wording.

• Named outright: NCDMVA's Disabled Veteran plate test, "a combined rating of 100% or receive Individual Unemployability (I.U.) and are paid at the 100% rate."2
• Silent: the plate statute (G.S. 20-79.4(b)(64)) says "100% service-connected disability," and scholarship Class I-B says "100% as rated by" VA. Neither text mentions I.U., so ask NCDMVA before you apply.2,4

Below VA's regular thresholds, 38 CFR 4.16(b) lets VA consider TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.9 Our TDIU guide covers how to claim it and how age and retirement affect it.

Where a P&T finding matters

"Permanent and total" 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."10 In this guide, the North Carolina row that uses P&T is the property tax homestead exclusion.5 P&T also matters federally: the spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability may be eligible for VA's Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, also called Chapter 35).11 The state benefits by VA rating hub explains 100% versus TDIU versus P&T across states.

Certification and Proof for North Carolina Disabled Veteran Benefits by VA Rating

Most offices 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 you can download to prove your status for benefits that require one. Get it from VA.gov's letters page after signing in with an identity-verified account.12

For either veteran plate, the plate application is form MVR-33A, and its Section 3 has to be certified before the plate is issued:

1. Find a certifier. Only an NCDMVA accredited service officer, county or state, may certify Section 3. Go to your County Veterans Service Office or a State Veterans Service Center; NC Works Career Centers can't certify it.
2. Bring your DD-214 (a copy).
3. Bring a rating letter. NCDMVA asks for a VA Rating Letter or Summary of Benefits letter showing your combined rating. It can't be more than one year old, it must be dated, and your name must be on the same page as the combined rating.
4. Copies are fine. NCDMVA says a photocopy of your supporting documents is acceptable.
5. Pay at the plate office. NCDMVA and accredited offices don't accept payment for plates; all fees are paid to your license plate office.7

For the lifetime licenses, send VA certification of your 50%-or-more rating with the Wildlife Resources Commission application.1

Family Routes: Spouses, Surviving Spouses and Children

A rating can open doors for the people around you, too. The family routes in this guide:

• State jobs: the spouse of a disabled veteran is an eligible person for State employment preference in their own right. So are the surviving spouse or dependent of a deceased veteran and, under Chapter 126A since October 1, 2026, the spouse of a service member on active duty.3
• The plate: a surviving spouse may keep renewing the Disabled Veteran plate until remarriage.2
• College: a child is eligible for the wartime veterans scholarship only if the child is under 25 at application, a North Carolina domiciliary and resident, and has finished high school or its equivalent. The child must also either have a veteran parent who was a North Carolina legal resident when entering the qualifying period of service, or have been born in North Carolina and lived there continuously since.4 NCDMVA says the scholarship covers eight academic semesters, to be used within eight years.4 For 2027-2028, the legislative staff analysis says new applicants must be enrolling as undergraduates and qualify as residents for tuition purposes.4

When a veteran or spouse needs care, see our guides to North Carolina state veterans homes, VA Aid and Attendance in North Carolina and VA benefits for senior care in North Carolina. How a surviving spouse is treated for property tax is in our North Carolina property tax guide.

Free Claims Help From NCDMVA Service Officers

If your rating letter is out of date, or you're filing for TDIU or an increase, an NCDMVA accredited Veteran Service Officer can help you work out eligibility, gather evidence and file the claim electronically. Asked whether veterans pay for that help, NCDMVA answers: "Never. All services are 100% free."13 Officers work out of 12 State Veteran Centers, appointments are recommended but not required, and many counties accept walk-ins. NCDMVA's toll-free line is 844-624-8387.13 If a claim is denied, our guide to appealing a VA decision explains your options.

Learn More

Take your rating letter to your county Veterans Service Office for free help, or chat with Brevy's care navigator about what your VA rating unlocks in North Carolina 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.