Benefits for Disabled Veterans in Michigan

Property Tax Exemptions and Financial Assistance

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Property Taxes in Michigan?

No. Under MCL 211.7b, the homestead of a qualifying disabled veteran (or the veteran’s unremarried surviving spouse) is 100% exempt from property tax. Michigan does not offer a partial exemption; the property either qualifies for full exemption or it does not qualify at all.

Disabled Veteran Exemption Eligibility

To qualify, the veteran must have been honorably discharged and must meet at least one of three criteria as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

• Permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service and entitled to benefits at the 100% rate
• Has received pecuniary assistance from the VA for specially adapted housing due to disability
• Has been rated Individually Unemployable (TDIU) by the VA

Under 2023 Public Act 150, for taxes levied on or after January 1, 2025, an approved exemption remains in effect without annual reapplication. It continues until the property owner rescinds the exemption or the local assessor denies it.

Veterans Emergency Grants

The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF) issues emergency cash grants to help veterans and their families overcome a temporary financial hardship, such as overdue rent or mortgage, utility shut-off, vehicle repair needed for work, or essential medical or dental costs. To qualify, the veteran must be a Michigan resident and hold an honorable discharge.

Applicants must also have at least 180 days of active wartime service or have received an Expeditionary Medal. Veterans who have served one day of active service with separation due to mental/physical disability sustained while on duty also qualify. Applications are reviewed by the MVTF county committee in the applicant’s county of residence.

Macomb County offers the Veterans Relief Fund to veterans in need who are residents of Michigan and Macomb County for at least six months, hold an honorable discharge, and served at least one day of active duty during an eligible wartime period (or 24 months of active peacetime service). Find out more about veterans grants in Macomb County.

Transportation Benefits

Disabled Veteran License Plates in Michigan

Michigan’s Disabled Veteran (DV) registration plate is governed by MCL 257.803f. Eligibility was expanded under Public Act 149 of 2024:

• Totally disabled veterans (100% service-connected disability or Individually Unemployable rated at 100%) receive the plate with no service fee and exemption from the vehicle registration tax; the plate is permanent and does not expire
• Partially disabled veterans with a service-connected rating of at least 50% are newly eligible for the DV plate, but still pay standard registration fees

The plate also allows free entry to all Michigan state parks. The surviving spouse of a deceased disabled veteran who held at least a 50% service-connected rating may continue to use the plate after the veteran’s death. Apply at any Secretary of State branch office.

Veteran Designation on Driver’s License or State ID

Michigan honorably discharged veterans can add a free Veteran designation to their driver’s license or state ID by presenting a DD-214 (or equivalent discharge document) at any Secretary of State office.

The designation is added at no additional charge when applying for an original license or renewal; correction fees apply if added between renewal cycles. Find out more about the Veteran designation.

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Sales Tax on Vehicles in Michigan?

Yes. The Michigan Department of Treasury has clarified that the state does not provide a sales or use tax exemption on a vehicle purchased by a disabled veteran or surviving spouse (that benefit is sometimes confused with the registration fee exemption for 100% disabled veterans). What totally disabled veterans do get is exemption from the ad valorem vehicle registration tax and the related service fee when they use the Disabled Veteran license plate.

Education Benefits

Do Disabled Veterans Get Tuition Assistance in Michigan?

Not from the state directly. Michigan does not currently offer a state-funded tuition waiver for disabled veterans on the basis of disability rating. Michigan veterans typically pay for college using the federal Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), the Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30), and VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31).

Members of the Michigan National Guard may also use the Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, which pays tuition at any Michigan public or private college, university, vocational school, technical school, or trade school for active Guard members in good standing. Under Public Act 33 of 2023, MINGSTAP eligibility was extended to spouses and dependent children of qualifying Guard members.

Does Michigan Waive Tuition for Children of Disabled Veterans?

Yes, in part. The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (Public Act 248 of 2005) pays undergraduate tuition for the natural or adopted child of a Michigan veteran who became totally and permanently disabled from a service-connected illness or injury, died on active duty, or is listed as missing in action. Award amounts depend on enrollment level.

• Full-time: up to $2,800 per academic year ($1,400 per semester)
• Three-quarter time: up to $2,100 per academic year ($1,050 per semester)
• Half-time: up to $1,400 per academic year ($700 per semester)

Students may receive the grant for up to four academic years (8 semesters), with a lifetime cap of $11,200. To qualify, the child must be age 16 to 25, a Michigan resident for 12 months before applying, and must file the FAFSA each year.

Employment Benefits

Michigan State Veterans Hiring Preference

Michigan gives veterans a preference in public-sector hiring under Act 205 of 1897 (MCL 35.401-35.404) and the Michigan Civil Service Commission Rule 3-8. Eligible veterans receive priority consideration for appointment, employment, and promotion in state government, counties, cities, and other public departments.

To qualify under Act 205, the veteran must be of good moral character, a Michigan resident for at least two years, and otherwise meet the position’s qualifications. The Civil Service Commission rule applies the preference to candidates with 90 or more days of active-duty service and an honorable discharge. Learn more about state veteran hiring.

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Preference

Under Public Act 91 of 2005, businesses that are at least 51% owned by service-connected disabled veterans receive up to a 10% pricing preference when bidding on State of Michigan procurement contracts. Public Act 133 of 2008 set a state goal of awarding 5% of total state expenditures for goods, services, and construction to qualified service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (SDVOBs).

Michigan does not run its own pre-certification program; the state accepts National Veterans Business Development Council (NVBDC) certification as verification of eligibility. Find out more about the SDVOB preference program.

Recreation Benefits

Do Michigan State Parks Offer a Disabled Veterans Pass?

Yes. A Michigan Recreation Passport is normally required for motor-vehicle entry to all 103 state parks and recreation areas, 140+ state-forest campgrounds, and nearly 1,000 boating access sites. The Recreation Passport is not required for any vehicle displaying a Disabled Veteran, Ex-POW, or Medal of Honor license plate, which means qualifying veterans enter for free.

At the federal level, veterans with any documented permanent disability also qualify for the free America the Beautiful Access Pass, which covers lifetime entrance to National Parks and federal recreation lands.

Do Michigan Disabled Veterans Get a Free Fishing License?

Yes, if they are permanently and totally disabled. Michigan resident veterans who have been determined by the VA to have at 100% P&T disability, or who have been rated Individually Unemployable, are eligible to receive a free fishing license from the Michigan DNR. The veteran must present documented proof of disability when obtaining the license. Find out more.

What Fees do Disabled Veterans Pay for a Hunting License in Michigan?

Michigan resident veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled (or Individually Unemployable) pay no fee for any Michigan hunting or fishing license that is not obtained through a lottery draw.

That typically includes the base license, antlerless deer, leftover turkey, waterfowl, small-game, and fur-harvester licenses; lottery hunts (such as bear and elk) and any required federal stamps (e.g., the federal duck stamp) are not covered.

Licenses are available at any DNR license agent or online once disability documentation has been verified. Veterans rated below 100% pay standard resident hunting license fees.

Health Care Benefits

Most veteran medical care in Michigan is delivered through the federal VA healthcare system, with five VA medical centers and a statewide network of community-based outpatient clinics. The state runs the Michigan Veteran Homes system for veterans who can no longer live independently.

VA Medical Centers Serving Michigan

• Lt. Col. Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center (VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System): 2215 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
• John D. Dingell VA Medical Center (Detroit): 4646 John R Street, Detroit, MI 48201.
• Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center (Saginaw): 1500 Weiss Street, Saginaw, MI 48602.
• Battle Creek VA Medical Center: 5500 Armstrong Road, Battle Creek, MI 49037.
• Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Facility (Iron Mountain): 325 East H Street, Iron Mountain, MI 49801.

Michigan VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics

CBOCs provide primary care, mental health, and specialty referrals closer to where Michigan veterans live. The Michigan CBOC network covers both peninsulas and reduces the need to travel to a VA hospital for routine care.

• VA Ann Arbor system: clinics in Adrian, Flint, Howell, Jackson (Michigan Center), and Canton, plus the Green Road and Packard Road clinics in Ann Arbor.
• VA Detroit system: clinics on East Jefferson Avenue and Piquette Street in Detroit, plus Trenton, Pontiac, and Yale.
• VA Saginaw system: clinics in Bad Axe, Clare, Traverse City, Cadillac, Grayling, Alpena, Gaylord, Oscoda, Indian River, and two locations in Saginaw.
• Battle Creek system: clinics in Wyoming, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Muskegon.
• Oscar G. Johnson (Upper Peninsula) system: clinics in Gladstone, Hancock, Ironwood, Manistique, Marquette, Menominee, and Sault Sainte Marie.

Michigan Veteran Homes

Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH) operates three skilled-nursing communities for veterans, their spouses, surviving spouses, and Gold Star parents.

• Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids (MVHGR): 2950 Monroe Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Phone: 616-364-5400. Skilled nursing on a 90-acre campus along the Grand River, in continuous operation since 1885.
• Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township (MVHCT): 47901 Sugarbush Road, Chesterfield Township, MI 48047. Phone: 586-719-6791. A 128-member community on the former Sebille Manor site, with a private bedroom and bathroom for every member. Opened in 2021.
• Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti (Marquette): 425 Fisher Street, Marquette, MI 49855. Phone: 906-226-3576. An 81-bed Medicare and Medicaid certified skilled nursing facility in the Upper Peninsula, opened in 1981.

Services include long-term care, dementia and memory care, short-term rehab and therapy, palliative care, an in-house pharmacy, pastoral care, dental and vision clinics, 24/7 nursing, and dedicated life-enrichment staff.

Eligibility extends to honorably discharged veterans who qualify for VA health care or long-term-care financial assistance. Michigan residency is not required.

Burial and Survivor Benefits

Michigan does not operate a state veterans cemetery. Eligible Michigan veterans, their spouses, and dependent children are buried at no cost through the VA National Cemetery Administration, which operates two active national cemeteries in the state, plus three historic cemeteries closed to new full-casket burials.

Great Lakes National Cemetery

Great Lakes National Cemetery, at 4200 Belford Road, Holly, MI 48442 (phone 248-328-0386), is Michigan’s largest active national cemetery. The 544-acre cemetery opened in 2005 and has space available for casket burial and in-ground burial of cremated remains. Burial of an eligible veteran is at no cost and includes the gravesite, opening and closing, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual care.

Fort Custer National Cemetery

Fort Custer National Cemetery, at 15501 Dickman Road, Augusta, MI 49012 (phone 269-731-4164), is southwestern Michigan’s active national cemetery and accepts new burials for eligible veterans and their family members. Plot, opening and closing, a government headstone or marker, burial flag, and perpetual care are provided at no cost. Survivors remain responsible for the casket or urn, funeral home services, and any private memorialization beyond the federal marker.

Survivor Benefits

The disabled veterans property tax exemption transfers to the unremarried surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran on the same terms, and applies to any homestead property the spouse uses and owns, including property acquired after the veteran’s death. The exemption ends if the surviving spouse remarries.

Surviving spouses and dependents of Michigan veterans are also eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and other survivor benefits.

Federal Benefits Available to Michigan Veterans

In addition to Michigan’s state benefits, disabled veterans also receive 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
• Special compensation, Aid & Attendance and other financial benefits
• Home loans and housing benefits
• Vocational rehabilitation and employment services
• 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 disabled 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

Michigan 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 Michigan veteran →

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouse and Dependents

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

• Continued property tax exemption for the unremarried surviving spouse
• CHAMPVA healthcare
• Education benefits
• DIC eligibility
• Access to Michigan state resources

Benefits for Toxic Exposure

Veterans who served at military installations in Michigan and later developed disabilities may be eligible for VA compensation and benefits. Michigan’s bases and armories have documented histories of toxic exposure, most notably PFAS contamination from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), along with TCE, heavy metals, and other industrial chemicals.

Michigan Military Bases with Known Toxins

• Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Oscoda, MI): EPA Superfund site with 29 documented toxins including PFAS, TCE, benzene, and heavy metals
• Camp Grayling (Grayling, MI): the largest National Guard training facility in the U.S., with documented PFAS contamination from firefighting foam
• Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility (Grand Ledge, MI): former Army National Guard firefighting unit with PFAS contamination in groundwater and soil
• Belmont Armory (Plainfield Charter Township, MI): Michigan Army National Guard site with PFAS levels far above the EPA health advisory

If you served at a base in a different state, you can check its history of toxic contamination and potential health effects using the Military Base Toxic Exposure Map or get in touch with us for a free evaluation of your claim.

Getting or Increasing VA Disability Benefits

Free Guide to VA Disability Claims

Attorney Matthew Hill has written THE book on how to get VA disability compensation and benefits. And it’s yours free of charge. We also offer a free ebook for easy, immediate access.

Legal Resources for Disabled Veterans

• Find Your County Veteran Service Officer (VSO) through the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency directory
• Michigan Veterans Treatment Courts: 30 specialty courts statewide connecting justice-involved veterans with treatment and VA benefits as an alternative to incarceration

Attorneys Specialized in VA Disability Law

Our VA-accredited lawyers proudly represent Michigan veterans 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!