West Virginia — Veteran Benefits

West Virginia offers two overlapping property tax programs for veterans:

Active duty service members stationed **outside West Virginia** are exempt from personal property tax on **one vehicle** registered in WV. Authority: WV Code §11-21 series.

Authority: WV Code §11-21-12; TSD 443 (tax.wv.gov).

**Full exemption.** All military retirement income from the Regular Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps is **100% exempt** from West Virginia state income tax. Effective for tax years beginning on and after January 1, 2019.

**Full exemption.** Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) annuities are not subject to West Virginia income tax. Same authority as Category 5.

- **VA disability compensation:** Excluded from WV taxable income (federal exclusion passes through). - **DIC payments to surviving spouses:** Tax-free at both federal and state levels. - **Military d

- **Military Incentive Tax Credit (employers):** WV employers who hire economically disadvantaged veterans or unemployed Guard/Reserve members may claim a state income tax credit. Authority: WV Code §

**100% total and permanent service-connected disability or specially adapted vehicle grant recipients:** Exempt from the annual vehicle registration fee on **one motor vehicle of any class** for the veteran's natural life. Authority: WV Code §17A-10 series; W. Va. Code R. §91-2-12.

100% total and permanent service-connected disability **or** recipient of a VA specially adapted vehicle grant (PL 663-79, PL 187-82, or PL 77-90). **Free.** A Mobility Impaired version requires licensed physician certification.

All plates issued through WV DMV (transportation.wv.gov/DMV). Authority: WV Code §17A-3-14. Contact: WV DMV, 800-642-9066.

DV plates (Category 11) include disabled parking privileges under WV Code §17C-13-6. Holders of a DV Mobility Impaired plate are entitled to disabled/handicapped parking in all designated spaces statewide.

**Veteran designation:** Honorably discharged veterans may have a Veteran designation added to their driver's license or state ID at **no charge** when the sole transaction is adding the designation. Requires DD-214 showing honorable discharge. Replacement before expiration is free for designation-only transactions.

**CDL Even Exchange Program:** Service members with specific Military Occupational Specialties/Ratings may use military training to meet CDL qualification requirements and waive the CDL skills test.

Yes — Veteran designation placed on DL/ID card for honorably discharged veterans at no charge (for that transaction). Requires DD-214. Available at any WV DMV regional office. See Category 16 for full detail.

**Free license** for WV resident veterans who (a) qualify for a VA specially adapted vehicle grant, (b) hold a 100% permanent total service-connected disability rating, or (c) are former POWs. Authority: WV Code §20-2-28.

Same eligibility as Category 19. Free freshwater fishing license for 100% P&T / auto-grant / POW resident veterans. Active duty on leave may fish without a license with leave orders. Authority: WV Code §20-2-28.

Free combination hunting, trapping, and fishing privilege for qualifying veterans (100% P&T / auto-grant / POW) under a single application. Authority: WV Code §20-2-28.

Included in the free combination license privilege (Categories 19–22). Same eligibility criteria apply. Active duty on leave may also trap without a license with orders. Authority: WV Code §20-2-28.

West Virginia state parks do not charge a general day-use entrance fee — all parks are free to enter for all visitors. No veteran-specific entrance pass is needed or offered.

**Year-round 10% discount** on all standard lodge rooms, cabins, and campsites for veterans and active duty service members. No residency requirement. Use code **VETS10** when reserving online; present valid military ID or DD-214 at check-in. Excludes Stonewall Resort State Park.

**Non-resident veterans using GI Bill benefits** who enroll at a WV public institution of higher education **within 3 years of discharge** (with 90+ days of active duty service) are charged in-state tuition rates. Authority: Title 133 Legislative Rules Series 25; federal Choice Act compliance.

**Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipients** (honorably discharged WV residents): Tuition and mandatory fees waived at WV state-supported institutions for up to **8 semesters** (applied after other state/federal aid is exhausted). Authority: WV Code §18B-10-10.

**War Orphan Education Program:** Surviving spouses and children (ages 16–25) of WV resident wartime veterans who died on active duty or as a result of wartime service.

**Surviving spouses of service members killed in line of duty (federal or state active duty):** Tuition and fees **waived** for undergraduate courses at WV state institutions for up to **8 semesters** or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first.

**West Virginia Educational Encouragement Program (WVEEP):** WV National Guard members enrolled in an accredited WV post-secondary institution.

**Military Interstate Children's Compact (MIC3):** WV participates. Removes enrollment barriers for children of military families: records transfer, attendance requirements, extracurricular eligibility, and graduation timing accommodations.

**Veterans Re-Education Assistance:** Honorably discharged WV resident veterans who have exhausted all federal VA education benefits and are enrolled in a certified WV post-secondary course.

**State civil service exam preference:** - Honorably discharged veterans (or those with 90+ consecutive days Reserve/Guard active-duty training): **+5 points** added to a final passing score. - Purple Heart recipients **or** veterans currently receiving VA service-connected disability compensation: **+10 points** total.

**Initial license application fees waived** for honorably discharged veterans and their spouses, and for unremarried surviving spouses of deceased service members, in applicable WV-regulated professional licensing fields.

Military spouses holding an active, valid professional license in good standing in another state may receive a **temporary WV license within 30 days** of completing an application. Valid 6 months; some fees may be waived.

**State employee military leave:** WV National Guard and Reserve members employed by the state receive **240 hours of paid military leave** for training/drills. An additional 240 hours of paid leave applies when mobilized to federal active duty under presidential orders.

**Jack Bennett Fund (John F. "Jack" Bennett Fund):** Families or next-of-kin of deceased veterans who do not meet VA income limits for VA-provided grave marker installation.

**Afghanistan Service Bonus:** One-time cash payments for WV veterans who served during the War in Afghanistan.

**West Virginia Veterans Home (Barboursville)** - 125-bed residential facility (non-skilled nursing) - Eligible: Honorably or generally discharged veterans who can self-care; 12+ consecutive months active duty; eligible for VA health care - Address: 512 Water Street, Barboursville, WV 25504 | Phone: 304-736-1027 - VA per diem subsidy applied; residents pay a portion based on income

**Military Service Members Court (Veterans Treatment Court):** Authorized under WV Code §62-16-2. Structured, monitored diversion program for veterans facing charges related to PTSD, TBI, or other mental health/substance issues arising from military service. Includes mandatory court appearances, treatment, counseling, and random testing. Voluntary participation; successful completion may result in charges dismissed or reduced.

The West Virginia Veterans Home and Veterans Nursing Facility (Category 45) are the primary state long-term care options. No separate WV state Aid and Attendance (A&A) supplement exists beyond what the federal VA pays.

**Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV)** - Free civil legal services for low-income WV veterans - 12 offices statewide; SSVF program for homeless veteran prevention and rapid re-housing - Hotline: 1-866-255-4370 | Website: legalaidwv.org

**CCW Permit Fee Waiver:** WV is a constitutional carry state (no permit required for residents to carry concealed). A permit remains available and useful for reciprocity in other states. **Honorably discharged veterans** (WV residents, including Reserve and National Guard) are **exempt from all CCW permit fees and costs**. Documentation: DD-214 showing honorable discharge. Authority: WV Code §61-7-4(q).

**Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture (VHAP):** WV Department of Agriculture program providing grants (up to $24,000 to supporting organizations) and scholarships (**up to $600 per fiscal year**) for veterans, service members, and families entering agriculture. Contact: vetstoag@wvda.us.

**Property Tax Credit (WV Code §11-13MM-4):** The surviving unremarried spouse of a qualifying disabled veteran (90%+ VA rating — or TDIU as of SB 194 effective June 12, 2026) who held the tax credit may **continue receiving the full refundable ad valorem real property tax credit** until death or remarriage. Property taxes must still be paid on time (first half by October 1; second half by April 1) to claim the credit.

**KIA / Line-of-Duty Tuition Waiver (Category 31):** Surviving spouses of service members killed in line of duty (federal or state active duty) receive tuition and fee waivers for undergraduate courses at WV state institutions for up to 8 semesters or completion of a bachelor's degree. Annual FAFSA required; full-time enrollment; satisfactory academic progress.

**War Orphan Education Program:** Children (ages 16–25) of deceased wartime veterans eligible (see Category 30) — up to $1,000/semester.

**Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery** - Address: 130 Academy Drive, Dunbar, WV 25064 | Phone: 304-746-0026 - Website: veterans.wv.gov

**Jack Bennett Fund:** Up to $380 to offset grave marker installation costs for families of deceased veterans who do not meet VA income limits. Apply by mail to WV DVA. Authority: WV Code §29-22A-10 (see Category 41).

**Headstone/Marker at State Cemetery:** Provided at no cost as part of the free veteran burial package at Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery (Category 56). Federal VA headstones and markers are also available for veterans buried in private cemeteries.