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South Dakota’s disabled veterans can benefit from a property tax exemption of up to $200,000 on the assessed value of their home, a Veterans Bonus of up to $500 per qualifying service period, a $10 annual Disabled Veteran license plate with no registration fee, and a free Lifetime State Park Entrance License.

South Dakota veterans, their spouses, and dependents can also receive free tuition at state universities and technical colleges, hiring preference for state employment, free transportation to VA medical appointments, and skilled nursing care at the Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home.

South Dakota is home to an estimated 62,615 veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and roughly 38% receive VA disability compensation along with federal and state benefits. South Dakota also has no state income tax, further reducing the overall tax burden on veterans. If you haven’t yet accessed all the benefits you’re entitled to, this guide is for you.

Are you using all the resources you’re entitled to? Learn about South Dakota state benefits available to veterans, the eligibility requirements for each, and how to access them alongside federal VA disability benefits.

Tax Exemptions and Financial Assistance

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Property Taxes in South Dakota?

South Dakota offers two separate property tax benefits for veterans, administered through the South Dakota Department of Revenue. Combined with the state’s lack of an income tax, these exemptions can significantly reduce the cost of homeownership for disabled veterans.

Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans ($200,000)

Under SDCL 10-4-40, veterans rated permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability may exempt up to $200,000 of the assessed value of their owner-occupied dwelling from property tax. The exemption applies to the house, garage, and the lot up to one acre, and the property must be owned and occupied by the veteran or the unremarried surviving spouse. Applications are due to the county Director of Equalization by November 1 each year.

Property Tax Exemption for Paraplegic Veterans

Paraplegic veterans, or veterans with the loss or loss of use of both lower extremities, and their unremarried surviving spouses qualify for a full property tax exemption on a home that has been specifically designed for wheelchair use. The veteran must have owned and occupied the property for at least one full calendar year before the exemption takes effect. Applications must be filed annually with the local county office.

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Sales Tax in South Dakota?

Yes, South Dakota has a state sales tax, and there is no broad sales tax exemption specifically for disabled veterans. However, low-income veterans who are 65 or older or who are declared disabled under Social Security or VA criteria may apply for the state’s Sales or Property Tax Refund, which returns part of the sales or property taxes they paid the prior year.

To qualify, single-person households must have an annual income at or below the program’s threshold (and household incomes must fall under a higher threshold). South Dakota residency is required, and applications must be filed with the Department of Revenue between May 1 and July 1 each year.

South Dakota Veterans Bonus

The state pays a one-time Veterans Bonus of up to $500 per qualifying period of service to veterans who were legal South Dakota residents for at least six months before entering active duty. Qualifying service falls into four windows:

  • August 2, 1990 to March 3, 1991: any active service qualifies
  • March 4, 1991 to December 31, 1992: hostile-area service earning the Southwest Asia Service Medal
  • January 1, 1993 to September 10, 2001: hostile-area service with a qualifying campaign or service medal
  • September 11, 2001 to present: any active service qualifies

Active Duty for Training does not count. Find out more about the Veterans Bonus.

Housing Assistance

South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA)

The South Dakota Housing Development Authority offers low-interest, fixed-rate mortgage programs for first-time and repeat homebuyers, including a Repeat Home Buyer Loan Program that veterans may use without losing first-time-buyer pricing. Qualifying borrowers can also receive 3% or 5% of the mortgage loan amount in down payment and closing cost assistance.

The Governor’s House Program offers affordable, energy-efficient single-family homes to income-qualified buyers, and eligible veterans may finance the purchase through a VA Home Loan for favorable terms and minimal down payment.

Homeless Veterans Programs

Both VA health care systems in South Dakota run a Homeless Veterans Care Program that coordinates HUD-VASH housing vouchers, Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) rental assistance, transitional housing, and clinical case management. In the Sioux Falls area, HUD-VASH vouchers are administered with the Sioux Falls Housing and Redevelopment Commission. Veterans seeking HUD-VASH should call the VAMC Homeless Outreach Program at 605-336-3230.

Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness can also reach the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-424-3838 for 24/7 assistance.

Transportation Benefits

South Dakota operates two transportation programs that get veterans to and from VA medical appointments at no cost, useful in a state where many veterans live far from the nearest VA medical center.

DAV Transportation Program

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Transportation Network provides free rides to VA medical facilities for ill and injured veterans across South Dakota. Two regional coordinators schedule the rides, one serving East River and one serving West River. Find the DAV coordinator for your area.

Highly Rural Transportation Program

A separate VA-funded program serves 37 highly rural South Dakota counties (including Bennett, Custer, Fall River, Harding, Mellette, Oglala Lakota, Perkins, and Ziebach, among others). The program covers transportation to VA medical centers, community-based outpatient clinics, and VA Community Care facilities. Vehicles are wheelchair accessible, and a family member or friend may travel with the veteran at no charge. Find out more about Highly Rural Transportation.

Do Veterans Get Free Car Registration in South Dakota?

Not in full, but qualifying disabled veterans pay only a flat $10 annual plate fee, with no separate vehicle registration fee, when they use the Disabled Veteran license plate. A $7.50 mailing fee may also apply at issuance. Standard registration fees still apply to vehicles displaying regular Veteran or military specialty plates.

Disabled Veteran License Plates in South Dakota

To qualify for the Disabled Veteran license plate, the applicant must be a South Dakota resident veteran who meets one of the following criteria:

  • Recipient of a VA “K” Award
  • Recipient of an automobile under Public Law 187
  • Recipient of a statutory benefit for loss or loss of use of one or more extremities
  • Recipient of a veteran’s allotment for total service-connected disability incurred during wartime active duty or armed conflict

Plates are available for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. Eligibility is verified through the VA office in Sioux Falls, and the $10 fee is refunded if the application is denied. See all specialty military plates.

South Dakota also offers a free Veteran designation on driver’s licenses and non-driver ID cards to honorably discharged veterans. Apply through the Department of Public Safety driver licensing site by presenting your DD-214 at a driver-licensing exam station.

Education Benefits

Can South Dakota Veterans Get Tuition Credit?

Yes. Under the state’s Free Tuition for State Veterans program, honorably discharged South Dakota-resident veterans may attend any state-supported university or technical college with tuition fully covered. The benefit is awarded as one month of free tuition for each month of qualifying active service, with a minimum of one academic year and a maximum of four academic years.

To qualify, the veteran must be a current South Dakota resident, have been honorably discharged, and not be eligible for educational payments under the GI Bill or any other federal educational program. The veteran must also meet at least one of the following service criteria: active duty on or after August 2, 1990; receipt of an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or other U.S. campaign or service medal for combat operations outside the U.S.; or a service-connected disability rated 10% or higher. Veterans have 20 years from the end of qualifying service (or the date of the qualifying disability rating) to use the benefit. South Dakota National Guard members receive a separate benefit: a 100% tuition reduction at state universities for up to 128 undergraduate credit hours and 32 graduate credit hours. Members must remain in the SD Army or Air Guard throughout each semester, attend 90% of drills and training periods, and use any available federal tuition assistance before the state benefit.

Do Children of Disabled Veterans Go to College for Free in South Dakota?

In specific circumstances, yes. The state covers full tuition at state universities and technical colleges for the following groups:

  • Children under 25 of a service member who died in action or during active duty service, provided the deceased parent was a South Dakota resident for at least six months before military service
  • Spouses and children of prisoners of war or service members listed as missing in action, as long as they do not have equal or greater federal education benefits
  • Spouses and children under 25 of South Dakota National Guard members killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty

South Dakota does not currently provide a stand-alone tuition waiver for the dependents of living service-connected disabled veterans on the basis of rating alone, those families typically use the federal Chapter 35 (DEA) or transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits instead.

Employment Benefits

South Dakota State Veterans Hiring Preference

South Dakota gives veterans a meaningful advantage in public-sector hiring. Under SDCL 33A-2, honorably discharged veterans who are U.S. citizens receive preference for appointment, employment, and promotion in state, county, municipal, and school-district positions.

A qualifying veteran who meets the minimum qualifications for a position is guaranteed an interview. Service-connected disabled veterans receive preference over non-disabled veterans, and the spouses of deceased or disability-incapacitated veterans may claim the preference on the veteran’s behalf. Age and unrelated physical impairment cannot disqualify an otherwise eligible candidate. Find out more about Veterans Preference.

South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation Veterans Services

The South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation (DLR) provides veterans with priority of service at every local Job Service office and pairs eligible veterans with specialized staff:

  • DVOP Specialists (Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program): intensive case management for veterans with significant barriers to employment, including service-connected disabilities
  • LVER staff (Local Veterans’ Employment Representative): employer outreach, job referrals, and military-skills translation

Services include résumé and cover-letter assistance, interview preparation, vocational-rehabilitation eligibility determinations, transition support, and direct job referrals. See all DLR veteran services.

On-the-Job Training (OJT) for Veterans

South Dakota partners with the VA on an On-the-Job Training program that lets veterans earn wages while training at a participating employer for 6 to 24 months. Veterans must be in full-time employment and GI Bill-eligible to participate. Eligible occupations span law enforcement, skilled trades, agriculture, IT, and technical positions. Learn more about OJT.

Recreation Benefits

Spending time outdoors can be an important part of recovery and well-being for veterans coping with physical or mental health challenges. South Dakota offers disabled veterans and former prisoners of war reduced-cost (or free) access to its state parks, lakes, and hunting and fishing programs.

Do Disabled Veterans Get into South Dakota State Parks for Free?

Yes. The Disabled Veteran and Prisoner of War Lifetime State Park Entrance License provides free lifetime park entry plus a 50% discount on camping fees at all South Dakota state parks. To qualify, the applicant must be a South Dakota resident and either:

  • 100% permanent and total service-connected disabled, or
  • A VA “K” Award recipient

Active military, National Guard, Reserve units, and veterans’ hospital patients (with guests) may also enter state parks without licenses when participating in an approved military group event held in a state park. Find out more about State Parks benefits.

Do Disabled Veterans Get a Free Fishing and Hunting License in South Dakota?

Not entirely free, but South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks issues a deeply discounted small-game and fishing license for $10, valid for four years, to qualifying disabled veterans and former POWs. Under SDCL 41-6-10.2 and 41-17-13.4, eligibility extends to South Dakota residents who meet one of these criteria:

  • VA “K” Award recipient or veterans’ allotment for 40% or greater service-connected disability
  • 40% Social Security disability plus prior active-duty service in the armed forces, reserves, or National Guard
  • Documented former Prisoner of War status

Veterans with severe physical disabilities may also apply for Crossbow / Draw-Lock, Designated Shooter, Shoot From Vehicle, and Angler Assistance permits, all of which let disabled veterans hunt or fish with reasonable accommodations. See the GFP Veteran/POW license page.

Find a full summary of hunting and fishing benefits.

Health Care Benefits

For medical care, prescriptions, mental health services, and outpatient treatment, South Dakota veterans can use the federal VA Black Hills Health Care System (with main campuses in Hot Springs and Fort Meade) and the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, supplemented by community-based outpatient clinics and Vet Centers throughout the state. See the full directory of VA facilities in South Dakota.

South Dakota VA Medical Centers

Three full VA medical centers serve South Dakota:

The Sioux Falls VAMC and Fort Meade campuses are full-service medical centers; the Hot Springs campus offers residential rehabilitation and skilled-nursing care alongside outpatient services.

South Dakota VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics

CBOCs let veterans access routine primary care, mental health services, and telehealth visits closer to home. South Dakota CBOCs include:

  • Aberdeen VA Clinic: 3307 10th Avenue Southeast, Aberdeen, SD 57401
  • Dakota Dunes VA Clinic: 380 West Anchor Drive, Dakota Dunes, SD 57049
  • Eagle Butte VA Clinic: 220 East Prairie Road, Eagle Butte, SD 57625
  • Pierre VA Clinic: 1615 North Harrison, Suite 20, Pierre, SD 57501
  • Pine Ridge VA Clinic: Hospital Road, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge, SD 57770
  • Rapid City VA Clinic: 2165 Promise Road, Rapid City, SD 57701
  • Wagner VA Clinic: 400 West South Dakota Highway 46, Wagner, SD 57380
  • Watertown VA Clinic: 4 19th Street Northeast, Watertown, SD 57201
  • Winner VA Clinic: 660 West 2nd Street, Winner, SD 57580

South Dakota also operates Vet Centers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City that offer readjustment counseling, family counseling, and outreach for combat veterans and survivors.

South Dakota State Veterans Home

The Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home in Hot Springs provides long-term care for South Dakota veterans, their spouses, and qualifying surviving spouses. The roughly 100-bed facility offers both skilled nursing and domiciliary care across eight neighborhood-style wings, with three-meals-a-day dining, 24-hour nursing, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, pharmacy services, pastoral care, transportation, and activities programming.

Veterans qualify for admission if they are eligible for the VA’s per-diem payment for state-home domiciliary or nursing-home care. Veterans domiciled in South Dakota within the past five years receive admission preference. Spouses, widows, and widowers who were married to a qualifying veteran for at least one year may also be admitted, subject to additional conditions. Find out more about the State Veterans Home.

Burial and Survivor Benefits

South Dakota is served by one state-operated veterans cemetery and three U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries, with the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis as the only national cemetery still open to new burials. Eligible veterans receive free burial, including the gravesite, opening and closing, government headstone or marker, and perpetual care; surviving spouses and dependent children are also eligible at the state and national cemeteries.

South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery

Dedicated on Memorial Day 2021, the South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery is the first federally funded, state-owned and operated veterans cemetery in South Dakota. The cemetery covers the gravesite, pre-placed grave liner, headstone or niche cover, and perpetual care for eligible veterans at no cost; spouses and dependents pay a small burial fee.

  • Address: 25965 477th Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
  • Phone: 605-277-8094
  • Hours: Office Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; grounds open sunrise to sunset daily

South Dakota National Cemeteries

Three VA National Cemeteries are located in western South Dakota. Black Hills National Cemetery is the only one accepting new burials; the other two accept subsequent interments of eligible family members in existing gravesites.

National Cemetery Resources

Use the National Cemetery Administration state directory for full cemetery details and the Nationwide Gravesite Locator to find an existing veteran burial.

Survivor Benefits

Surviving spouses and dependents of South Dakota veterans may be eligible for:

Under SDCL 10-4-40, the $200,000 disabled veteran property tax exemption transfers to the unremarried surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran for as long as the spouse owns and occupies the home. The paraplegic veteran property tax exemption transfers on the same terms. Learn more about getting survivor benefits.

Federal Benefits Available to South Dakota Veterans

In addition to South Dakota’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.

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits

South Dakota 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 South Dakota veteran →

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouse and Dependents

Spouses and family members of 100% disabled South Dakota 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 South Dakota state resources

Benefits for Toxic Exposure

Veterans who served at military installations in South Dakota and later developed disabilities may be eligible for VA compensation and benefits. South Dakota’s military sites have documented histories of toxic exposure, including PFAS contamination from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), trichloroethylene (TCE), heavy metals, asbestos, and other environmental hazards.

South Dakota Military Bases with Known Toxins

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.

How to Claim or Increase VA Disability Benefits

Free Guide to Getting VA Disability

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

Attorneys Specialized in VA Disability Law

Our VA-accredited lawyers proudly represent South Dakota 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!