Colorado Benefits Guide for Disabled Veterans 

One vehicle registered with a disabled veteran plate is exempt from registration and ownership taxes. This applies to passenger cars, trucks that do not exceed 16,000 pounds empty weight, noncommercial (not available for any vehicle registered Tax Class A- International Registration Plan- IRP) or recreation vehicles, motor homes and motorcycles. Find out more.

How to Get a Disabled Veteran License Plate in Colorado

Veterans with a 50% or greater service-connected disability rating and an honorable discharge may apply for the Disabled Veteran plate through the DMV. See the official list of requirements for disabled veteran tags. The Disabled Veteran plate does not allow parking in designated disability parking spaces. The separate Disabled Veteran Handicapped plate does allow disability parking, and it requires a mobility impairment verified in writing by a licensed physician in addition to the 50% rating.

Colorado Disabled Veteran Tag Cost

One set of Disabled Veteran plates is issued free of registration fees and specific ownership tax. A second set of plates costs a one-time $50 fee. Disabled veteran tags require an honorable discharge and proof of a service-connected disability from the VA.

Colorado’s Dependent Tuition Assistance Program

Colorado’s Dependent Tuition Assistance Program pays tuition and on-campus room and board for children of Colorado law enforcement officers, firefighters, or National Guard personnel killed or disabled in the line of duty, and for children of prisoners of war or service members listed as missing in action. Spouses are not covered, and a parent’s VA disability rating alone does not qualify a child. Dependents of disabled veterans may instead qualify for federal VA education benefits.

Veteran Hiring Preference in Colorado

Colorado law gives hiring preference to eligible veterans, and in some cases their spouses, applying for state employment (this does not apply to promotions). If the hiring method is scored, veterans with wartime or campaign service receive 5 preference points. Honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected disability incurred in the line of duty during that service receive 10 points, the most the law allows. If the state compares candidates without numerical scores, the veteran is added to the interview eligible list.

The surviving spouse of a veteran who would have qualified for the preference, or who died due to a service-connected condition, also receives it. The spouse of a living veteran qualifies only if the veteran is unable to work.

Career Assistance for Colorado Veterans

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) offers free job services through Veteran Employment Specialists at Workforce Centers across the state. These services are available to veterans who served at least one day of active duty and received a discharge other than dishonorable, as well as their spouses.

Veterans and eligible spouses receive priority service at Colorado Workforce Centers. This includes one-on-one support with job search, training, and career navigation, especially helpful for veterans with disabilities who may face extra barriers. Workforce Center staff and Veteran Employment Specialists help with:

• Resume and cover letter writing
• Interview coaching
• Translating military experience to civilian jobs
• Matching training/education requirements
• Targeted job search by industry
• Guidance on job boards and career fairs

Vehicles with Colorado Disabled Veteran or Purple Heart license plates may enter Colorado state parks free of charge year-round, without any additional pass. The owner of the tags must be present in the vehicle for the exemption to apply. Every veteran and active-duty service member also enters Colorado state parks free for the whole month of August.

Camping Discounts at State Parks for Disabled Veterans

The Disabled Veteran and Purple Heart license plates do not provide camping discounts, but holders of the free Independence Pass who are 64 or older receive a $3 camping discount per night from Sunday through Thursday. Photo identification with proof of age is required when using the pass for camping and the discount does not apply on Fridays, weekends and holidays or for cabins or yurts.

The Independence Pass for Disabled Veterans and Purple Heart Recipients

The Independence Pass is a free annual state parks pass that provides unlimited access to all Colorado state parks to certain veterans disabled or wounded while serving. It is transferable between vehicles (so long as the pass holder is present) and available to Colorado veterans with:

• service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or more, or
• permanent loss of vision in both eyes, or
• loss of use of one or both hands or feet, or
• a Purple Heart Award

Getting the Independence Pass requires Colorado residency, honorable discharge (“conditions other than dishonorable”), documentation from the VA showing the qualifying disability rating or qualifying impairment; or, for Purple Heart recipients, proof of award (DD214 showing Purple Heart) and residency.

The Veteran’s Lifetime Small Game and Fishing Combination License

Colorado resident veterans who received either the Purple Heart or a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more can get a free lifetime license that covers both small game hunting and fishing. This hunting and fishing combination license counts as a qualifying license for both the primary and secondary draws. The license also exempts the holder from the Habitat Stamp. To apply, veterans can submit their application electronically at disability.apps@state.co.us or mail the application to the address listed on the form.

In addition to VA health care, Colorado veterans can benefit from programs such as the Veterans Assistance Grant from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, which offers veterans with limited income and no insurance up to $2,000 in dental care at student and approved resident clinics.

VA Medical Centers and Clinics

• Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System): 1700 N Wheeling ST, Aurora, CO 80045 | Phone: 303-399-8020
• Grand Junction VA Medical Center (VA Western Colorado Health Care System): 2121 North Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501 | Phone: 970-242-0731
• Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC) – York Street VA Clinic: 3836 York Street, Denver, CO 80205-3540 | Phone: 303-294-5600

VA outpatient clinics across the state are listed on the VA Eastern Colorado locations page. Veterans at four northern Colorado clinics enroll through the VA Cheyenne health care system.

Veterans Community Living Centers

Colorado operates five long-term care and supportive living facilities dedicated exclusively to honorably discharged veterans, their spouses or widows, and Gold Star parents of service-members who died in the line of duty. These homes provide services including skilled nursing, rehabilitation, memory care (for Alzheimer’s and dementia), assisted-living cottages, hospice or respite care, and individualized care plans.

• Fitzsimons Veterans Community Living Center: 1919 Quentin St., Aurora, CO 80045 | Phone: 720-857-6400
• Bruce McCandless Veterans Community Living Center: 903 Moore Dr., Florence, CO 81226 | Phone: 719-784-6331 | Fax: 719-784-5335
• Homelake Veterans Community Living Center: 3749 Sherman Ave., Monte Vista, CO 81144 (P.O. Box 97, Homelake, CO 81135) | Phone: 719-852-5118 | Toll-Free: 888-838-2687 | Fax: 719-852-3881
• Rifle Veterans Community Living Center: 851 E. 5th St., Rifle, CO 81650 | Phone: 970-625-0842
• Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center: 23500 U.S. Highway 160, Walsenburg, CO 81089 | Phone: 719-738-5000 | Fax: 719-738-5138

Eligibility requires the veteran (or spouse/widow/Gold Star parent) to be honorably discharged and meet the medical admission criteria. Colorado residency is not always required for some homes. Payment options include Medicaid, private pay, and in some cases VA benefits. See rates and how to apply.

The Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado offers free burial to eligible veterans and their dependents. The cemetery is at 2830 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction, CO 81501, phone 970-263-8986, and burial there requires Colorado residency. The benefits include the gravesite or niche, opening and closing of the gravesite/niche, an upright granite headstone or granite niche marker with approved inscriptions, a concrete vault (grave liner) for most casketed remains, and perpetual care. Cremated remains are buried or inurned with the same honors as casketed remains.

At Homelake Military Veterans Cemetery in Monte Vista, Colorado’s other state veterans cemetery, burial costs are paid from the decedent’s estate. Colorado also has three VA national cemeteries, all open for both casketed and cremated remains.

• Fort Logan National Cemetery: 4400 West Kenyon Avenue, Denver, CO 80236 | Phone: 303-761-0117
• Pikes Peak National Cemetery: 10545 Drennan Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80925 | Phone: 719-391-6920
• Fort Lyon National Cemetery: 15700 County Road HH, Las Animas, CO 81054 | Phone: 719-391-6920

Surviving spouses and dependents may also qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Survivors Pension, accrued benefits, and Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance under Chapter 35. See how to get survivor benefits.

Colorado’s disabled veteran property tax exemption continues for an unmarried surviving spouse if the veteran had already received it, and a Gold Star spouse receiving DIC qualifies for the exemption in their own right.

In addition to Colorado’s specific benefits, disabled veterans get a wide range of federal VA disability benefits, including:

• Monthly tax-free compensation payments based on disability rating (calculate it here)
• Medical care, including mental health services and counseling
• Home loans and housing benefits
• Vocational rehabilitation and employment services
• Education benefits through the GI Bill
• Survivor benefits
• Federal hiring preference

Eligibility for some of these benefits depends on the disability rating percentage. Use the links below to see what federal benefits Colorado veterans can get with a rating of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, etc.

• 50% VA disability benefits
• 60% VA disability benefits
• 70% VA disability benefits
• 80% VA disability benefits
• 90% VA disability benefits

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits

Colorado veterans with a 100% disability rating receive the highest level of federal VA benefits, including:

• Full monthly VA compensation
• Full VA healthcare coverage
• Dental care
• Adaptive equipment grants

See all federal benefits for a 100% disabled Colorado veteran

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouse and Dependents

Spouses and family members of 100% disabled veterans may also be able to get several benefits:

• CHAMPVA healthcare
• DIC eligibility
• Education benefits
• Continued property tax exemption
• Access to Colorado state resources

Veterans who served at contaminated military bases or who were exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, or other environmental hazards may qualify for additional VA benefits. Bases in or near Colorado with known toxic exposure issues include:

• Buckley Space Force Base (Aurora, CO)
• Fort Carson (Colorado Springs, CO)
• Lowry Air Force Base (Denver, CO)
• Peterson Space Force Base (Colorado Springs, CO)
• Air Force Plant PJKS (Peter Kiewit Sons’) (Jefferson County, CO)
• Schriever Space Force Base (Colorado Springs, CO)
• Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams County, CO) – on the EPA National Priorities List since 1987; the Army produced chemical warfare agents there from 1942 and Shell manufactured pesticides until 1982, with more than 600 chemicals used or manufactured on the site

If you served at a base in a different state, you can find yours on our toxic exposure map: www.hillandponton.com/toxic-exposure/.

Getting through the VA disability claims process can be tricky, but there are local and national resources to help guide you. These resources include local veteran groups, state-supported VA services, and experienced disability attorneys.

Free Guide to Claiming and Winning Benefits

Attorney Matthew Hill has written THE book on how to get VA disability compensation and benefits. And it’s yours free of charge.

Colorado State Assistance and Resources

• County Veterans Service Offices
• Information for Women Veterans
• Veterans Clearing House
• Grants for Veterans

Help from Experienced Lawyers

Our Colorado Springs VA-accredited lawyers proudly represent veterans throughout the state of Colorado who were denied or underrated by the VA, with no upfront costs. Contact us for a free evaluation. Even if we don’t take your case, we’ll point you in the right direction!