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Georgia State Veteran Benefits

State Veterans Homes, Property Tax Exemption for Veterans, Hunting License and more

Featured image for Georgia State Veteran benefits: Free Georgia Veterans Driver's License, Employment Preference, Property Tax Exemption for Veterans, State Veterans Homes and Georgia Hunting License & Fishing License

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At the federal level, the Department of Veterans Affairs is the authority in providing Veterans, Servicemembers and military retirees with access to their promised benefits for their service. These benefits, which include the GI Bill education benefits, VA-backed loans, and employment assistance, are administered at the national level, but state-level VA programs and state-specific programs are also available for Veterans. Within the state of Georgia, Veteran residents have access to many state-level Georgia state Veteran benefits, as well as other perks. Read on to learn more.

Georgia Veteran Financial Benefits

In addition to the multitude of financial benefits provided to Veterans at the national level, the state of Georgia also provides its Veteran residents with several Georgia state Veteran benefits. The design of many of these benefits aligns with both the VA and federal benefits. Some financial assistance for Veterans in Georgia are:

Property Tax Exemption for Veterans

Disabled Veterans may receive a $60,000 exemption from their homestead tax. The Georgia homestead exemption is available to all qualifying Servicemembers residing in the state, although some non-activated Reservists might not qualify for the Georgia homestead exemption if they have not served for at least 90 days. They do, however, qualify for other types of property tax exemption for Veterans and other Georgia state Veteran benefits.

Income Tax Exemption for Veterans

Veterans 62 and younger are exempt from paying taxes on up to $17,500 of their military retired pay. If a Servicemember is serving outside of the continental US, they are given a six-month extension on filing their state income taxes, with no penalties or interest. In some cases, they also qualify for financial assistance for Veterans in Georgia. This is typically separate from the property tax exemption for Veterans, as well as other Georgia state Veteran benefits.

Disabled Veteran License Plate Georgia

Georgia provides specialized license plates for Veterans. Benefits for 100% disabled Veterans in Georgia are meant to supplement federal programs for disabled Veterans. The disabled Veteran license plate Georgia issue is given to honorably discharged Servicemembers who meet the following requirements:

  • Veterans with a 100% disability rating
  • Veterans with less than a 100% disability rating but receive 100% disability pay due to unemployability.
  • Loss of use of one or both hands or feet, or impairment in one or both eyes.
  • Surviving, un-remarried spouses of qualified deceased Veterans.
  • Surviving minor children of deceased Veterans also qualify for the disabled Veteran license plate Georgia version under certain circumstances.

Georgia Veterans Driver’s License

This special license is available to those who served active duty or 20 years in the National Guard. The Georgia Veterans driver’s license is generally used to identify those with a service-related disability or PTSD. To apply for the Georgia Veterans driver’s license, a Servicemember should bring all of the necessary documentation to the nearest DMV center. These licenses also provide documentation for benefits for 100% disabled Veterans in Georgia using Georgia state Veteran benefits and programs.

Georgia Veteran Education Benefits

In addition to the federal-level GI Bill, the state of Georgia also offers education benefits to qualifying Servicemembers and Veterans.

The Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant Program (GTEGP) is for Veterans seeking tuition assistance for attending college. It requires the applicant to be a resident of Georgia, enrolled full-time in an undergraduate degree program, and not owe money to any other tuition assistance programs. Recipients receive an award of $367 per quarter or $550 per semester. You can also combine it with GI Bill benefits. 

There is also the Georgia HERO Scholarship, which offers financial assistance to those serving in the Georgia National Guard or Reserves. Many of these programs also partner with Georgia disabled Veteran benefits.

Georgia Veteran Employment Benefits

The state of Georgia offers many benefits towards employment for its resident Veterans. When applying for state employment, Veterans receive employment preference. Those with a service-connected disability receive a 5-point credit toward state employment. Other programs offered to Georgia military personnel include on-the-job training programs and apprenticeship programs. Veterans who received military firefighter training may be eligible for firefighter positions in Georgia.

Georgia VECTR Center

Georgia also offers the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center (VECTR) to its military citizens. The VECTR Center assists Veterans and their families by offering workforce training, educational coaching, career counseling, and other services. The Georgia VECTR Center offers job assistance, educational opportunities, benefits, connections to local resources, training, and funding for education, as well as testing facilities, and workshops. It also offers several ongoing educational programs for military personnel, and other Georgia state Veteran benefits.

Georgia Veteran Health Insurance Benefits

Georgia provides the Georgia National Guard Medical Coverage and Compensation for Injury, Illness, and Death Incurred on State Active Duty for members of the Georgia National Guard who serve active duty. The Georgia Guard Insurance Trust is a state-sponsored life insurance program that provides coverage for Servicemembers and their families for up to $50,000. The VA Healthcare System provides health care services for Georgia military residents, while also partnering with Georgia disabled Veteran benefits and the VA hospitals in Atlanta Georgia.

Georgia Veteran Home Benefits

For Veterans in need of specialized nursing care, the VA provides a network of nursing homes and the Aid and Assistance benefit that offsets the cost of in-home care. However, the state of Georgia also provides the GA War Veterans Home, a 375-bed skilled nursing facility for Georgia residents who are former Servicemembers. It provides skilled nursing care, specialty care, and memory care for its in-patient residents in partnership with the VA hospitals in Atlanta Georgia. In addition to its care of its residents, the GA War Veterans Home also has an on-location GDVS Veterans Field Service Office that assists Veterans in accessing VA and Georgia state Veteran benefits.

To be eligible for residency in the Georgia War Veterans Home:

  • You must have lived in Georgia for five of the last 15 years, or two years immediately preceding the application.
  • Served active duty in the US Armed Forces during active wartime.
  • Received a discharge other than dishonorable.
  • Qualify for skilled nursing care under the Georgia VA benefits requirements.
  • Do not have a contagious or infectious disease, nor behavioral or mental health problems.
  • Does not require mechanical means to sustain life.

Georgia Veteran Parks and Recreation Benefits

Georgia is a state that provides many outdoor recreational opportunities to its residents, including its Georgia State Park Pass. The state offers the following outdoor recreation services to its Veterans:

Georgia State Park Pass for Veterans

The Georgia State Park Pass for military is a great way to take advantage of Georgia’s natural beauty. Veterans with disabilities can receive a 25% discount from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on individual lodging, golf fees, historic site entrance, and leisure expenses, including mini-golf and boat rentals. Veterans must apply for a Georgia State Park Discount Card in order to receive the 25% discount. Eligible Veterans must also bring proof of residence, a copy of their VA Benefit Summary Letter, and their military discharge certificate (DD214) to a Georgia State Park office. 

Georgia Hunting & Fishing License

Georgia One-Time Honorary Veterans Hunting and Fishing License: This is a free, one-year Georgia hunting license issued to any Georgia resident who served on active duty in the Armed Forces for more than 90 days and who has not applied for the license prior. It permits the hunting of big game, migratory birds, salt and freshwater fishing, and alligator hunting.

Georgia Military and Veteran Discounted Lifetime Sportsman’s License: This is a reduced-rate lifetime Georgia hunting license offered to Servicemembers at a fee of $603 and allows for hunting, salt and freshwater fishing, big game hunting, and alligator hunting.

Georgia Annual and 3-Year Disability Hunting and Fishing License: For those with a 100% disability rating from the VA, Georgia offers this Georgia hunting license for hunting and fishing, as mentioned above, but on an annual and 3-year basis. This version of the Georgia hunting license must be renewed regularly.

Georgia Veterans Cemeteries

The Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemeteries are final resting places honoring all Georgia Veterans. Veterans and their families have the option of choosing a military cemetery in Georgia as a final resting place. Qualified Veterans and their dependents can be buried at either of the two Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemeteries, which are situated in Glennville and Milledgeville. A chapel, in-ground burial spaces, a welcome center, and columbaria are all features of each cemetery. There are also gravesite locators accessible. To be eligible for interment in a military cemetery in Georgia, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Present valid documentation of service record.
  • Be discharged with anything other than dishonorable.
  • Member of Reserves or National Guard eligible for retirement pay at time of death.
  • Member of Armed Forces killed in the line of duty or on active duty.
  • Is the spouse or under-21 unmarried dependent of a qualifying Veteran.
  • Is receiving Georgia VA benefits

The state of Georgia has many benefits and programs for its resident Veterans, and is proud to offer them in thanks for their service to the country. Georgia state Veteran benefits, property tax exemption for Veterans, and financial assistance are only some of the benefits Georgia offers its military residents.