Missouri Veteran Benefits 2026

Income Tax Treatment

Missouri has a state income tax.

Military Retirement Pay: Missouri fully exempts military retirement pay from state income tax.

Active Duty Pay: Active duty pay earned in a combat zone is exempt.

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

Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans in Missouri

Type: Income-tax credit (refund)

Missouri has NO general property-tax exemption for ordinary 100% disabled veterans. There are two narrow benefits: (1) a constitutional FULL homestead property-tax exemption ONLY for former Prisoners of War who ALSO have a total service-connected disability (Mo. Const. Art. X, sec. 6); and (2) the income-tested Missouri Property Tax Credit ('circuit breaker', MO-PTS), where a veteran who became 100% service-connected disabled can claim up to $1,100 on owned real estate, subject to strict income limits. A 2025 bill (HB700) to create a graduated disability-rating exemption DIED and did not become law.

• Income limit: Yes, for the Property Tax Credit: $30,000 (single) / $34,000 (married filing combined) household income (2025). The constitutional POW exemption has NO income limit.
• Age requirement: None for the disabled-veteran credit/POW exemption (the general MO-PTC also serves seniors 65+ and the disabled, but the veteran path keys on disability, not age).
• Surviving spouse: POW constitutional exemption: confirm survivor continuation with the county assessor. Property Tax Credit: spouse may claim if the claimant or spouse meets the disabled-veteran criteria.
• Counts being paid at 100% via unemployability (TDIU)? Varies / not explicitly addressed — confirm with the assessor or state VA

Source: Mo. Const. Art. X, sec. 6 (POW exemption); RSMo 135.010-135.035 (Property Tax Credit / MO-PTS) and a second official source. Verified June 2026 against primary sources.

To apply, contact your county assessor's office or the Missouri 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

No motor vehicle sales-tax exemption — beware bad info: Many national “state benefits” roundups claim Missouri waives vehicle sales tax for 100% disabled veterans. It does not. The Missouri Department of Revenue's own FAQ is blunt: “Veterans (including Disabled Veterans) are not exempt from paying sales tax on a motor vehicle purchase” — and the same is true for retired and active-duty members. See the DOR motor vehicle titling & registration FAQ. What Missouri does exempt: items used solely to modify a motor vehicle so a person with a disability can use it — adaptive hand controls, lifts, and similar equipment — are exempt from state and local sales tax under RSMo 144.030.2(18), which also covers wheelchairs, scooters, and durable medical equipment.

Disabled Veteran license plates — first set free: Under RSMo 301.071, an honorably discharged veteran whose service-connected disability is of a nature that would have entitled the veteran to a federal automobile award, or who receives VA compensation for a total service-connected disability, may apply for Disabled Veteran plates. On the application side, DOR requires Missouri residency, an honorable discharge, and a statement obtained directly from the VA (not a VA hospital or clinic), no more than one year old, stating your disability is service-connected. An eligible applicant receives one set free — no specialty-plate, transfer, processing, or replacement plate/tab fees are due — while an additional set runs the normal $15 specialty fee plus regular registration fees. Note that Disabled Veteran plates alone do not authorize disabled-space parking; you need the wheelchair-symbol version, which requires physician documentation that the disability is permanent. Details: DOR Disabled Veteran license plates.

Former POW, Purple Heart & other military plates: DOR's Form 4601 (rev. 08-2025) lists roughly 40 military plate types. The initial set of Former POW, Purple Heart, and Congressional Medal of Honor plates is issued at no fee — POW plates are limited to one set per applicant and require a VA statement no more than six months old (or a POW member card); see the DOR Former POW plates page. Most other military plates — branch plates, campaign plates (World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan), and valor plates (Silver Star, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross) — carry a $15 specialty fee, but qualifying applicants can have the issuance/personalization fee waived on one set under RSMo 301.3030.

Recreation: Parks, Hunting & Fishing

State parks — free entry for everyone, $2/night camping discount for military: Missouri is one of only eight states that charge no entrance fee at any state park or historic site — free admission for all visitors is funded by the constitutional one-tenth-of-one-percent parks, soils and water sales tax — so there is no veteran entry pass to apply for. Where veterans do get a break is camping: retired, veteran, and active-duty military personnel, plus family members of active-duty personnel, receive a $2 per night camping discount year-round; show a CAC card, DD Form 1173, or DD–214 at check-in. Missouri State Parks has also offered a free night of camping to veterans and active-duty members who camp on Veterans Day in recent years. Details: Missouri State Parks military benefits and the camping fees page.

Hunt & fish without permits — 60%+ disability or former POW: Under Wildlife Code rule 3 CSR 10-5.205, an honorably discharged veteran — resident or nonresident — with a service-related disability of 60% or greater, or who was a prisoner of war during military service, may take fish, live bait, clams, mussels, turtles, and frogs without a fishing permit, may hunt wildlife without a permit, and may use MDC's unstaffed firearms shooting ranges. The carve-outs matter: black bear, deer, elk, and turkey hunting permits are still required, as are Migratory Bird Hunting Permits and the Conservation Order Permit (plus the Federal Duck Stamp for waterfowl), and a trout permit or daily trout tag still applies where prescribed. Trapping is not covered. You must carry a certified statement of eligibility from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs while hunting or fishing. Service members currently assigned as patients to a Warrior Transition Brigade, Warrior Transition Unit, or military medical center get the same exemption by carrying their orders. Full rundown: MDC veteran benefits.

Active duty & Guard/Reserve: Military personnel stationed in Missouri qualify for resident permit prices, and Missouri residents stationed out of state keep resident pricing. National Guard and reserve members mobilized on full-time active duty within the previous 12 months qualify for a low-cost permit covering small game hunting, fishing, and trapping, and anyone whose permit went unused because of deployment can have the permit privilege reinstated free on return — see MDC's veteran and military permits page.

Education & Other Missouri Benefits

Missouri Returning Heroes' Education Act — $50-per-credit-hour tuition: Under RSMo 173.900, every public institution of higher education that receives state funds must limit tuition for combat veterans to $50 per credit hour in programs leading to a certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree, as long as the veteran maintains a cumulative 2.5 GPA; eligibility runs for ten years after the last discharge. A “combat veteran” is a person who served in armed combat — shown by military service documentation reflecting service in a combat theater, receipt of combat service medals, or receipt of imminent danger or hostile fire pay or tax benefits — who was discharged under honorable conditions and is a Missouri resident eligible to register to vote here. For graduate programs (professional degrees such as law and medicine excluded), tuition is capped at 30% of tuition and fees, with a twenty-year window after discharge.

VA Healthcare in Missouri

Missouri has approximately 2 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 Missouri Veterans Resources

• Missouri Veterans Commission
• Missouri Department of Conservation — Veteran Benefits
• Missouri State Parks — Military Benefits & Services
• Missouri DOR — Disabled Veteran License Plates
• VA Facility Locator
• 2026 VA Disability Compensation Rates