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Georgia — Veteran Benefits

Complete reference covering 58 benefit categories across 14 service tiers. Verify current eligibility with your County VSO before filing.

At a Glance — What Unlocks by Status / Rating

Veteran benefits unlocked at each service status and disability rating in Georgia
Status / Rating Headline Benefits Unlocked
Active Duty Combat pay GA income tax exempt; 180-day deployment tax filing extension; free veteran DL (with DD-214 after discharge); CDL skills-test waiver; out-of-state tuition waiver at USG/TCSG; mail-in DL renewal; 6-month expired-license grace period while deployed outside GA
Guard / Reserve GNG Service Cancelable Loan (up to 100% tuition, cancels after 2 yrs service); HERO Scholarship ($2K/yr up to $8K after 181-day combat deployment); mandatory fee waiver at USG for combat-deployed Guard/Reserve; 18 days/yr paid state employee military leave; free National Guard DL; GGIT life insurance up to $50K
Military Retiree Military retired pay: $65,000 exempt from GA income tax (any age, effective tax year 2026, per HB 266 signed May 13, 2025); SBP/RCSBP/RSFPP exempt up to age-bracket amounts; free Retired Military Veteran plate; all veteran DL benefits
Veteran (honorable, no rating) 5-pt state civil-service preference; one-time free 1-yr sportsman license (90+ days AD, discharged on or after July 1, 2005); free veteran DL; free vital records for claims; 25% state park discount with any SC rating
0% SC No distinct GA threshold benefit above honorable-discharge tier for most programs
10–20% 10-pt state civil-service preference (10%+); 10-yr occupation tax exemption from local government fees (10%+); 25% state park discount; 10-point professional license exam credit for 10%+ SC
30–40% Continues 10-pt preference and occupation-tax exemption; no additional distinct GA threshold at 30–40%
50–60% Continues prior tiers; HISA home adaptation grant up to $6,800 lifetime (50%+ SC)
70–90% State veterans home daily fee paid in full by VA at 70%+ SC or if admission is SC-related; continues all lower tiers
100% schedular Homestead property tax exemption $126,526 (2026, indexed); TAVT and vehicle ad valorem tax exempt on one vehicle; two free DV plates for personal vehicles; DV plate authorizes handicapped parking; DV plate toll exemption on GA Express Lanes; gas station full-service at self-service price
TDIU Treated identical to 100% schedular for all GA programs: property tax exemption, vehicle TAVT/ad valorem waiver, two free DV plates, parking, toll exemption
P&T All 100%/TDIU tier benefits; CHAMPVA (federal — no GA supplement); Milledgeville nursing home Transitional Support Unit (behavioral health + skilled nursing)
SMC (Housebound/A&A) Builds on P&T tier; no separate GA state SMC supplement identified
Surviving spouse / dependents Homestead property tax exemption transfers (unremarried surviving spouse, primary residence, $126,526); HERO Scholarship for dependent children and spouses; Chapter 35 DEA (36 months, 7-yr window from P&T date); free DL for surviving spouse of deceased veteran; 10-pt civil-service preference for unremarried surviving spouse

Taxes

1. Property Tax — Primary Residence

Honorably discharged Georgia veteran who is (a) VA-rated 100% totally and permanently service-connected disabled, OR (b) VA-rated less than 100% but entitled to 100% compensation due to individual unemployability (TDIU), OR (c) entitled to a VA statutory award for loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet, one or both hands, or sight in one or both eyes, OR (d) permanent eye impairment meeting prescribed visual-field standards. Must own and occupy home as primary residence as of January 1 of the tax year. Unremarried surviving spouses and minor children of qualifying deceased veterans retain the exemption as long as they occupy the home as primary residence.
Verify locally: **Benefit:** Exemption of **$126,526** (2026 — confirmed FY 2026 figure per 38 U. ⚠️ Confirm 2026 figure with your county tax commissioner before filing — GDVS updates this figure annually but the official county filing uses the amount published for the tax year. **Action item:** Obtain VA Summary of Benefits Letter confirming eligibility.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48; 38 U.S.C. § 2102 (indexing formula).

2. Property Tax — Vehicle / Personal Property

Veterans with 100% SC disability rating, TDIU, or qualifying statutory awards (limb/sight loss) who display a Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate on the vehicle, OR Purple Heart / Medal of Honor plate holders.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 48-5-478.

3. Vehicle Sales / Use Tax

Veterans with 100% SC disability rating, TDIU, or qualifying statutory awards who display a qualifying DV or veteran plate.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 48-5-478.

4. State Income Tax — Active Duty Military Pay

All active duty service members and GA National Guard/Reserve members.

5. State Income Tax — Military Retirement Pay

Veterans who have retired from military service receiving retired pay from any branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force) or from the Reserve components.

Authority: HB 266, signed May 13, 2025; applies to tax year 2026 returns filed in 2027. O.C.G.A. § 48-7-27.

6. State Income Tax — SBP Annuity

Surviving spouses receiving Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), Reserve Component SBP (RCSBP), or Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) annuities.
Verify locally: Whether HB 266 extends the all-ages $65,000 to SBP recipients as well has not been confirmed. ⚠️ Verify with GDVS or a Georgia tax professional before filing under the higher exemption.

7. State Income Tax — General

All veterans receiving VA disability compensation.

8. Sales Tax Exemption

Georgia does not offer a general veteran or disabled veteran sales tax exemption card or blanket point-of-sale sales tax exemption for personal purchases. The only veteran-related sales tax exemption is the vehicle TAVT waiver (§3) and the VA-grant vehicle adaptation exemption.

9. Other State Tax Breaks

**Occupation Tax / Business License Exemption:** Honorably discharged veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of **10% or more** are exempt from any occupation tax, administrative fee, or regulatory fee imposed by local governments for peddling, conducting a business, or practicing a profession. Duration: **10 years** from date of application. Authority: O.C.G.A. § 43-12-1.

Vehicle, Travel & ID

10. Vehicle Registration Fee

Veterans with 100% SC disability, TDIU, or qualifying statutory awards (limb/sight loss) displaying a DV plate or other qualifying veteran plate.
Verify locally: ⚠️ Verify the exact annual fee for the second DV-plate vehicle at your county tag office — the standard specialty plate rate is $25 annually, but the DV plate may differ.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 40-2-69; GA Rules and Regulations § 560-10-27.

11. Disabled Veteran License Plates

Veterans certified by VA as 100% totally and permanently SC disabled, TDIU, or entitled to a statutory award for loss/loss of use of limbs or vision.
Verify locally: ⚠️ Verify exact annual fee at county tag office.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 40-2-69.

12. Other Veteran / Military Specialty Plates

Georgia offers over 180 distinctive military and veteran license plates. Key categories and fees:

13. Toll Road / Bridge Exemption

Veterans displaying a Georgia Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate.

14. Public Transit Discount

No statewide Georgia veteran transit discount or free transit pass program has been identified. Individual transit agencies (MARTA, etc.) may offer veteran discounts locally. ⚠️ Verify with your regional transit authority.

15. Disabled Parking Privileges

Veterans with a properly displayed Georgia DV license plate.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 40-2-69.

16. Driver License / State ID Fee

Honorably discharged veterans (any branch, any rating) providing a DD-214 (Member Copy 4) or a GDVS Certificate of Eligibility (DS-516B). Also: spouses of disabled veterans who cannot drive due to their disability; unremarried surviving spouses of deceased veterans.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 40-5-36 and related.

17. CDL Fee / Skills-Test Waiver

Active duty service members and honorably discharged veterans (discharged within the past year) with 2+ years of experience operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) of the same class and type during military service.

18. Veteran Designation on DL / ID

Honorably discharged veterans providing a DD-214.

Outdoor Recreation

19. Hunting License

**One-time free license:** Included in the comprehensive one-time Veterans Sportsman's License (see §22). Covers hunting, big game, and Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp.
Verify locally: ⚠️ Verify current pricing at georgiawildlife. ⚠️ Verify current fee at georgiawildlife.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 27-2-4; GA DNR Wildlife Resources Division rules.

20. Fishing License — Freshwater

Included in the one-time free Veterans Sportsman's License (see §22), which covers all freshwater fishing including mountain trout. Also included in the discounted Veterans Lifetime License and the 3-year Disability Sportsman's License.

21. Fishing License — Saltwater

Included in the one-time free Veterans Sportsman's License (see §22), which specifically includes saltwater fishing (SIP License). Also included in the discounted Veterans Lifetime License and the 3-year Disability Sportsman's License.

22. Combination Hunt/Fish License

Georgia resident military veteran who (a) served on active federal duty for **90 or more days**, AND (b) was honorably discharged on **July 1, 2005 or later**, AND (c) has not previously claimed this one-time license.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 27-2-4; GA DNR Veterans License program.

23. Trapping License

Trapping privileges are explicitly excluded from the one-time Veterans Sportsman's License. No separate veteran trapping license discount or waiver has been identified in Georgia. ⚠️ Verify locally at georgiawildlife.com.

24. State Parks — Day Use / Entrance

Honorably discharged veterans with any VA service-connected disability rating, displaying documentation.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 12-3-9.1; GDVS State Park Discount Card program.

25. State Parks — Camping

Same as §24 — service-connected disabled veterans and active/retired military.
Verify locally: org or by phone; present discount card at check-in.

26. State Parks — Annual / Lifetime Pass

Honorably discharged veterans with any SC disability rating; active duty and retired service members.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 12-3-9.1.

27. Boat / Watercraft Registration

Georgia does not offer a veteran-specific boat registration fee waiver. The DV plate exemption applies only to personal-use motorcycles and passenger cars/trucks, not watercraft. Standard DNR boat registration fees apply. ⚠️ Verify with GA DNR Law Enforcement Division.

Education

28. In-State Tuition

**Active duty service members:** Out-of-state tuition waiver at University System of Georgia (USG) and Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) institutions for active duty members, spouses, and dependent children stationed in Georgia.

Authority: Board of Regents policy; USG out-of-state tuition waiver for military; federal Veteran's Choice Act.

29. Tuition Waiver — Disabled Veteran

Combat veterans attending a USG institution with qualifying combat deployment.

30. Dependent Education Benefit

- Child of a Georgia National Guard or U.S. Military Reserve member - Parent was a Georgia resident when deployed outside the U.S. to a designated combat zone for **at least 181 cumulative days** on or after February 1, 2003, OR was evacuated due to severe combat injuries with less than 181 days served - Child must have been born before or within 9 months of the qualifying deployment - Child must have been age 25 or younger during the qualifying term of service

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-3-374; administered by Georgia Student Finance Commission at gafutures.org.

31. Spouse Education Benefit

Spouse of a service member killed or permanently disabled in combat (qualifying criteria per O.C.G.A. § 20-3-374).

32. National Guard / Reserve Tuition Assistance

Active Georgia National Guard members in good standing, enrolled at least half-time at an eligible Georgia public college or university, U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, not in default on federal or state educational loans.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-3-374 et seq. (GNG SCL); Board of Regents policy (fee waiver).

33. K-12 Support

**Georgia Military Flagship School Award:** Georgia recognizes schools with strong military-family support through the Military Flagship School designation. Participating schools provide: excused absences for deployment events, online registration for incoming students, buddy systems linking new military students, and other supports for frequent relocations.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2100 et seq. (compact enabling legislation).

34. State Student Loan / Scholarship

**HOPE Scholarship / Zell Miller Scholarship:** Available to all Georgia residents who meet merit criteria (GPA, standardized test scores). Veterans who are Georgia residents are eligible. May be combined with GI Bill and other VA education benefits. Administered by Georgia Student Finance Commission at gafutures.org.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519 (HOPE); individual institution policies for ROTC/GMC scholarships.

Employment & Licensing

35. Veterans Hiring Preference

**State civil service preference:**

Authority: O.C.G.A. §§ 45-2-20 through 45-2-22; GA Rule 478-1-.18.

36. Professional License Fee Waiver

**Expedited licensure (within 90 days):** Military spouses and separating service members may obtain occupational licenses **by endorsement** within 90 days through the Georgia Secretary of State's Professional Licensing Boards Division, where military training and experience is substantially equivalent to state requirements.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 43-1-9 (exam credits); O.C.G.A. § 43-1-34 (military spouse/veteran license by endorsement); GA Secretary of State PLB.

37. Professional License Reciprocity — Military Spouse

Military spouses who hold a current professional or occupational license in another state.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 43-1-34.

38. Business License Fee Break

Honorably discharged veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of **10% or more**.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 43-12-1.

39. Civil Service / Retirement Credit

**State employee military leave:** State of Georgia employees who are members of the National Guard or Reserve receive **18 days of paid military leave per federal fiscal year** for training or activation, without loss of benefits or seniority.
Verify locally: ⚠️ Verify current buy-back rates and procedures directly with ERS at ers.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 38-2-279; GA State Personnel Board Rule 478-1-.19 (state military leave); 38 U.S.C. §§ 4301–4335 (USERRA).

Housing & Financial

40. State Home Loan / Down-Payment Assistance

**No state-specific veteran home loan or down-payment assistance program** separate from the federal VA home loan guaranty program exists in Georgia.

Authority: Georgia Department of Community Affairs Georgia Dream Homeownership Program.

41. Financial Assistance / Emergency Relief

**Veterans Mental Health Services Program Grant:** Georgia appropriated **$1,000,000** in FY 2026 funding for competitive matching grants to nonprofit community behavioral health programs serving veterans, service members, and their families. Administered by GDVS. This is an institutional grant — organizations apply, not individual veterans. Veterans seek services through grant-funded community providers.
Verify locally: ⚠️ Verify with your GDVS field office if you have an emergency financial need.

42. State Veteran Bonus

Georgia does not offer a one-time veteran service bonus (bonus pay/gratuity) for WWII, Korea, Vietnam, or any other era of service. No such program was found in Georgia statutes or GDVS publications. ⚠️ Verify locally if applicant believes a specific historical program may apply.

43. Specially Adapted Housing — State Supplement

**No state-level supplement** to the federal VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) or Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grants exists in Georgia. Veterans must apply for the federal programs directly:

44. Utility / Heating Assistance

**LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program):** Georgia administers federal LIHEAP funds. Veterans with household incomes at or below **60% of the Georgia median** may receive heating assistance ranging from **$400–$810** per season. Program heating assistance opens December 1; people age 65+ and medically homebound may apply first. Not veteran-specific — income-based.

Health & Support

45. State Veterans Home / Nursing Home

- Georgia residency: 2 years immediately preceding application, OR 5+ of the past 15 years - Active duty wartime service: WWII (Dec. 7, 1941–Dec. 31, 1946), Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Global War on Terror, or other designated periods - Discharge under other than dishonorable conditions - VA approval for skilled nursing care level - Free of contagious infectious disease, behavioral problems, and psychiatric conditions requiring acute care

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 38-4-1 et seq.; GDVS nursing home program.

46. Behavioral / Mental Health Programs

**Veterans Mental Health Services Program Grant:** Georgia appropriated $1,000,000 in FY 2026 for a fourth consecutive year of competitive grants to nonprofit community behavioral health programs serving veterans and their families. Veterans seek services through grant-funded community providers. Contact GDVS at veterans.georgia.gov/services/suicide-prevention-and-outreach.

47. Dental / Vision / Health Programs

**Dental: Unavailable as a state benefit** — Georgia does not offer a state-specific dental benefit for veterans. Federal VA dental care provides free or low-cost dental services based on disability rating and service history (100% SC, VA dental treatment during active duty, POW status, etc.). Apply through VA healthcare enrollment.

48. Long-Term Care / Aid & Attendance Supplement

**No separate Georgia state A&A / long-term care supplement** has been identified beyond the State Veterans Homes (§45). The federal VA Aid & Attendance benefit (up to $2,727/mo for a veteran with a spouse, 2026) helps offset nursing home costs. Georgia's State Veterans Homes accept the federal A&A benefit toward daily fees.

49. Free Legal Aid / Veteran Treatment Courts

**GDVS Legal Assistance:** GDVS provides free assistance with VA disability claims, appeals, healthcare enrollment, education benefits, burial benefits, and state benefit applications through Veterans Field Service Offices in all 159 Georgia counties. Phone: (404) 656-2300.

50. Concealed Carry / Firearms Fee Waiver

**Permitless carry:** Since July 1, 2022, Georgia allows any person who is legally permitted to possess a firearm to carry a handgun (loaded or unloaded, openly or concealed) in most public places without a Weapons Carry License (WCL). Active military and honorably discharged veterans under age 21 may carry under this provision.
Verify locally: No statewide veteran fee waiver for the WCL has been confirmed. ⚠️ Verify with your county Probate Court — some counties may offer local discounts.

51. Vital Records / Notary Fee Waiver

Veterans and their families when the records will be used to establish disability or death claims with the VA or other veterans benefit agencies.

Authority: GDVS Other Special State Provisions; Georgia Department of Public Health vital records policy.

Legal & Administrative

52. Unique State Programs

**High School Diploma for Wartime Veterans:** Veterans whose high school education was interrupted by service in WWII, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War are eligible to receive a high school diploma by applying through the board of education of the school district where they attended high school. No GED required.

Survivor Benefits

53. Surviving Spouse — Property Tax

Unremarried surviving spouse of a qualifying disabled veteran (100% SC, TDIU, or statutory award), OR unremarried surviving spouse of a service member who died as a result of any war or armed conflict.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48; 38 U.S.C. § 2102.

54. Surviving Spouse — Education

**HERO Scholarship for Spouses:** Up to $2,000/year, maximum $8,000 over 4 academic years, for spouses of service members killed or permanently disabled in qualifying combat deployments. Apply at gafutures.org. (See §31.)

55. Dependent / Survivor State Benefit

**Federal DIC (Dependency and Indemnity Compensation):** Tax-free monthly payments from VA to eligible surviving spouses and dependents of service members who died from service-connected conditions or with a 100% SC disability rating for at least 10 years before death. Not a Georgia state benefit — federal — but GDVS field offices assist with DIC applications at no charge.

Memorial & Burial

56. State Veterans Cemetery

**Two Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemeteries** — both operated by GDVS; both received VA National Cemetery Administration Operational Excellence Awards (most recent recognition 2025):

57. Burial Allowance / Plot

**No-cost burial services at state veterans cemeteries (see §56):** The following are provided at no cost to the family at Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemeteries: - Gravesite / burial plot - Concrete vault - Standard granite grave marker / headstone - Use of committal chapel for interment services - Perpetual grounds maintenance

58. Headstone / Memorial / Honors

**Headstones / Markers:** Standard upright granite headstones provided at no cost at both Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemeteries for casketed remains. Small granite covers provided for columbarium niches for cremated remains. Inscriptions include name, rank, dates of service, and optional religious symbol.