Maryland state benefits
100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption
100% + P&T- Maryland resident and veteran (not dishonorably discharged) rated by VA as 100% service-connected, permanent (SDAT also accepts permanently unemployable); the home must be your legal residence
- Full exemption from property tax on your principal residence and lot (occupied by no more than 2 families)
- You can apply before you buy: within 15 business days SDAT sends a letter saying whether it is preliminarily approved or denied. For refunds of past taxes, check the box and apply within 3 years of the calendar year VA granted 100% P&T (no refunds before 2018-19)
Surviving Spouse Property Tax Exemption
Other rules- Unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran rated 100% service-connected permanent (before or after death). If the home wasn't already exempt, the veteran must have been domiciled in Maryland at death
- Or the unremarried spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty (Surviving Spouse of Military Casualty). The home must have been owned at the death, or bought within 2 years of it if either of you was domiciled in Maryland at the death
- You must own and live in the home. Carries over to a later home up to the prior exemption amount
Disabled Veteran Plates and Registration
50%+- 100% rated: free DV plates (with or without the wheelchair symbol) and permanent registration, no other fees
- 50 to 99% (or IU at that level): free DV plates, but you still pay annual registration fees and surcharge
- Law exempts a vehicle of a veteran VA rates totally disabled or with loss of use of a hand, arm or leg, or blindness, from registration fees
Free Lifetime Hunting License
100%+- Maryland resident who is a 100% service-connected disabled veteran, deemed unemployable by VA, or a former POW
- Free lifetime license, not transferable. Includes the bow, muzzleloader and sika deer stamps and furbearer permit. You also need a hunter safety certificate (or a hunting license issued before July 1, 1977)
- Migratory bird stamps and the Big Game Harvest Record are still needed each year. Maryland-resident Purple Heart recipients: 50% off hunting and fishing licenses
Free Lifetime Fishing License
100%+- Same rule as item 4: 100% service-connected, deemed unemployable by VA, or a former POW; Maryland resident
- Free lifetime license covering the nontidal angler's license, trout stamp, Chesapeake Bay sport fishing and recreational oyster licenses
- Not transferable. Maryland-resident Purple Heart recipients get 50% off licenses instead
Free State Park Day Use for Veterans
All veterans- Any veteran, resident or out-of-state; no disability rating needed
- Day-use entry fee waived year-round for you; if the park charges per vehicle, the vehicle fee is waived
- Camping and other facility fees still apply. Others in your car pay unless there is a per-vehicle charge
Military Retirement Income Subtraction
Other rules- Under 55 on Dec 31: subtract the first $12,500 of military retirement income
- 55 or older: subtract the first $20,000. Includes reserve and Guard retirement and death benefits
- Age 65+ or totally disabled: you may also qualify for the pension exclusion. VA disability pay is federal tax-free
Conroy Scholarship for Your Family
100% + P&T- Child, stepchild or unremarried surviving spouse of a service member with a service-connected 100% permanent disability (or who died from service)
- Veterans with a 25%+ rating who have used up federal GI benefits can qualify too (15 awards a year)
- Up to $14,086 for 2026-27 (capped at tuition and fees); 5 years full time. Age 16+. You must be a Maryland resident when you apply, or have been when the disability or death occurred. Subject to funding; renewals get priority
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.