Colorado state benefits
Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption
100% + P&T- Honorably discharged veteran rated 100% permanent by VA, or paid at 100% for individual unemployability
- 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of your owner-occupied primary residence exempt; owner and occupant as of Jan 1
- One exemption per home. An unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who had it can keep it. Report rating changes within 60 days
Disabled Veteran License Plates
50%+- Honorably discharged veteran with a 50%+ service-connected disability, loss of use of one or both hands or feet, or vision loss in both eyes
- No fee for one set of Disabled Veteran (or Disabled Woman Veteran) plates
- The plate does not give disabled parking privileges
No Registration Fee or Ownership Tax (1 Vehicle)
50%+- Same rule as item 2: 50%+ service-connected, loss of use of a hand or foot, or blindness
- No annual registration fee on one vehicle at a time, and that vehicle is exempt from specific ownership tax (Class B/C, under 16,000 lb)
- DV plate holders qualify for the ownership tax exemption. Moves to your next vehicle when you replace it
Free Lifetime Small Game & Fishing License
50%+- Colorado resident veteran with a 50%+ combined service-connected rating, or a Purple Heart recipient
- Free Lifetime Small Game and Fishing Combination License
- Counts as a qualifying license for the big game draws. Hunter education still required (born 1949 or later)
Free Independence State Parks Pass
50%+- Colorado resident veteran paid by VA for 50%+, loss of use of a hand or foot, or vision loss in both eyes; or a Purple Heart recipient
- Free pass, valid 12 months, transferable between vehicles (you must be present). Apply once, then renew each year
- DV or Purple Heart plates also get free park entry with no pass. Age 64+ pass holders: $3/night camping discount Sun to Thu
Military Retirement Subtraction
Other rules- Under 55 at year end: subtract up to $15,000 of military retired pay (tax years 2022 to 2028)
- 55 and older: use the pension subtraction instead, up to $20,000 (55 to 64) or $24,000 (65+), less any Social Security subtraction
- VA disability compensation is federal tax-free
Veterans' Preference for State Jobs
Other rules- Veteran separated under honorable conditions who served during a war or in a campaign with an authorized campaign badge; extra preference if you receive VA compensation or disability retired pay for a line-of-duty disability
- Applies when you are hired into the state personnel system
- No preference for promotions, including promotions also open to outside applicants
Gold Star Spouse Property Tax Exemption
Other rules- Surviving spouse who has not remarried (required on the state application form), of a service member who died in the line of duty (DoD death gratuity paid), or of a veteran whose death was service-connected, if you receive VA DIC
- Same benefit as item 1: 50% of the first $200,000 of your primary residence exempt
- You must own and live in the home as of Jan 1. Added by voters as Amendment E (2022), from tax year 2023
Federal benefits to look into
CHAMPVA: health coverage for your spouse and kids
P&TIt's for family members, not the veteran: the spouse or dependent child of a veteran rated P&T from a service-connected disability. It's a cost-sharing program: VA shares the cost of covered care with the family. Not free. Family members eligible for TRICARE can't get CHAMPVA.
DEA (Chapter 35): school money for your spouse and kids
P&TChapter 35 / DEA education benefits are available to the spouse and children of a veteran who is P&T due to a service-connected disability. For school or training that started on or after Aug 1, 2018, DEA pays up to 36 months of benefits.
Social Security: faster disability decisions
100% + P&TSSA expedites disability claims from veterans rated 100% P&T. Say "veteran rated 100% P&T" (or enter "Veteran 100% P&T" in the online Remarks). It doesn't guarantee approval; SSA's own rules still apply.
Dental insurance for CHAMPVA families (VADIP)
P&TCHAMPVA covers dental only in limited medical cases; enrollees can buy dental insurance at reduced cost through VADIP.
Your Benefit Summary Letter (proof of your rating)
All veteransYou can download your Benefit Summary Letter (sometimes called an award letter) on VA.gov.
VA dental care (Class IV)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)Per VA, you qualify for any needed dental care if you have a service-connected disability rated 100% disabling, or you're paid at the 100% rate because of TDIU. A temporary 100% rating does not qualify.
DoD ID card and base privileges (100%)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)A 100% disabled veteran (DAV) and eligible family members can get a DoD Uniformed Services ID card. It gives commissary, exchange and MWR privileges and base access. It is not TRICARE.
Base retail access for all service-connected veterans
Any ratingAll service-connected veterans can use commissaries, exchanges and MWR retail facilities, in person and online, per VA's matrix.
Federal student loan discharge (TPD)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)Veterans whom VA has determined have a service-connected disability rated 100% or are rated totally disabled based on individual unemployability (TDIU) can have eligible federal student loans discharged.
No VA home loan funding fee
10%+Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from the VA home loan funding fee, at any compensable rating, not just 100%.
America the Beautiful Access Pass
Other rulesA free, lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. It doesn't have to be 100% or service-connected.
Military Lifetime Pass (federal lands)
All veteransVeterans (and Gold Star families) can get a free lifetime pass to federal recreation lands. No disability is needed.