North Carolina state benefits
$45,000 Disabled Veteran Homestead Exclusion
P&T- Honorable or under-honorable-conditions discharge, and either a VA (or federal) certification of a service-connected permanent and total disability, or VA specially adapted housing benefits (38 U.S.C. § 2101), as of January 1
- North Carolina resident who owns and lives in the home as a permanent residence
- The first $45,000 of appraised value is excluded from tax. No age or income limit
- Surviving spouse who has never remarried can qualify, including when the veteran died of a service-connected condition
Free 100% Disabled Veteran (DV) License Plate
100%+- VA combined rating of 100%, or Individual Unemployability (IU) paid at the 100% rate
- Free: one plate each year for a motor vehicle and one for a motorcycle, with the plate fee waived. Vehicles registered over 6,000 lbs pay regular registration fees
Partially Disabled Veteran Plate (Under 100%)
Under 100%- Veteran with a service-connected disability of less than 100%
- No special-plate fee; the regular registration fee still applies
Vehicle Property Tax Exemption (VA-Adapted Vehicle)
Other rules- A motor vehicle you own that is altered with special equipment for a service-connected disability
- You must be entitled to VA special automotive equipment (38 U.S.C. § 3901)
- Covers the adapted vehicle only, not every vehicle a disabled veteran owns
Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License for Disabled Veterans (50%+)
50%+- North Carolina resident rated 50% or more disabled by VA
- Good for life as long as you stay rated 50%+. If you move away, you can still use it whenever you hunt or fish in North Carolina (it doesn't cover other states)
- Fees: $15 each for inland fishing, coastal fishing, or the hunting + inland fishing combo · $131 Sportsman · $144 Sportsman + Coastal, plus a $5 transaction fee. Bear e-stamp (annual fee for lifetime licenses bought on or after July 1, 2014) and federal duck stamp cost extra; HIP certification is free but required for migratory birds
Military Retirement Pay Deduction (Medically Retired or 20+ Years)
Other rules- Retired members of the uniformed services who served at least 20 years, or were medically retired under 10 U.S.C. Chapter 61
- Deduct that retirement pay from NC taxable income (tax years 2022 and later)
- Also covers Survivor Benefit Plan payments to an eligible retiree's beneficiary. Not for Chapter 61 severance pay
Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans
20%+- Child of a veteran with wartime service (honorable conditions): Class I-B if the parent is (or was at death) rated 100% wartime service-connected; Class II (competitive, limited awards each year) for 20%–99% wartime ratings or a Purple Heart. Class I-A covers deaths from wartime service
- Child must be under 25 when applying, an NC domiciliary and resident, and finish high school (or the equivalent) before the scholarship starts
- Residency link: the parent was an NC legal resident when entering the qualifying service, or the child was born in NC and has lived here continuously
- At a state school, Class I-B pays tuition and required fees; full scholarships add room and board allowances. Private schools get a set allowance. Up to 4 academic years, used within 8 years; keep a 2.0 GPA
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.