Georgia Veteran Benefits 2026

Income Tax Treatment

Georgia has a state income tax.

Military Retirement Pay: Beginning with the 2026 tax year, Georgia exempts up to $65,000 of military retirement income for retirees of any age; amounts above the cap remain taxable.

Active Duty Pay: Active duty pay earned outside Georgia is exempt.

VA Disability Compensation: VA disability compensation is tax-free at both the federal and state level in all 50 states. Georgia does not tax VA disability payments.

Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans in Georgia

Type: Assessed-value exclusion

Georgia exempts up to $121,812 (for 2025) of a qualifying disabled veteran's homestead value from all state, county, municipal, and school ad valorem taxes; the cap is set annually by a federal index.

• Income limit: None
• Age requirement: None
• Surviving spouse: Extends to the unremarried surviving spouse or minor children as long as they continue to occupy the home as a residence (homestead).
• Counts being paid at 100% via unemployability (TDIU)? Yes — being paid at the 100% rate via Individual Unemployability (TDIU) qualifies

Source: O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48 (Homestead exemption for disabled veterans); maximum tied to 38 U.S.C. § 2102 and a second official source. Verified June 2026 against primary sources.

To apply, contact your county assessor's office or the Georgia Department of Veterans Affairs. You will typically need your VA disability rating letter (and often your DD‑214) and proof that the home is your primary residence.

Real estate vs. personal property: this benefit applies to real-estate (home/homestead) property tax. Personal-property taxes — such as the annual tax some states levy on vehicles — are separate and generally still apply, even at a 100% rating, unless your state specifically exempts them.

Check your exemption by rating & state →

Vehicle & Registration Benefits

TAVT & annual vehicle ad valorem tax exemption — one vehicle: Georgia charges a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) of 7.0% of a vehicle's fair market value when you title it. Qualifying disabled veterans are exempt on one vehicle the veteran owns — the exemption applies to “either the annual property tax or the title tax, whichever is applicable.” Per the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, it covers veterans verified by VA as 100 percent totally and permanently service-connected disabled, veterans rated unemployable, and veterans receiving or entitled to receive statutory VA awards for loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet or hands, loss of sight in one or both eyes, or prescribed permanent vision impairment of both eyes. The Georgia Department of Revenue also lists former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, and Medal of Honor recipients as exempt from TAVT. Claim the exemption at your county tag office with Form MV-30 (Georgia Veteran’s Affidavit) plus your military documentation. A recent change to state law removed the old requirement to carry the Disabled Veteran plate — you can choose any Georgia veteran license plate and still receive the exemption.

VA auto-grant vehicles — sales tax: “A disabled veteran who receives a VA grant for the purchase and special adapting of a vehicle is exempt from paying the state sales tax on the vehicle (only on the original grant),” per GDVS.

Free Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate — up to two vehicles: An honorably discharged Georgia resident veteran who is VA-rated 100 percent totally disabled, rated less than 100 percent but paid at the 100 percent rate due to unemployability, or entitled to a statutory VA award for loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet or hands, loss of sight in one or both eyes, or permanent impairment of both eyes (central visual acuity 20/200 or less in the better eye with correction, or a peripheral field contracted to 20 degrees or less) qualifies for the free DV plate on up to two passenger cars or motorcycles for personal use — “there is no registration fee, manufacturing fee, or annual fee for this plate.” Surviving unremarried spouses and surviving minor children of qualified deceased veterans are also eligible. Apply through a GDVS Veterans Field Service Office with your VA entitlement letter (or certified physician statement), discharge papers, and proof of residency. Two side benefits ride along with the plate, per GDVS: a properly displayed DV plate authorizes parking in disability-designated spaces without a separate permit, and gas stations must provide full service at self-service prices to a disabled veteran displaying the plate who is unaccompanied by someone able to pump fuel.

Other military & veteran plates: Georgia issues several plate types free of registration, manufacturing, and annual fees, per the Department of Revenue: Commemorative Service plates (active duty or honorably discharged service during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or the Global War on Terrorism), the Military Medal Award plate (Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Legion of Merit, and other qualifying combat-service medals), National Guard plates for Georgia Guard members, Reserve Component plates, Retired Military Veteran plates, and Prisoner of War plates (POWs from WWII, Korea, or Vietnam with an honorable discharge). Gold Star plates are free for the spouse or parents of a service member killed in action (siblings, children, and step-parents may purchase them). An additional plate beyond the free one generally runs a $25 manufacturing fee plus a $25 annual registration fee; Chosin Reservoir and Pearl Harbor Survivor plates carry a $25 manufacturing fee with no annual registration fee.

Recreation: Parks, Hunting & Fishing

State parks — 25% off two ways: Daily parking at Georgia State Parks costs $10 per vehicle; the $70 annual ParkPass is discounted 25% for active military and veterans (and 50% for seniors 62 and older) — discounted passes must be purchased in person at a park office, per Georgia State Parks (DNR). Separately, GDVS issues a discount card to Georgia veterans “with a discharge from the U.S. armed forces under honorable conditions and a VA service-connected disability rating” (any percentage) good for a 25 percent reduction of the entrance fee to state parks, historical sites, and recreational areas. Bring your DD-214, verification of the service-connected disability, and proof of residency to a GDVS Veterans Field Service Office; the card is mailed after approval.

One-time free hunting & fishing license — returning veterans: The One-Time Veterans License is free to Georgia resident veterans who served on active federal duty for 90 or more days and were honorably discharged on or after July 1, 2005. It is a full-privilege sportsman’s license — hunting, big game, the Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp, saltwater and freshwater fishing, and mountain trout — valid for one year from issue and issued only once. Apply to DNR with a photocopy of your DD-214 and a current Georgia driver’s license or ID (allow 3–5 days’ processing); veterans born after January 1, 1961 who lack hunter education can request a fishing-only version. You still pick up the free annual add-ons (state harvest record for deer and turkey, Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp, saltwater SIP license); the federal duck stamp keeps its federal fee. Details: Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.

Discounted disability licenses — permanent & total VA rating: Georgia does not offer a blanket free lifetime license for disabled veterans; instead, per GDVS, veterans with a permanent and total disability rating from VA qualify for the three-year Resident Disability Sportsman’s License at a steep discount — $15 plus a $3 transaction fee ($5 + $3 fee annually), covering hunting, big game, the Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp, salt and freshwater fishing, and mountain trout, per Georgia DNR. Stand-alone disability hunting or fishing licenses run $3 annually or $9 for three years (each plus the $3 fee). Disability certification is submitted once — online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia or by mail — and stays on file permanently. Honorably discharged Georgia resident veterans also get a 20% discount on the Adult Lifetime Sportsman’s License (ages 16–49), and totally blind residents receive a free lifetime fishing license.

Education & Other Georgia Benefits

Georgia HERO Scholarship — up to $8,000: The HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Offspring) Scholarship pays up to $2,000 per academic year, capped at $8,000 over four academic years, for members of the Georgia National Guard and U.S. Military Reserves who were deployed outside the United States for active duty service to a location designated as a combat zone on or after February 1, 2003, serving at least 181 cumulative days (less if evacuated for severe injuries). Children of qualifying members (born before the qualifying service or within nine months of deployment beginning, and 25 or younger during the qualifying term) are eligible, as are children and spouses of members killed, deceased, or rated 100 percent disabled as a result of combat-zone injuries. Requires 12 consecutive months of Georgia residency before the term and enrollment at an eligible University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, or private nonprofit Georgia institution. Administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission — details and applications at GAfutures.org.

Business Certificate of Exemption — 10% rating or higher: Veterans discharged under honorable conditions with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or more can obtain a certificate exempting them for ten years from “any occupation tax, administrative fee, or regulatory fee imposed by local governments for peddling, conducting business, or practicing a profession or semi-profession.” Apply with VS Form 40-025, your ID, DD-214, and VA Summary of Benefits letter through your County Probate Court (some counties also require VS Form 40-026 from a GDVS field office). Details: GDVS Business Certificate of Exemption.

VA Healthcare in Georgia

Georgia has approximately 4 VA medical centers along with community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) throughout the state. Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare can receive care at any VA facility nationwide.

To find the nearest VA facility, visit VA.gov Facility Locator.

Official Georgia Veterans Resources

• Georgia Department of Veterans Service
• GDVS — Tax Exemptions (Vehicle Ad Valorem & Sales Tax)
• Georgia DOR — Vehicle Taxes (TAVT & Annual Ad Valorem)
• Georgia DOR — Military & Veteran License Plates
• Georgia DNR — One-Time Veterans Hunting & Fishing License
• Georgia State Parks — ParkPass & Discounts
• GAfutures (Georgia Student Finance Commission) — HERO Scholarship
• VA Facility Locator
• 2026 VA Disability Compensation Rates