Connecticut VA Disability Benefits & Resources for Veterans

In Connecticut, veterans’ benefits come through two channels: the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) in Rocky Hill, and the assessor in each of the state’s 169 towns, who applies the property tax exemptions. The biggest recent change is a full home exemption for veterans rated permanently and totally disabled, which started with the October 1, 2024 grand list.

State benefit details verified against official state sources on September 27, 2026.

Key benefits at a glance

Property tax exemption

Connecticut’s veterans’ exemptions reduce a property’s assessed value; they are not credits against the tax bill. Towns apply them, so you file with your town assessor, not with the state. In general you can receive only one veterans’ exemption (CGS 12-90).

• Permanent and total (P&T) rating, CGS 12-81(83): This applies to Connecticut residents who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, or Space Force and have a VA service-connected P&T rating. The home they own and live in as a primary residence is fully exempt, including condos and common-interest units. A veteran who owns no home can exempt one motor vehicle garaged in Connecticut instead. A surviving spouse keeps the exemption until remarrying.
• Disability rating, CGS 12-81(20): This covers veterans rated 10% or more who are not P&T. The statutory amounts are $2,000 for 10% to 25%, $2,500 for 26% to 50%, and $3,000 for 51% to 75%. The amount is $3,500 for ratings over 75% or for veterans 65 and older. The loss of limbs and similar severe disabilities add more under CGS 12-81(21).
• Revaluation increase: Under CGS 12-62g, a town must multiply these amounts if its grand list rose enough at revaluation. The Office of Legislative Research reported in 2025 that 126 of the 169 towns must give more than the statutory minimum.
• Additional low-income exemption, CGS 12-81g: Veterans under the income limits get an extra exemption of twice their base amount. The 2025 limits set by OPM were $45,200 single and $55,100 married, based on 2024 income. For veterans rated 100%, the statute sets lower limits of $18,000 single and $21,000 married. Veterans over the limit still get an extra 50% of the base amount. Apply on Form M-59a between February 1 and October 1.
• Local options: A town may add up to $20,000 or 10% of assessed value (CGS 12-81f). It may also exempt part of the value of one specially adapted vehicle owned by a disabled veteran (CGS 12-81h). Ask your assessor which options your town has adopted.

State income tax

Connecticut offers a 100% deduction for military retirement pay. Survivor Benefit Plan payments to a retiree’s beneficiary also qualify, but payments to a former spouse under a divorce decree do not. VA disability compensation is excluded from federal adjusted gross income, so Connecticut never taxes it.

Vehicle registration and license plates

The DVA certifies eligibility for Standard Veteran plates and for campaign-specific plates covering World War II through the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, using DMV Form M-46. The DMV Customized Plates Unit in Wethersfield runs the program, and the DVA notes that the plates carry a fee. The DVA also certifies the veteran indicator on a Connecticut driver’s license or ID card. The vehicle property tax exemptions under CGS 12-81(83) and 12-81h are covered above.

Hunting and fishing licenses

Connecticut has no hunting or fishing license discount specifically for veterans. Any resident who has lost a limb, or permanently lost the use of one, can get a free hunting or fishing license under CGS 26-29b, though permits and stamps cost extra. Blind residents get a free lifetime fishing license under CGS 26-29, and a veteran can use VA records as proof of blindness. Residents 65 and older fish for free.

Education benefits

Under CGS 10a-77, 10a-99, and 10a-105, the state waives tuition at the community college, the Connecticut State Universities, and UConn. The waiver is for veterans with wartime service (as defined in CGS 27-103) who live in Connecticut when they are admitted. It covers tuition for credit courses only. If you have applied for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the state waives only the part of tuition the GI Bill does not pay. Charter Oak State College gives eligible veterans a 50% tuition waiver.

Tuition is also waived for the dependent child or surviving spouse of a Connecticut resident killed in action on or after September 11, 2001. Dependent children of service members declared missing in action or taken prisoner of war after January 1, 1960 qualify too.

State veterans homes

The DVA campus at 287 West Street in Rocky Hill offers two kinds of care:

• Sgt. John L. Levitow Healthcare Center is a skilled nursing facility licensed by the state Department of Public Health. The VA certifies it every year as a State Veterans Home.
• The Residential Facility and Patriots Landing provide temporary supportive housing for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Patriots Landing also takes spouses and children.

Employment preference

CGS 5-224 adds points to a passing score on state civil service exams for original appointments. Wartime veterans get 5 points, and veterans eligible for VA disability compensation or pension get 10 points. In some cases the spouse or unremarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran can use the points instead.

How to apply for Connecticut veteran benefits

1. Download your VA benefit summary letter from VA.gov. It shows your combined rating and whether you are rated permanently and totally disabled.
2. Take the letter and your DD-214 to your town assessor to claim the property tax exemption. If you qualify for the income-based additional exemption, file Form M-59a with the assessor between February 1 and October 1.
3. Claim the military retirement deduction when you file your Connecticut resident income tax return (Form CT-1040).
4. To get a tuition waiver, apply through the veterans office or financial aid office at UConn or your CSCU campus.
5. For plates, admission to the Levitow Healthcare Center, or free help with a VA claim, call the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs at 860-616-3600 or contact a DVA district office.

VA offices and medical centers in Connecticut

The Hartford VA Regional Benefit Office is inside the Newington VA Clinic at 555 Willard Ave, Newington, CT 06111, in Building 2E on the 4th floor. Book an in-person or virtual appointment through VA’s VERA scheduling system.

VA Connecticut Healthcare System has one medical center:

• West Haven VA Medical Center, West Haven

VA clinics include Newington, Danbury, New London, Orange, Stamford, Waterbury, Willimantic, and Winsted. You can find other outpatient clinics with the VA facility locator.

Filing a federal VA disability claim from Connecticut

A VA disability claim works the same way in Connecticut as in every other state. See how to file, check your claim status, and look up the 2026 compensation rates. DVA Veteran Service Officers help with claims for free. If you are in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.