Virginia Veterans Benefits in 2026: State Programs and How to Apply

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Virginia’s veterans benefits are claimed in three different places — the state agency, your city or county, and the DMV. These are the official starting points:

Property tax relief

This is Virginia’s most valuable state veterans benefit, and it comes from the Constitution of Virginia itself.

• Disabled veteran real property tax exemption — Virginia exempts the real property of a veteran whom the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has rated 100% service-connected, permanent, and total, and who occupies the property as their principal place of residence. There is no income limit and no cap on the home’s value. It covers the dwelling plus up to one acre of land (more if your locality exempts more acreage under its general relief ordinance). Va. Code § 58.1-3219.5.
• Surviving spouses — the surviving spouse of an eligible veteran also qualifies, so long as the veteran died on or after January 1, 2011 and the spouse does not remarry. Since a 2019 change, the exemption follows the spouse to a different principal residence — moving no longer ends it.
• Spouses of members who died in the line of duty — a separate exemption covers the surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty with a U.S. Department of Defense Line of Duty determination, expressly including death by suicide. Important difference: this one is capped — a full exemption applies only up to the locality’s average assessed value of a single-family home, with the excess still taxable. Va. Code § 58.1-3219.9.
• One vehicle — a locality may exempt from local personal property tax one motor vehicle owned and used primarily by or for a veteran with a 100% service-connected permanent and total disability. This is a local option, so it is not offered everywhere. Va. Code § 58.1-3668.

Where you actually apply: not to a state agency. You file an affidavit and your VA rating documentation with the commissioner of the revenue of your county, city, or town (§ 58.1-3219.6). Find yours in the Virginia.gov local government directory. A DVS benefits office can help you assemble the paperwork for free.

Education and VMSDEP

The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) waives tuition and mandatory fees at Virginia public colleges and universities for qualified survivors and dependents.

• Who is eligible: the spouse, or a child between the ages of 16 and 29, of a service member who was killed, became missing in action, or became a prisoner of war; or of a veteran rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as totally and permanently disabled, or at least 90% permanently disabled, as a result of service, and discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Note the 90% threshold — it is lower than the 100% required for the property tax exemption. Many Virginia families who do not qualify for the tax exemption still qualify for VMSDEP.
• Residency matters: the service member generally must have established Virginia domicile at the time of entering service, or met a five-year domicile or physical-presence test. The Commissioner of Veterans Services can certify dependents over 29 where extenuating circumstances prevented earlier use.
• Stipend: a stipend for room, board, books, and supplies may also be available, but it is subject to what the General Assembly appropriates each year — treat the amount as changeable and confirm it with DVS before you count on it.

Apply through the official VMSDEP portal; the governing law is Va. Code § 23.1-608.

Benefits for spouses and children

Virginia’s family benefits are spread across the programs on this page rather than in one place:

• Surviving spouse property tax exemption — continues for an un-remarried surviving spouse and moves with them (see above).
• VMSDEP — covers a spouse as well as children aged 16 to 29.
• State hiring preference — extends to the surviving spouse and to surviving children under 27 of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty.
• Military spouse licensure — expedited professional licensing (see below).
• Burial — eligible family members may be buried in a Virginia state veterans cemetery.

Employment preference and career support

• Veterans hiring preference for state jobs — where a written examination is used, a veteran’s grade is increased by five percent; if the veteran has a service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the increase is 10 percent (you must still pass the exam). Where no examination is used, veterans, surviving spouses, and surviving children are given preference in the selection process provided they meet all the knowledge, skill, and ability requirements. Va. Code § 2.2-2903.
• Who counts as a veteran for that preference: an honorable discharge plus either more than 180 consecutive days of full-time active duty, or a service-connected disability rating.
• Virginia National Guard members get a separate five-point preference — but it does not apply if another applicant for the same job is a veteran or a former prisoner of war.
• Virginia Values Veterans (V3) — the Commonwealth’s program that trains and certifies employers to recruit and retain veterans; state executive-branch agencies are expected to become V3-certified. Start with the state jobs portal’s veterans hiring resources.

Licenses, vehicles and fee benefits

• Veteran indicator on your driver’s license or ID — available to Virginia residents with an honorable discharge and either active U.S. Armed Forces service or 180+ days in the Virginia National Guard or U.S. Reserves. You supply proof such as a DD-214. Applying consents to sharing your information with DVS so they can tell you about benefits. DMV veteran indicator.
• Disabled Veteran license plates — available to a veteran with any VA-certified service-connected disability (there is no percentage threshold for the plate itself). A veteran who lost or lost the use of a leg, arm, or hand, is blind, or is permanently and totally disabled as certified by the VA may receive one set of plates free of the usual fees; an un-remarried surviving spouse may also be eligible for one free set. Proof is a VA benefit letter or Form VSA 54. DMV disabled veteran plates.
• Professional licensing for military spouses — Virginia boards must expedite licensure for the spouse of an active-duty member (or of a veteran who left active duty within the past year) who holds a substantially equivalent credential elsewhere. If a board cannot finish its review within 20 days of a complete application, it shall issue a temporary license valid for up to 12 months while it does. Va. Code § 54.1-119.
• Military benefits income-tax subtraction — for tax year 2025 and later, up to $40,000 of eligible military benefits (military retirement pay, certain qualified military benefits, and Survivor Benefit Plan payments) can be subtracted from Virginia taxable income, with no age requirement. It was $30,000 for 2024. The income must be in your federal adjusted gross income to be subtracted. Virginia Tax military benefits FAQ.

Veterans care centers

DVS operates four veterans care centers providing long-term skilled nursing, memory care, and short-term rehabilitative care for Virginia’s veterans:

• Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center — Richmond
• Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center — Roanoke (renamed in December 2023 to honor Col. Paris Davis and Capt. Eugene “Red” McDaniel; you may still see the old name, Virginia Veterans Care Center)
• Jones & Cabacoy Veterans Care Center — Virginia Beach
• Puller Veterans Care Center — Warrenton, which admitted its first resident on December 8, 2025

The centers are licensed by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through the Virginia Department of Health, by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and (for the Roanoke assisted-living beds, which are being phased out) by the Virginia Department of Social Services. Because Puller opened recently, some published material still describes Virginia as having three centers — the current official count is four, per the DVS report to the General Assembly for FY2026 Q2. DVS care centers report (RD293).

State veterans cemeteries

Virginia maintains three state veterans cemeteries, operated by DVS and separate from the national cemeteries run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

• Virginia Veterans Cemetery — Amelia
• Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery — Suffolk
• Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery — Dublin

Eligibility generally extends to veterans and eligible family members. Confirm current eligibility, burial options, and any fees that apply to family members with DVS before making arrangements: Virginia state veteran cemeteries.

Veterans service offices

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is the Commonwealth’s veterans agency. Its accredited representatives, working from benefits offices across Virginia, will help you file federal VA claims and state benefit applications free of charge — you never need to pay anyone to file a claim. DVS also runs the care centers, the cemeteries, and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. Agency phone: (804) 786-0286. Find your nearest office: Find a DVS location. Agency record, including current contact details: Virginia.gov — Department of Veterans Services.

Emergency and financial help

• In crisis right now: call or text 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. It is free, confidential, and available 24/7 whether or not you are enrolled in VA health care.
• Behavioral health and peer support: DVS runs Virginia Veteran and Family Support (VVFS), which connects service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and their families to behavioral health care, rehabilitative services, and community resources, including peer support. Ask a DVS benefits office to connect you.
• Income and basic needs: Virginia does not run a general veterans cash-grant program. If you need food, health coverage, or help with rent or energy bills, you would use the same statewide programs everyone else does — start with energy assistance or our Virginia Medicaid guide, and ask your DVS office about local and nonprofit assistance in your area.

Federal VA benefits (handled nationally)

These come from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not from Virginia. Note that Virginia’s benefits rely on your federal VA rating — so getting rated correctly comes first:

How to apply or get help

1. Get your VA rating in order first — Virginia’s property tax exemption (100% permanent and total) and VMSDEP (90% or totally and permanently disabled) both depend on it. A DVS office files the federal claim for you for free.
2. Property tax: take your VA rating decision to your local commissioner of the revenue. The locality must act on your application, so file it and keep a copy.
3. Education: apply in the VMSDEP portal and also apply to the school — the waiver only helps once you are admitted.
4. Jobs: submit your DD-214 with your state application so the preference is applied.
5. Taxes: claim the military benefits subtraction when you file your Virginia return.

Not sure what you need to bring? Our Benefit Document Checklist builds a personalized document list.

Official Virginia resources

Free accredited veterans help

Start with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services above. If you want someone to prepare and file your VA claim with you, use an accredited representative. Help from an accredited veterans service organization representative is always free. An accredited attorney or claims agent may charge a fee, but only after VA has decided your initial claim, and only with a signed fee agreement and VA Form 21-22a on file. VA warns that someone who is not recognized by VA cannot legally help you with a VA benefit claim — so check accreditation before you share personal or military records.

Services and eligibility can vary by county. Confirm current hours and service areas before visiting, and verify VA accreditation before authorizing anyone to represent you. In crisis? Dial 988, then press 1.

Keep going

GlobalBenefits.org is an independent information website. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any state agency. We link to official government sites so you can apply directly and for free. Rules and amounts change — confirm on the official page before you apply. In crisis? Call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.

Official sources: Code of Virginia and the Constitution of Virginia (law.lis.virginia.gov), Virginia Department of Veterans Services reports to the General Assembly (rga.lis.virginia.gov), Virginia.gov agency directory, Virginia Tax (tax.virginia.gov), Virginia DMV (dmv.virginia.gov), and the Virginia state jobs portal (jobs.virginia.gov). Reviewed July 2026. The VMSDEP stipend depends on the annual appropriation act, and local property-tax procedures vary by city and county — confirm current details with DVS or your locality before you apply.