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Louisiana provides a wide range of state-level benefits to support its disabled veterans, including significant property tax relief, free outdoor recreation privileges, transportation benefits and access to specialized long-term care facilities.

The Bayou State is home to 247,044 veterans and 35% of them received disability compensation in fiscal year 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Annual Benefits Report. But much more benefits are available, and many veterans could be missing out on them.

Hill & Ponton helps Louisiana’s disabled veterans (and their families) win higher ratings and learn about all the state and federal benefits they may be entitled to. It explains the programs and resources offered by the State of Louisiana and how to access them.

Tax Exemptions and Other Financial Benefits

Disabled veterans in Louisiana are eligible for property tax relief that increases alongside their VA disability rating. While all Louisiana homeowners receive a standard $7,500 homestead exemption, veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher qualify for additional exemptions.

Do 100% Disabled Veterans Pay Property Taxes in Louisiana?

Louisiana veterans with a 100% disability rating (or receiving 100% compensation due to Individual Unemployability) do not have to pay ad valorem property taxes on their primary residence. The tax exemption covers the total assessed value of the property. This benefit extends to the surviving spouse of a 100% disabled veteran, provided they continue to own and occupy the home as their primary residence.

Partial Property Tax Exemptions for Disabled Veterans

  • 70% to 99% disability: eligible for a $4,500 exemption of the assessed value, in addition to the homestead exemption
  • 50% to 69% disability: eligible for a $2,500 exemption of the assessed value, in addition to the homestead exemption

The exemption passes to a surviving spouse at every tier, as long as the spouse occupies the home and remains its owner. It applies even if the veteran never claimed it.

How to apply: obtain Form A25 from the local Parish Service Office and file it with the parish assessor (the district assessor in Orleans Parish).

Veterans with a 50% or higher rating can also benefit from a Special Assessment Level, which freezes the assessed value of their property, preventing tax increases due to rising property values. The freeze requires an adjusted gross income at or below $100,000, indexed for inflation from tax year 2026, and veterans under 65 must certify their income to the assessor every year.

Other Financial Benefits

  • Military retirement is exempt from Louisiana income tax.
  • Louisiana National Guard members who became permanently and totally disabled while serving on federal or state active duty on or after September 11, 2001 may qualify for a state disability payment of $100,000 or $50,000.
  • The Military Family Assistance Fund offers need-based financial help to qualifying veterans and eligible members of the Louisiana National Guard or Reserves, providing up to $10,000 toward approved expenses (such as rent, mortgage, utility bills) within a 12-month period.

Transportation Benefits

The state offers disabled veteran license plates, waivers or discounts on fees for veterans obtaining or renewing their Louisiana driver’s licenses or state IDs, as well as certain parking privileges.

Do Veterans Pay for Vehicle Registration in Louisiana?

Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more receive the Disabled Veteran military honor plate at no charge. The state may issue one plate for each qualifying vehicle registered in the veteran’s name, and transferring a plate to a different vehicle costs $3. A veteran rated 100% can request the separate 100% DAV plate. Veterans who have lost the use of limbs or sight may also be eligible for federal grants to assist with the purchase of adaptive equipment or wheelchair-accessible vehicles through VA’s automobile allowance and adaptive equipment grants.

How to Get a Disabled Veteran License Plate in Louisiana

To obtain a Disabled Veteran license plate, veterans must apply through the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. The application must include an affidavit signed by a Veterans Affairs Service Officer attesting to the veteran’s qualifying rating of 50% or more. These plates include the international symbol of access, allowing veterans to use designated disabled parking spaces without needing an additional hanging placard.

Free Driver’s Licenses and State IDs for Disabled Veterans

A veteran with an honorable discharge, a service-related disability of at least 50%, and VA compensation for that disability pays no fee for a Louisiana driver’s license or state ID. The waiver does not cover the reinstatement fee after a suspension.

Auto Insurance Discounts

Veterans with a disability rating of 50% or more, as well as military retirees, may qualify for a 25% discount on their auto insurance premiums at the discretion of their carrier. This discount applies to liability policies for any personal vehicle owned by the veteran in Louisiana.

Disabled Veteran Parking at Airports and Cruise Terminals

Louisiana veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher park free at every air carrier airport in Louisiana, including locally owned ones, for any duration. Any of these works as proof: the military honor plate, a VA-issued disabled veteran ID card, or an LDVA certificate. At the Port of New Orleans cruise terminal, a plate or an LDVA certificate is accepted, and the vehicle parks in a Port-owned designated lot. The first seven days are free; days past the seventh are billed at the usual rate.

Education Benefits

In-State Tuition Exemption for the Dependents of Disabled Veterans

The Title 29 Education Benefit provides a tuition exemption at any Louisiana public college or university for the dependents of certain veterans. It can be used in conjunction with the GI Bill. This educational assistance is available to:

  • Children between the ages of 16 and 25 whose veteran parent is rated 90% or higher for a service-connected disability or has been determined unemployable.
  • Children and surviving spouses of veterans who were killed in action, died in active service, or died of a service-connected disability incurred during wartime.
  • Spouses of veterans who are missing in action or prisoners of war.

The veteran must have lived in Louisiana for at least 12 months. A spouse or surviving spouse has ten years from the date they become eligible to use the benefit. Contact your Parish Veterans Service Officer to initiate the application process. Find out more.

Tuition Exemption for Disabled Veterans

Louisiana resident veterans with a service-connected disability who do not qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s 100% tier receive a tuition exemption covering the tuition and fees still owed to a Louisiana public college after federal benefits are applied. The exemption is available for up to ten semesters of full-time study. Any rating qualifies.

Employment Benefits

Louisiana state and city civil service departments award hiring preference points to honorably discharged veterans who meet the minimum qualifications for a position. To claim these points, veterans must submit the SF-11 claim form along with their DD214 and a VA disability letter dated within the last six months.

Veterans who served during a declared wartime period, earned a campaign badge or expeditionary medal, or served at least 90 days on active duty after September 11, 2001, receive 5 points added to their passing score. Service-connected disabled veterans receive 10 points added to their passing score.

If the veteran does not use the preference, the 10 points pass to the family in a set order: the spouse of a veteran whose condition rules out a civil service job in their usual line of work, the unremarried widow or widower of a veteran who served in a wartime period or a peacetime campaign or expedition, and the unremarried widowed parent, or divorced or separated parents, of someone who died in service or became totally and permanently disabled in service. Only one preference may be claimed per veteran.

Recreation Benefits

Do Disabled Veterans Get Free Access to Louisiana State Parks?

Louisiana veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher qualify for a State Park Permit that waives the day-use entrance fee at Louisiana State Parks. Eligible veterans must apply for their State Park Permit by contacting their local parish veterans service office. Find out more about Louisiana State Parks discounts.

Does Louisiana Offer Disabled Veterans Free Fishing and Hunting Licenses?

Louisiana residents with a permanent service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher are eligible for a free hunting and fishing license, renewed every year. It includes basic and saltwater fishing, basic, deer, waterfowl, and turkey hunting privileges, and the WMA Access Permit. It does not include the Federal Duck Stamp. The $4 fee for the license is paid by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, making it entirely free for the veteran.

Veterans can apply through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) by submitting a VA award letter or having the Veteran Affairs Office complete the relevant information in the application. See the application form. Any honorably discharged Louisiana resident can buy a combination hunting and fishing license for $20.

Healthcare Benefits

Veterans with a VA disability rating of 70% to 100% can live free of charge in Louisiana’s state veterans homes. So can veterans admitted with a diagnosis related to their service connection, at any rating level. Veterans rated below 70% pay a monthly fee of $2,424, which can be offset by applying and qualifying for the federal aid and attendance pension, and veterans rated over 50% get their medications at no cost. Spouses of veterans, Gold Star parents, and eligible Guard members and reservists may be admitted at $5,500 a month. Admission requires an honorable discharge and 90 days of active duty. Find out more.

The state of Louisiana operates five specialized homes providing 24/7 nursing, memory care (for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia-related diagnoses), rehabilitative services and more.

  • Louisiana Veterans Home (Jackson): 4739 Highway 10, Jackson, LA 70748, (225) 634-5265
  • Northeast Louisiana Veterans Home (Monroe): 6700 Highway 165 North, Monroe, LA 71203, (318) 362-4206
  • Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home (Bossier City): 3130 Arthur Ray Teague Pkwy, Bossier City, LA 71112, (318) 741-2763
  • Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home (Reserve): 4080 W. Airline Hwy, Reserve, LA 70084, (985) 479-4080
  • Southwest Louisiana Veterans Home (Jennings): 1610 Evangeline Rd, Jennings, LA 70546, (337) 824-2829

VA Medical Centers in Louisiana

Four Vet Centers, in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Alexandria, offer readjustment counseling without VA health care enrollment. Each VA system operates homeless veteran programs, including HUD-VASH.

Burial and Survivor Benefits

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs operates five state veterans cemeteries that provide honorable final resting places for veterans, their spouses, and dependent children. Burial for eligible veterans is free. Spouses and dependents may also be interred, but a fee equal to the current federal VA plot allowance is required at the time of their burial. Learn more.

  • Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery: 3348 University Parkway, Leesville, LA 71446, (337) 238-6405
  • Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery: 2413 Highway 425, Rayville, LA 71269, (318) 728-4346
  • Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery: 7970 Mike Clark Road, Keithville, LA 71047, (318) 925-0612
  • Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery: 34888 Grantham College Drive, Slidell, LA 70460, (985) 646-6458
  • Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery: 1620 Evangeline Road, Jennings, LA 70546, (337) 246-7094

The Louisiana National Cemetery at 303 W Mount Pleasant Road in Zachary is open for both casketed and cremated remains. Port Hudson National Cemetery accepts cremated remains, and casketed remains only into an existing family gravesite. The Baton Rouge and Alexandria national cemeteries are closed to new interments.

Surviving spouses and dependents are also eligible for continued property tax exemptions, educational benefits, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the VA. Find out more about getting survivor benefits.

Federal Benefits Available to Louisiana Veterans

In addition to Louisiana’s specific benefits, disabled veterans also 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 Louisiana veterans can get with a rating of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, etc.

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits

Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana state resources

Benefits for Toxic Exposure

Veterans who served at military installations in Louisiana may have been exposed to hazardous substances such as PFAS or industrial solvents. These exposures can make veterans eligible for disability benefits. Bases in Louisiana with known toxic exposure concerns include:

Find more bases with toxic exposure or get in touch with us for a free evaluation of your case. Hill & Ponton has decades of experience in helping veterans get compensation for conditions caused by exposure to dangerous substances.

Getting VA Disability in Louisiana

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.

Get the free book

Louisiana State Assistance and Resources

Help from Experienced Lawyers

Our VA-accredited attorneys proudly serve Louisiana veterans who were denied or underrated, 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! Hill & Ponton has successfully assisted disabled veterans all over Louisiana. Find out more about our legal services: