Virginia's disabled veteran benefits use VA rating tests that run from any service-connected rating, through 30%, 50% and 70% steps, up to 100% permanent and total (P&T).,,, Virginia's disabled veteran (DV) license plates need no percentage at all, while a VA rating of "totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled" meets the rating test for the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) tuition waiver for a spouse or child.,

The free Disabled Veteran's Passport to Virginia state parks needs a 100% rating but no P&T finding, and Virginia's vehicle tax exemptions need both 100% and P&T.,, Compare other states on our hub for state benefits by VA rating.

In This Guide

Virginia Disabled Veteran Benefits by VA Rating at a Glance

The TDIU and P&T columns say whether each rule's wording names them; the sections below give the other conditions. Offices: the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), DVS, the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD), the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR).

VA rating test Virginia benefit Who handles it TDIU? P&T? What to bring
Any service-connected disability VA has certified DV plates, with registration fees and a $10 special plate fee DMV Not needed Not needed Form VSA 54 signed by a veteran service officer, or a VA benefit letter showing the disability is service-connected
Any service-connected rating fixed by VA, with an honorable discharge Grade increased by 10% on a passed written state exam; selection preference for other state jobs The hiring state agency Not needed Not needed Ask the hiring agency
Any service-connected rating fixed by VA, discharge other than dishonorable SDVOSB designation for a small business (state procurement) DVS certifies the veteran, then DSBSD adds the designation Not needed Not needed The DVS certification letter
30% or more, Virginia resident Lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing license: $100 at 30%, $75 at 50%, $50 at 70%, no cost if rated totally and permanently disabled DWR Not mentioned; ask DWR Only for the no-cost tier Proof of residency and a VA Certification of Disability (or DWR's Veterans Certificate of Disability form); a VA ID card isn't accepted
"Totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled" VMSDEP tuition and mandatory fees waiver for a spouse or child aged 16 to 29 DVS certifies; the college applies it Not mentioned; ask DVS P&T, or 90% permanent Ask DVS
100% service-connected Disabled Veteran's Passport: free park entry and parking, 50% off camping, swimming and shelters DCR (Virginia State Parks) Not mentioned; ask DCR Not needed VA paperwork showing a 100% service-connected rating
Loss or loss of use of a leg, arm or hand; blindness; or P&T No annual registration fee on one vehicle DMV Not mentioned; ask DMV One of three routes Form VSA 54 or a VA benefit letter
100% service-connected, permanent and total Exemption from the 4.15% vehicle sales and use tax, one vehicle at a time DMV Not mentioned; ask DMV Required Form SUT3 and a VA Benefit Summary letter (Form SUT2 for a refund)
100% service-connected, permanent and total Local personal property tax exemption on one vehicle Your local Commissioner of the Revenue Not mentioned; ask the Commissioner Required Ask your Commissioner of the Revenue
100% P&T, or paid at 100% through IU and rated P&T Real estate tax exemption on your home; full rules in our Virginia property tax guide Your local Commissioner of the Revenue Yes, if also P&T Required VA documentation of the rating,

Any Service-Connected Rating: DV Plates, State Jobs and SDVOSB

Disabled veteran license plates

Under Code of Virginia § 46.2-739, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues DV plates to veterans whom VA has certified as having a service-connected disability, and the section states no rating threshold. DMV charges these buyers all applicable registration fees plus a $10 special plate fee.

Free registration uses a narrower test, covered in the P&T section.

State jobs: the 10% exam increase and selection preference

Under Code of Virginia § 2.2-2903, when a veteran applies for a state job based on a written exam and passes it, the veteran's grade goes up by 5 percent, or by 10 percent if the veteran has a service-connected disability rating fixed by VA. The section states no minimum disability rating for the 10% increase.

For a state job not based on an exam, a veteran who meets all of the position's knowledge, skill and ability requirements gets preference during selection, and veterans with a VA-fixed service-connected disability rating get additional consideration. That route is more common, because the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management's hiring policy (Policy 2.10) says "validated scored tests are not used for most jobs."

The service-disabled veteran-owned small business designation

Under Code of Virginia § 2.2-4310, Virginia's public procurement law, a "service disabled veteran" served on active duty, was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable, and has a service-connected disability rating fixed by VA. It states no minimum disability rating. A service disabled veteran business is at least 51 percent owned by one or more service disabled veterans, who also control its management and daily operations, and every Virginia public body must set up programs to help these businesses take part in procurement.

DVS says the SDVOSB designation is "not a separate SWaM certification" but a designation in the Virginia SWaM (Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business) vendor database that belongs to the business, for state contracting. DVS lists the steps:

  1. Meet the definitions, including the small-business test: independently owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, with 250 or fewer employees or annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years, counting affiliates.
  2. Get certified as a service-disabled veteran by DVS.
  3. Send the DVS certification letter to DSBSD, either with a cover letter asking to add the designation to an existing SWaM certification or as part of a new SWaM application.

DVS says there are no charges for these services.

10% to 80%: What Virginia Keys to These Ratings

A veteran rated between 10% and 80% qualifies for the any-rating rows above, subject to each row's other conditions.,, This guide's only benefit keyed to these ratings is the lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing license under Code of Virginia § 29.1-302 (also sold as hunting-only or freshwater-fishing-only). For a resident veteran, it costs $100 at 30% to 49%, $75 at 50% to 69%, and $50 at 70% or more, and it is free if VA rates the veteran totally and permanently disabled. The license can't be transferred and is valid for life, but it doesn't cover designated waters stocked with trout, and a hunting license also needs hunter education or a hunting license issued after age 18.

Two things can move you up the table. TDIU, covered in the next section, can let VA pay a veteran in this range at the 100% level. And a higher rating from VA moves you into a new tier; see asking VA for a higher rating. Federal VA disability compensation has its own guide for older veterans.

Does TDIU Count as 100% in Virginia?

TDIU lets VA pay a veteran whose schedular rating is below 100% at the same level as a veteran rated 100%. VA says that for a veteran granted Individual Unemployability, the monthly compensation payment changes but the disability rating stays the same. VA's regular thresholds under 38 CFR 4.16(a) are one service-connected disability rated 60% or more, or two or more with at least one rated 40% or more and a combined rating of 70% or more. VA says that in certain cases, such as needing to be in the hospital often, a veteran may qualify at a lower rating.

Whether TDIU counts in Virginia depends on how each rule is written:

Our TDIU guide covers how to claim it and how age and retirement affect it.

90% Permanent or P&T: VMSDEP for Your Spouse or Child

Under Code of Virginia § 23.1-608, VMSDEP waives tuition and mandatory fees at a Virginia public college or university for the spouse, or a child aged 16 to 29, of a veteran whom VA has rated "totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled" due to service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. The Commissioner of Veterans Services may certify a dependent above age 29 when extenuating circumstances kept the child from using the benefit before 30.

For VMSDEP, the veteran must also meet one of the Virginia domicile tests in § 23.1-608, which include having Virginia domicile when entering active service, or having domicile or a physical presence in Virginia for at least five years immediately before the student's admission application was submitted. DVS certifies eligibility, and the colleges apply the waiver. If VA hasn't called a 90% rating permanent, check with DVS before counting on VMSDEP.

Tier 1 and Tier 2

DVS sorts VMSDEP into two tiers:

Both VMSDEP tiers get the waiver of all tuition and mandatory fees for up to eight semesters, the equivalent of four academic years. DVS says the VMSDEP stipend, paid one time per semester toward expenses such as room, board, books and supplies, is available only to Tier 2.

Under both VMSDEP tiers, DVS lists the current spouse and a biological or adopted child aged 16 to 29. DVS says Tier 1 "has not extended to include the stepchild"; DVS lists stepchildren only under Tier 2, for a deceased Tier 2 service member's stepchild claimed on a tax return or in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System during active duty.

VMSDEP and federal Chapter 35

VA's federal counterpart is Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, also called Chapter 35). The spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability may be eligible, and the dependent must meet their own requirements too. Our sources don't say whether a student can use both at once; ask DVS.

At 100%: The Disabled Veteran's Passport

Under Code of Virginia § 10.1-202.2, Virginia's Disabled Veteran's Passport lets the bearer enter state parks without paying a parking or admission fee and gives a 50 percent discount on camping and swimming fees, picnic shelter rentals and other department-provided equipment rentals.

The passport goes to a veteran with a letter from VA, or from the military service that discharged the veteran, certifying a service-connected disability rating of 100 percent. Section 10.1-202.2's test carries no P&T wording, and the passport stays valid as long as VA's 100 percent determination remains in effect.

DCR lists the Veteran Disability Passport as free. DCR says it also covers boat launch and horse trailer parking, takes 50% off two or more nights in a standard yurt and 25% off a one-night standard yurt stay, and limits the equipment discount to park-operated rentals.

At 100% P&T: Free Registration and Vehicle Tax Breaks

Free registration on one vehicle

Under Code of Virginia § 46.2-100, a "disabled veteran" for this purpose is a veteran who has lost, or lost the use of, a leg, arm or hand; is blind; or is permanently and totally disabled as certified by VA.

Under § 46.2-739(C), no annual registration fee is due on any one vehicle owned and used personally by that veteran, or by the veteran's unremarried surviving spouse, if it displays DV plates or DMV's standard passenger plate. DMV says the qualifying veteran gets one free set of Disabled Veteran or Standard Passenger plates, though personalization fees and any emissions fees must still be paid.

Vehicle sales and use tax

Virginia collects a 4.15% sales and use tax (SUT) when a vehicle is titled. DMV says a veteran whom VA has determined to have a 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability can be exempt on the purchase of one vehicle owned and used primarily by or for the veteran. DMV's rules:

  • Who buys: the veteran or the veteran's spouse must buy the vehicle and title it in the veteran's or spouse's name.
  • One at a time: the exemption can't go on a newly bought personal-use vehicle while it's applied to one you still own; sell or trade that vehicle first. Once an exempt vehicle is sold, the exemption can be used again.
  • Which vehicles: passenger vehicles such as sedans and SUVs, and pickup trucks with a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or under. Motorcycles, trailers, mopeds, autocycles, RVs, motorhomes, ATVs and heavier pickups are ineligible.
  • Paperwork: the Purchaser's Statement of Exemption (SUT3) and a VA Benefit Summary letter stating the veteran has a 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability, filed with the title documents. For a refund of tax you already paid, add the Application for Refund of Sales and Use Tax (SUT2).

Personal property tax on one vehicle

Under Code of Virginia § 58.1-3668 and Article X, Section 6(a)(8) of the Constitution of Virginia, one motor vehicle owned and used primarily by or for a veteran rated by VA with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability is exempt from local personal property tax. The conditions:

  • Only a passenger car, or a pickup or panel truck, registered for personal use qualifies.
  • A vehicle owned by a married person can qualify if either spouse is the rated veteran.
  • The exemption runs from the date the vehicle was acquired or January 1, 2021, whichever is later, until the veteran's death (see survivors).

Localities may set their own application procedures, and DVS tells veterans to apply to their local Commissioner of the Revenue.

Real estate tax on your home

Virginia exempts from real property tax the principal residence of a veteran rated by VA with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability, and a veteran paid at 100% through individual unemployability who is rated P&T qualifies too., Acreage, joint ownership, surviving spouses and refunds are in our Virginia disabled veteran property tax guide.

Which Test Your Rating Letter Must Show

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," and VA's regulation says total disability "may or may not be permanent."

What your VA rating letter must show depends on the Virginia benefit, and the table above lists each office's proof. Virginia local tax offices can ask for more: the Stafford County Commissioner of the Revenue wants the letter to show service connection, a 100% rating (or an unemployability rating), the P&T finding and the P&T effective date. Our guide to 100%, TDIU and P&T for property tax compares other states.

What to Bring to Claim Virginia Disabled Veteran Benefits by VA Rating

VA's Benefit Summary Letter, which VA.gov says is sometimes called a VA award letter, is one of the VA 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.

Three documents are Virginia forms rather than VA letters: DMV's Certificate of Disability (form VSA 54), signed by a veteran service officer; the SUT3 for the vehicle sales and use tax (SUT2 for a refund); and DWR's lifetime license application.,,

For Spouses, Children and Survivors

Some Virginia rules reach your family or change at the veteran's death:

  • Plates: a DV plate issued to a disabled veteran may be transferred at death to the unremarried surviving spouse, and the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who met the free-registration test can also get one free set of plates.
  • Vehicle personal property tax: Virginia's vehicle personal property tax exemption for a 100% P&T veteran ends on the date of the veteran's death and isn't available to the surviving spouse.
  • State jobs: the spouse and child preference in Code of Virginia § 2.2-2903 covers only the surviving spouse, or a surviving child under 27, of a veteran killed in the line of duty, not the spouse of a living disabled veteran.

Real estate tax rules for a surviving spouse are in our Virginia property tax guide. For a veteran or spouse who needs care, see our guides to state veterans homes in Virginia, VA Aid and Attendance in Virginia, and VA benefits for senior care in Virginia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a 100% disabled veteran get in Virginia?

What a 100% disabled veteran gets in Virginia depends on whether the VA Benefit Summary Letter also shows a permanent and total finding. A 100% rating without P&T meets the Disabled Veteran's Passport test as well as the any-rating rows. It also puts a Virginia resident in the lifetime hunting and fishing license's $50 tier, for 70% or more but less than totally and permanently disabled. A 100% P&T rating adds the vehicle sales and use tax, vehicle personal property tax and real estate tax exemptions, free registration on one vehicle, a free lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing license, and VMSDEP for a spouse or child, as long as each benefit's other conditions are met.,,,,,

Does a 90% VA rating get anything extra in Virginia?

Yes, if VA has rated the veteran at least 90 percent permanently disabled: that rating meets the VMSDEP test. Through VMSDEP, the veteran's spouse or child aged 16 to 29 may have tuition and mandatory fees waived at a Virginia public college, provided the veteran's discharge was other than dishonorable and a domicile test is met. A 90% rating short of P&T also puts a Virginia resident in the $50 tier for the lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing license. A 90% rating by itself doesn't meet the Disabled Veteran's Passport's 100% test or the 100% P&T test for Virginia's vehicle and real estate tax exemptions.,,

What if my VA rating letter doesn't say "permanent and total"?

Without a P&T finding, Virginia's vehicle sales and use tax, vehicle personal property tax and real estate tax exemptions aren't open to you yet; each requires P&T. Under 38 CFR 3.340, total disability "may or may not be permanent," so 100% and P&T are separate VA findings.,,, A 100% rating alone still meets the Disabled Veteran's Passport test, and Virginia's free registration has two routes that don't need P&T: limb loss or loss of use, and blindness.,

Can a veteran who moved to Virginia recently use VMSDEP?

A family that recently moved to Virginia can use VMSDEP only if the veteran meets a domicile test, such as Virginia domicile when entering active service, or Virginia domicile or physical presence for at least five years immediately before the student's admission application. Section 23.1-608 lists other tests too, so ask DVS before ruling it out.

Where to Get Free Help in Virginia

DVS offers benefits claims help through a network of 38 benefit service offices, and says "all services are provided free of charge." DVS encourages veterans to see a DVS veterans services representative before filing a claim. Find your nearest office through DVS benefits and services and schedule an appointment. 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 VirginiaVirginia can fully exempt a 100% disabled veteran's home from real estate tax, with no age or income test. See who qualifies and how to claim it. 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 BenefitsState Veterans Homes in VirginiaVirginia's veterans care centers in Richmond, Roanoke, Virginia Beach and Fauquier County: who qualifies, when VA pays in full, and who to call. VA BenefitsVA Benefits You Can Use for Senior Care in VirginiaVA benefits can pay for home care, nursing homes, and up to $29,093 a year in Aid and Attendance for Virginia veterans. Here's what's covered and how to get it. FinancialHow Virginia Taxes Retirement Income for SeniorsNo, Virginia does not tax Social Security or Tier 1 Railroad Retirement. Seniors 65+ get an Age Deduction up to $12,000; pensions and IRAs are taxed to 5.75%.

Find personalized help matching your VA rating letter to the right Virginia DMV, DVS and tax-office benefits 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.