Washington Veteran Benefits

There are no individual income taxes in Washington.

The Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) offers a property tax reduction for eligible disabled Veterans. Veterans receive a reduction in the amount of property taxes due based on their income, the value of the residence, and local levy rates.

Surviving spouses of eligible Veterans can receive a grant to help pay their property taxes. The grant amount is based on the applicant's income, the value of the residence, and the local levy rates.

The Veteran must meet one of the following requirements for their dependent to be eligible:

The Washington State NGG is a grant to help pay educational costs not covered by other financial aid for Washington State National Guard service members and their dependents. NGG provides funding for undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate study programs.

Washington State Operation Recognition will award high school diplomas to Veterans who left high school before they received their diploma to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II (WWII), Korea, and Vietnam. Veterans who received a GED are also eligible.

UI provides temporary financial assistance for workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. UI is a partial, short-term replacement for lost wages while workers are seeking other work and is not intended to be a permanent source of income. Benefits are not based on financial need.

Washington State National Guard Service members who are injured, become ill, disabled, or die while serving on state active duty or inactive duty will receive required medical care and compensation under Washington State Industrial Insurance laws .

Active duty service members who are stationed in Washington State and honorably discharged resident Veterans are eligible for an exemption from the Hunter Education, Field Skills Evaluation when applying for a hunting license.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife offers half price hunting and fishing licenses for resident and nonresident disabled Veterans.

Service members serving in the Washington State National Guard are eligible for a free annual hunting license package that includes a big-game license (deer, elk, bear, and cougar with tags) and a small game license with a migratory bird permit.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission offers free camping, docking, campsite reservations, watercraft launching, trailer dump and day use entry at Washington State Parks for eligible disabled Veterans.

State employees who are service members serving in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces are authorized military leave with pay for up to 21 working days during each fiscal year. This leave can be used for required military duty, training, or drills.

Washington State offers Veteran hiring preference for eligible Veterans and their spouse, or surviving spouse. Applicants must meet the requirements for the position and be able to perform the duties required.

State employees who participate in the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) who leave their state employment to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces may be eligible to receive up to 10 years of service credit for the time they served.

Washington State WorkSource offices help Veterans, and their spouses find jobs. This includes priority access to WorkSource services and priority referrals to jobs listed with WorkSource.

Some apprenticeships in Washington State offer direct entry into their programs for Veterans. Apprenticeships combine on-the-job training with related classroom instruction, under the supervision of a journey-level professional.

The Washington State Department of Health offers expedited licensing for the spouse (domestic partner) of service members serving in the U.S. Armed Forces who are stationed in Washington.

Washington State offers professional licensing benefits for service members and military spouses (domestic partners) to help them meet licensing requirements.

Washington State offers a free certification for businesses that are owned and operated by a Veteran or service member. Certified business are eligible to participate in the Governor's goal to do 5% of their state purchasing through Veteran or service member owned businesses.

Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of spouses, surviving spouses, or mothers of Veterans. Both a mother and a spouse (including surviving spouse) may be entitled to preference based on the same Veteran's service if they both meet the requirements.

Health and pension plan coverage for service members is provided for by USERRA. Individuals performing military duty of more than 30 days may elect to continue employer sponsored health care for up to 24 months; however, they may be required to pay up to 102% of the full premium.

The Washington State Hilton Honors Military Program helps make the career transition from service in the U.S. Armed Forces to civilian employment easier for current and former service members. The Hilton Honors Military Program provides hotel accommodation for required employment related travel.

The VA provides valuable life insurance benefits to Veterans, active and reserve component service members, and their families to provide financial security given the extraordinary risks involved in military Service. The VA provides the following life insurance benefit programs:

TRICARE Reserve Select is a premium-based plan, available worldwide for Selected Reserve (U.S. Armed Forces Reserve and National Guard service members) and their families who meet the following qualifications:

The SSLI program provides term life insurance exclusively for actively serving members of the Washington National Guard and their dependents. All Washington National Guard Service members are automatically protected with $1,000 of SSLI at no charge.

The WDVA Counseling and Wellness Program provides free outreach and counseling services for Veterans, service members and families affected by PTSD-related problems.

The Washington State Veterans Cemetery is located near Fairchild Air Force Base and provides a dignified final resting place for Veterans and their eligible family members.

The Camp Lewis Post Cemetery, located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) behind 2 nd Division Range Road and near the Skeet Trap Range is open to the public during daylight hours. All burials are in-ground.

The VA National Cemetery Administration maintains four national cemeteries in Washington State. Please see the local location listing for the nearest cemetery.

Honorably discharged Veterans are eligible for a Veteran designation on their Washington State driver licenses and ID cards.

Veterans or service members applying for Washington State license plates have the option of adding Veteran/Military Service Award Emblems to their license plate.

Washington State offers 1 3 license plate designs to honor the service and sacrifice of eligible service members, Veterans, retired service members and family members.

The Washington State Medal of Honor license plate is offered to recipients of the Medal of Honor. Revised Code of Washington 46.18.230 Medal of Honor recipients can request three sets of this license plates and can choose a Medal of Honor background or standard mountain background license plates.

The Washington State Purple Heart license plate is offered for recipients of the Purple Heart and the unremarried surviving spouse (domestic partner) of a deceased recipient. There is no charge for the first set of license plates. This license plate may be personalized.

The Washington State Disabled Veteran license plate is offered to eligible disabled Veterans. This license plate is exempt from license fees for one vehicle per year. These license plates are good for the life of the vehicle but do not grant disabled parking privileges.

The Washington State driver licenses of service members serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents remain valid until 90 days after discharge. Service members and dependents must have the following with them for their license or ID to be considered valid:

Service members who are Washington State licensed drivers and are stationed out of state can request a motorcycle endorsement on their driver license. Service members must have completed an approved Motorcycle Safety Foundation course within 180 days prior to application.

The Military Skills Test Waiver is offered to service members who have military commercial driving training and experience but do not have the Military Occupational Specialties or Ratings for the Knowledge and Skills Test Waiver.

Washington State County Auditors will record, free of charge, official discharge documents of Washington State Veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Revised Code of Washington 73.04.030

VEMP offers protective payee services for Veterans and family members who are incapable of managing their own financial affairs. VEMP assumes custody of the individual's finances and ensures basic needs - such as housing, food, clothing, and medical care - are provided.

The VCC offers Veterans opportunities to work with environmental and agricultural partners on ecosystem restoration projects. Through these experiences, Veterans build strong connections with nature and their community, enhancing their well-being and resilience.

VIP provides financial assistance to Veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001 , in the U.S. Armed Forces , and are facing financial hardships. Who is eligible for the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs VIP? To be eligible, Veterans must meet the following requirements:

Washington State law authorizes each county to establish a Veterans' assistance program to address the needs of local needy Veterans and their families. Interested applicants should contact their county representative for more information and eligibility requirements.

The WDVA Women Veterans Advisory Committee works to guarantee Washington's women Veterans receive fair access to all available federal and state benefits and services. They achieve this by:

The Washington State Military Spouse Initiative focuses on reducing and removing employment barriers for military spouses and connecting them to the resources they and their families can use to thrive in Washington State.

The VA has numerous resources and locations throughout the state available to assist Veterans and family members. To find a VA location in Washington enter Washington in the location field and choose the facility type you are searching for from the drop down menu at the "Learn more…" link below.