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Connecticut Veteran benefits

28 benefits from Connecticut for Veterans and their families, on top of what VA gives. Many need no disability rating.

Each one says who qualifies, how to apply, the official link, and the date we last checked it. Rules change, so the official page has the final word.

Free help in Connecticut

Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs is the state Veterans agency. They can tell you what you qualify for and help you apply.

Call 860-616-3600 State agency website

A Veterans service officer (VSO) helps with VA claims and state benefits for free.

Find a service officer near you Connecticut's list of local offices
Your VA disability rating
Who is it for?

28 benefits

Property tax

  • No rating needed

    Basic Wartime Veterans Property Tax Exemption

    Connecticut requires every town to exempt part of the assessed value of a wartime veteran's home or, if they don't own one, a motor vehicle from local property tax. Surviving spouses and minor children of qualifying veterans may also receive it.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans who served at least 90 cumulative days during a recognized period of war (or the full period if shorter) with an honorable discharge, and CT residents; also spouses/minor children of qualifying deceased veterans.
    How to apply
    File discharge papers (DD-214) with the town clerk by September 30 in the town of residence to claim the exemption for the current and following assessment years.
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • 10%+

    Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption (10%+ Rating)

    Veterans with a VA disability rating of at least 10% get a larger mandatory property tax exemption that increases with the severity of the rating, and this exemption does not require wartime service.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: VA rating of 10% or higher. CT resident veteran with a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs disability rating of at least 10%; wartime service is not required. The exemption amount rises with the rating and may be higher in towns that have had a revaluation.
    How to apply
    Give your VA disability rating letter to your town assessor. File before the October 1 assessment date (some towns allow until the grand list is filed). Ask your assessor for the exact deadline.
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • 100% P&T

    Full Property Tax Exemption for 100% Permanently and Totally Disabled Veterans

    Under Public Act 24-46 (CGS 12-81(83)), veterans rated permanently and totally disabled at 100% by the VA get a full property tax exemption on their primary residence, or on one vehicle if they don't own a home.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: 100% VA rating that is Permanent and Total (P&T). CT resident veteran of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, or Space Force determined by the VA to be permanently and totally disabled with a service-connected disability rating of one hundred per cent.
    How to apply
    File proof of the 100% P&T VA rating with the local assessor using the state D-2-100 application; filing is generally due annually by January 1.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Local-Option Additional Veterans Property Tax Exemption

    Towns may vote to give an extra property tax exemption on top of the mandatory veterans' exemption, up to a dollar cap or percentage of the property's assessed value.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veteran who already gets the basic wartime or 30-year retiree exemption (CGS 12-81(19)) and lives in a town that adopted this option. Your income must be under the limit your town sets. The town limit cannot be lower than the state limit ($45,200 single or $55,100 married for 2025).
    How to apply
    Check whether your town's legislative body has adopted the local-option exemption and apply through the local assessor's office.
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • No rating neededFor family or survivors

    Gold Star Parent and Spouse Property Tax Exemption

    Parents whose child was killed in action and surviving spouses of persons killed in action while on active military duty are eligible for a 10% property tax exemption on their assessed property value.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Parent whose child was killed in action during active military duty; surviving spouse of person killed in action during active military duty
    How to apply
    Application and verification with municipal assessor between February 1st and October 1st
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating neededFor family or survivors

    Surviving Spouse Basic Property Tax Exemption

    The surviving spouse of a wartime veteran is eligible for the same property tax exemption that the deceased veteran qualified for, including the basic $1,000 exemption and income-based additional exemption.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Unremarried surviving spouse of veteran who was entitled to basic exemption at time of death; must remain unmarried
    How to apply
    Apply to municipal assessor; deadlines and documentation requirements set by municipality
    Official page

    Last checked October 3, 2026.

Income tax, retirement pay and other taxes

  • No rating needed

    Military Retirement Pay State Income Tax Exemption

    Connecticut lets retired service members and certain survivor-benefit recipients subtract all of their federally taxable military retirement pay when computing Connecticut income tax.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Retired member of the U.S. armed forces or National Guard, or a beneficiary receiving survivor benefits under an option or election made by a deceased retired military member.
    How to apply
    Claim the subtraction modification on Schedule 1 of the CT-1040 Connecticut Resident Income Tax Return filed with the Department of Revenue Services.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Vehicles, driver's licenses and plates

  • Certain disabilities

    Disabled Veteran License Plate Parking Exemption

    Connecticut gives free special license plates to wartime veterans with certain VA service-connected disabilities. You can register up to three vehicles with no fee. The plate comes with an overtime parking card. It lets you park past the time limit for up to 24 hours. It does not let you use handicapped spaces.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Certain serious disabilities (see who qualifies). Wartime veteran whose VA service-connected disability is blindness, hemiplegia, paraplegia, loss of use or amputation of all or part of an arm or leg, or traumatic brain injury. The vehicle must be owned or leased by the veteran.
    How to apply
    Apply in person at the DMV office in Wethersfield with VA proof of your service-connected disability. Renewals can be done at any full-service DMV office. The overtime parking card is reissued at each renewal.
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Driver's License and Examination Fee Waiver for Service Members and Veterans

    The DMV commissioner must waive the driver's license and examination fee for anyone in active military service who was a CT resident at induction, and for one licensing period for veterans who apply within two years of honorable separation.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Active-duty service member who was a CT resident at induction, or a veteran honorably separated from service who was a CT resident at induction and applies within two years of separation.
    How to apply
    Submit DMV Form B-88 (Application for Waiver of Driver's License Fee) with proof of service to the DMV License Processing Unit.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Reduced Vehicle Sales Tax Rate for Nonresident Service Members

    Nonresident service members on active duty and stationed in Connecticut can buy a motor vehicle from a Connecticut dealer at a lower sales tax rate than the standard rate.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Nonresident, active-duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Connecticut; purchase can be made individually or jointly with a spouse.
    How to apply
    Complete Department of Revenue Services Form CERT-135 and give it to the CT-licensed dealer with required documents at time of purchase.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • Certain disabilities

    State ID Card Fee Waiver for Blind Veterans

    The DMV commissioner may waive the non-driver identification card fee for veterans who are blind.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Certain serious disabilities (see who qualifies). Veteran certified as legally blind.
    legally blind
    How to apply
    Request the fee waiver when applying for or renewing a non-driver ID card at the DMV.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Vehicle Registration Fee Waiver for Service Members and Veterans

    Connecticut exempts active-duty service members from vehicle registration fees while serving, and gives veterans a one-time registration fee waiver if they apply within two years of separation.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Must have been a CT resident at time of induction; currently on active duty, or separated/discharged within the last two years with an honorable discharge or qualifying-condition discharge.
    How to apply
    Complete DMV Form B-276 (Application for Waiver of Registration Fee) with proof of service and submit with the registration renewal.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Veteran Flag Designation on Driver's License or ID Card

    Connecticut veterans can add an American flag symbol to their driver's license or non-driver ID card to show veteran status to businesses and service providers offering veteran discounts.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Any CT veteran with qualifying service, verified by a DD-214 or pre-1950 equivalent discharge certificate.
    How to apply
    Apply to Connecticut Veterans Affairs to verify status at least 30 days before visiting a DMV service office; DVA electronically notifies DMV once verified.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Hunting, fishing and parks

  • Any rating

    Disabled Veteran State Park Pass

    Connecticut residents with a service-connected disability can get a free lifetime pass for state parks and forests, including free entry to the exhibit spaces at Gillette Castle, Dinosaur, and Fort Trumbull State Parks.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Any VA service-connected rating, even 0%. Connecticut resident with a service-connected disability, verified by a VA card or VA benefits letter.
    How to apply
    Apply in person at a DEEP office or by mailing a copy of your CT driver's license and VA benefits letter to the DEEP State Parks Division in Hartford.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • Certain disabilities

    Free Hunting and Fishing License for Veterans with Disabilities

    Connecticut residents who have lost, or permanently lost the use of, one or more limbs can get a free hunting or fishing license, which covers many disabled veterans.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Certain serious disabilities (see who qualifies). CT resident who has lost one or more limbs or permanently lost the use of one or more limbs, verified by a licensed physician; qualifying non-residents get the same benefit if their home state offers it to CT residents.
    loss or permanent loss of use of one or more limbs
    How to apply
    Present physician certification of the disability at a DEEP office or participating town clerk to obtain the free license.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

School and tuition

  • No rating needed

    Tuition Waiver for Wartime Veterans at CT Public Colleges

    Connecticut public colleges and universities must waive tuition for qualifying wartime veterans who are Connecticut residents, covering credit-bearing undergraduate and graduate coursework but not other fees.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Honorably discharged veteran who performed service in time of war as defined by state law and was domiciled in Connecticut at the time of acceptance to the institution.
    How to apply
    Apply for admission to UConn, a CSCU state university, or a community-technical college and request the veteran tuition waiver through the registrar/financial aid office.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating neededFor family or survivors

    Dependent Tuition Waiver for Killed in Action

    Dependent children and surviving spouses of Connecticut residents killed in action on or after September 11, 2001, while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible for a 100% tuition waiver at Connecticut public colleges and universities.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Dependent child or surviving spouse of Connecticut resident killed in action on or after September 11, 2001; child or spouse must be Connecticut resident
    How to apply
    Contact admissions office of Connecticut public college or university; submit required documentation
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • No rating neededFor family or survivors

    Dependent Tuition Waiver for MIA and POW

    Dependent children of persons formally declared missing in action or prisoner of war by the Armed Forces (after January 1, 1960) are eligible for a 100% tuition waiver at Connecticut public colleges and universities.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Dependent child of service member declared missing in action or prisoner of war after January 1, 1960; must be Connecticut state resident
    How to apply
    Contact admissions office of Connecticut public college or university; submit required documentation
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

Jobs and hiring preference

  • No rating needed

    Reinstatement Rights for State and Municipal Employees After Military Service

    State and municipal employers must reinstate an employee who left the job to serve in the armed forces if the employee applies to return within a set window after receiving certification of satisfactory military service.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. State or town employee who left the job to serve in the armed forces. You must apply to return within 90 days after getting a certificate of satisfactory military service. The employer must certify that you can do the work and that work is available (CGS 5-255 and 7-462).
    How to apply
    Apply to the former appointing authority for reinstatement within 90 days of receiving the service certification.
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

Business certification and contracts

  • No rating needed

    CT Veteran-Owned Micro Business Certification

    Certified veteran-owned micro businesses get a price preference when bidding on state contracts through the Department of Administrative Services.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. At least 51 percent of the business ownership must be held by one or more individuals meeting the CGS 27-103(a)(1) definition of veteran.
    How to apply
    Submit the Connecticut Veteran-Owned Micro Business Certification Application (Form CTVOMB-1) with proof of honorable military service to Connecticut Veterans Affairs.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Homes, Veterans homes and cemeteries

  • No rating needed

    Burial in the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery

    Connecticut Veterans Affairs provides free burial and a free government grave marker for eligible veterans and their spouses at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans with an honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions discharge, their spouses, and eligible minor children; veterans with a bad conduct or other-than-honorable discharge are not eligible.
    How to apply
    A funeral director or family member submits a completed DVA Burial Form and discharge documentation to Cemetery and Memorial Services; living veterans may apply for pre-certification.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Connecticut Veterans Home Residential and Skilled Nursing Care (Rocky Hill)

    Connecticut Veterans Affairs operates a residential (domiciliary) program and the Sgt. John L. Levitow Healthcare Center, a skilled nursing facility, for eligible veterans needing rehabilitation, recovery, or long-term medical care.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Must meet the CGS 27-103 definition of veteran (honorably discharged or released under honorable conditions from active service); healthcare center admission requires a chronic medical condition needing skilled nursing or 24-hour supervision.
    How to apply
    Submit the DVA Application for Admission (Residential Facility or Healthcare Center) to Connecticut Veterans Affairs at 287 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Federal Government Grave Marker

    A white upright marble headstone or marker is provided by the federal government and installed by the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery at no cost for eligible veterans buried at the cemetery.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans buried at Middletown State Veterans Cemetery with honorable or other than dishonorable discharge
    How to apply
    Provided automatically upon burial at Middletown State Veterans Cemetery
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Military Funeral Honors

    The Connecticut National Guard gives military funeral honors at no cost when the family asks. Honors include folding and presenting the flag and playing Taps.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Service members who die on active duty or in the Selected Reserve. Veterans who served on active duty and left under conditions other than dishonorable. Reserve members who finished their first service term, or who left the Selected Reserve due to a line-of-duty disability. A DD-214 is the usual proof.
    How to apply
    Ask your funeral director to set it up. Or contact the CT National Guard Military Funeral Honors Team at ctarng.mfh@gmail.com or (203) 568-1741. After hours, call (860) 883-6778.
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    State Burial Expense Assistance

    If a veteran dies without enough money in the estate to pay for the funeral, Connecticut pays $1,800 toward funeral costs. The money goes to the person who paid for the funeral.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans with insufficient estate to pay burial expenses; determined by Commissioner of Veterans Affairs in consultation with probate court; burial must occur in cemetery not used exclusively for pauper dead
    How to apply
    Claim must be made by person who paid or provided funeral expenses to Commissioner of Veterans Affairs within one year of death (or one year after remains interred in-country if death occurred abroad)
    Official page

    Last checked October 26, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Veteran Preference in State-Funded Affordable Rental Housing

    Any low- or moderate-income rental housing project funded by the state's economic development agency must give preference to veterans when applicants have substantially equal housing need. Assistance amounts, rates, and funding availability change often, so confirm the program is still offered and get current terms from the agency before relying on it.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Wartime veteran applying for a Department of Economic and Community Development-funded low- or moderate-income rental housing project.
    How to apply
    Apply directly to the qualifying rental housing project and identify veteran status during the application process.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Money, grants and bonuses

  • No rating needed

    Connecticut Military Relief Fund

    The Military Relief Fund gives one-time grants to Connecticut service members and their immediate families facing financial hardship caused by military service, injury, illness, or death.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Currently serving member of any branch/component of the U.S. Armed Forces (including National Guard/Reserves) or an immediate family member, domiciled in Connecticut, with hardship connected to military service.
    How to apply
    Complete the Military Relief Fund application and submit supporting financial, residency, and service documentation to the Connecticut Military Department.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Other help

  • No rating needed

    Veterans Diversionary Program (Accelerated Rehabilitation for Veterans)

    Connecticut lets eligible veterans facing certain criminal or motor vehicle charges, or in the pretrial drug education program, be assigned to veterans' affairs treatment services instead of standard prosecution, as a pretrial diversion option.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans accused of certain crimes/motor vehicle violations, veterans in the pretrial drug education program, or veterans with certain mental health conditions amenable to treatment.
    How to apply
    Raise eligibility for the diversionary program with the court handling the pending criminal or motor vehicle case.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Also check

Education only. Helping The Brave is not a government agency. Confirm details with the agency before you apply.