Updated August 2026
South Carolina Veteran Benefits 2026
The Palmetto State — where Fort Sumter’s harbor still salutes the uniform.
South Carolina’s benefits run from your driveway to the beach — two tax-free vehicles at 100% and free parks for P&T veterans. Every claim below is checked against South Carolina code and agencies.
South Carolina Highlights
- Full military retirement pay tax exemption
- Full property tax exemption for 100% P&T
- No property tax on up to two vehicles for totally & permanently disabled veterans — and Disabled Veteran plates are free
- Free state park entry at P&T; free 3-year hunting & fishing license with VA disability benefits
- Free college tuition for children of certain war veterans
- SC Veterans Trust Fund
Income Tax Treatment
South Carolina has a state income tax.
Military Retirement Pay: South Carolina has fully exempted military retirement pay for retirees of all ages since tax year 2022.
Active Duty Pay: Active duty pay is exempt from South Carolina income tax.
VA Disability Compensation: VA disability compensation is tax-free at both the federal and state level in all 50 states. South Carolina does not tax VA disability payments.
Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans in South Carolina
Type: Full exemption at 100%
South Carolina grants a full property tax exemption on the homestead (house and up to 5 acres, owner-occupied, titled solely to the veteran or jointly with spouse) for veterans with a 100% total and permanent service-connected disability. It is a true exemption (bill to zero), not a credit or deduction, with no value cap. Also exempts up to two private passenger vehicles. Surviving spouses gained expanded immediate eligibility under 2024 legislation.
| VA disability rating / category | What you get |
|---|---|
| 100% total and permanent service-connected disability | Full exemption from property tax on the homestead (house + up to 5 acres); plus exemption on up to two private passenger vehicles.Owner-occupied; titled solely to the veteran or jointly with spouse; VA certification of total and permanent service-connected disability. Apply via SCDOR MyDORWAY. |
- Income limit: None.
- Age requirement: None.
- Surviving spouse: Surviving spouse may claim immediately in the same manner as the veteran, regardless of whether the veteran ever applied/claimed it (per 2024 changes); continues while unremarried and sole ownership is maintained.
- Counts being paid at 100% via unemployability (TDIU)? Varies / not explicitly addressed — confirm with the assessor or state VA
Source: S.C. Code Ann. Sec. 12-37-220(B)(1) (and related veterans provisions) and a second official source. Verified June 2026 against primary sources.
To apply, contact your county assessor's office or the South Carolina 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.
Vehicle & Registration Benefits
No property tax on up to two vehicles (total & permanent disability): South Carolina counties levy an annual property tax on vehicles, but S.C. Code § 12-37-220(B)(3) exempts “two private passenger vehicles owned or leased by any disabled veteran” — or by the veteran’s spouse, if the spouse resides with the veteran and the vehicle is registered at the same address. You qualify either with Disabled Veteran license tags issued by the SCDMV or, in lieu of the tags, a certificate of the total and permanent disability signed by the county veterans service officer or the VA and filed with the SCDMV. A surviving spouse keeps the exemption on one vehicle for life or until remarriage, and a vehicle titled to a trust still qualifies when the beneficiary otherwise qualifies and uses it. See the property-tax section above for how to apply through SCDOR.
Medal of Honor recipients & former POWs: Under S.C. Code § 12-37-220(B)(26) and (B)(29), Medal of Honor recipients are exempt from property tax on two private passenger vehicles, and former prisoners of war from World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam Conflict who are South Carolina legal residents are exempt on two private passenger vehicles or trucks up to three-quarter ton — the POW exemption also passes to the surviving spouse for life or until remarriage.
What is not exempt — the one-time infrastructure maintenance fee: South Carolina replaced its vehicle sales tax with a one-time infrastructure maintenance fee — 5% of the price, capped at $500 — collected when you first title or register a vehicle under S.C. Code § 56-3-627. The statute’s exclusion list contains no disabled-veteran carve-out, so plan on paying it even at 100% P&T: the two-vehicle exemption above removes the annual property tax, not this one-time fee. The section’s only military exceptions are purchases by nonresident service members stationed in South Carolina on military orders (via S.C. Code § 12-36-2120(25)) and a waiver of the $250 fee on vehicles first titled in another state for active-duty members and their spouses and dependents.
Military & veteran license plates: The SCDMV’s Application for Military License Plate (Form MV-37, Feb 2026) lists every plate, fee, and required document. The Disabled Veteran plate is free — no registration fee — for veterans discharged honorably (or “general under honorable conditions”) who submit a letter from the county veterans affairs office or the VA showing the loss of, or loss of use of, a leg, arm, or vision, or classification as totally and permanently disabled due to service-connected disabilities. The base Disabled Veteran plate does not carry handicap-parking privileges — the free wheelchair version does, with a physician-signed Form RG-007A. Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, Prisoner of War, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and Gold Star Family plates are also no-fee, and these valor plates issued on or after May 6, 2022 include free parking at metered or timed spaces (S.C. Code §§ 56-3-14910(D)–14930(D)). Standard Veteran plates and campaign plates (Vietnam, World War II, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and more) cost the regular registration fee ($40 private passenger). The limit is three plates per type, and applications are processed by mail only at SCDMV headquarters in Blythewood — see the SCDMV military plates page. Military plates issued since May 6, 2022 renew with annual decals, and if the SCDMV receives your application within 90 days of your current plate’s expiration, a paid tax receipt for the next registration year and additional fees may be required.
Recreation: Parks, Hunting & Fishing
Free state park entry — permanent & total disability: Under S.C. Code § 51-3-60, any South Carolina resident veteran “classified by the Veterans Administration as permanently and totally disabled” may enter any state park without charge. Present an identification card from your county veterans affairs officer stating the permanent and total disability to park staff at the gate.
35% discounts & half-price passport — seniors, legally blind, disabled residents: The same statute (as adjusted by § 51-3-65, which lets the park service modify the fee schedule but requires discounts of at least 35%) covers South Carolina residents who are 65 or older, legally blind, or disabled (a total-disability standard — the parks system applies it to 100% disabled residents). Under the current schedule on the official South Carolina State Parks site, that means 35% off admission, camping, picnic shelters, golf, and fishing-pier admission, plus the annual ALL Park Passport at half price — $49.50 instead of $99. Active members of the South Carolina National Guard receive the same discounts. Buy discounted passports in person at a state park office or by phone (803-734-0156); the qualifying person must be present, and proof of age or disability is required.
Free 3-year hunting & fishing license — any VA disability benefits: SCDNR’s Disability Hunting and Fishing License is free if you have been a South Carolina resident for at least 365 days and are receiving disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (benefits from Social Security and several other agencies also count) — South Carolina does not limit this license to 100% ratings. The combination license is valid for three years and covers Freshwater Fishing, Saltwater Fishing, State Hunting, Big Game, Wildlife Management Areas, and the Migratory Waterfowl Permit, and holders automatically receive the free base set of deer tags each year (turkey tags must be ordered separately). Applicants who are paraplegic, quadriplegic, or legally blind and include a doctor’s statement receive a Lifetime Disability License instead. To apply, email DisabilityLicense@dnr.sc.gov with your name and phone number — SCDNR replies with a secure, encrypted application.
Education & Other South Carolina Benefits
Free college tuition for children of certain war veterans: Under S.C. Code § 59-111-20, a child 26 or younger of a qualifying wartime veteran can attend any South Carolina state-supported college, university, or post-high-school technical education institution tuition-free for an undergraduate degree, as long as work and conduct remain satisfactory. The veteran must have served honorably during a war period (as defined in 38 U.S.C. § 101) and have been killed in action; died in service or of service-connected disease or disability; held as a prisoner of war; rated permanently and totally disabled; awarded the Medal of Honor; awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat; or declared missing in action. Per SCDVA, both the student and the veteran (if living) must have been South Carolina residents for the twelve continuous months before applying — children who have lived in South Carolina their entire lives qualify regardless of where the veteran now lives. The waiver covers tuition only — not fees, room, or board — and SCDVA administers the application online.
Veterans’ Trust Fund: South Carolina also maintains the Veterans’ Trust Fund of South Carolina (S.C. Code Title 25, Chapter 21), a grant-making fund whose resources are dedicated to supporting programs, both public and private, for South Carolina’s veterans.
VA Healthcare in South Carolina
South Carolina 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.