Idaho VA Disability Benefits & Resources for Veterans

The Idaho Division of Veterans Services (IDVS) runs four state veterans homes and a statewide Office of Veterans Advocacy that files VA claims for free. Idaho’s state benefits are strongest for veterans rated 100%: a property tax reduction with no income test, and registration-free D.V. license plates. The DAV hunting license price is set at a 40% rating, a lower bar than many states use.

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

Key benefits at a glance

Property tax exemption

100% disabled veterans benefit. This program cuts property taxes on your Idaho home and up to one acre of land by as much as $1,500 a year. It has no income limit.

• Who qualifies for 2027: as of January 1, 2027, you must be rated 100% service-connected or receive 100% compensation for individual unemployability. You must also have owned and lived in the Idaho home as your primary residence before April 15, 2027.
• Homeowner’s exemption: the home must already have one. Mobile homes qualify, and so can veterans living in a care facility.
• How to apply: apply between January 1 and April 15 each year, online through the Tax Commission or on paper with your county assessor. Include a current VA letter confirming the rating.
• Renewal: veterans with a permanent and total rating renew automatically.
• When it shows up: the reduction appears on your December tax bill.
• Surviving spouse: can keep the benefit once it has been granted, but it does not move with them to a new property.
• What it doesn’t cover: solid waste, irrigation and similar fees.

Property Tax Reduction (circuit breaker). Veterans rated below 100% may still qualify here. Idaho Code 63-701 counts as “disabled” any veteran with a service-connected rating of 10% or more, or a VA non-service-connected pension. For the 2027 program, total 2026 income after medical expenses must be $40,030 or less. VA disability compensation counts toward that income. Apply January 1 to April 15.

For help with either program, call your county assessor or the Tax Commission at 208-334-7736.

State income tax

• VA disability compensation: not taxed. It is excluded from federal income (IRS Publication 525), and IDVS confirms disability income is not taxed in Idaho.
• Military retirement: Idaho has a retirement benefits deduction, but the state caps it each year and you generally cannot deduct the full pension. Starting with 2025 returns, a retired service member qualifies if they are classified as disabled, are 62 or older, or are under 62 and worked enough during the year to have to file a federal return. Before 2025, the rule was 65 or older, or 62 and disabled. An unremarried surviving spouse receiving the pension may also qualify. Claim it on Form 39R.
• Tax rate: Idaho’s flat individual income tax rate dropped from 5.69% to 5.3% effective January 1, 2025.

Vehicle registration and license plates

Under Idaho Code 49-403, a veteran pays no registration fee on one vehicle at a time if receiving VA compensation for either of these:

• A 100% service-connected disability
• Loss or loss of use of one or both feet or hands, or vision loss amounting to virtual blindness

The fee exemption does not apply to vehicles over 26,000 pounds. The Idaho Transportation Department (not the county) issues “D.V.” plates with a separate number series. The plates come with a disability placard and the same parking privileges as accessible plates. Apply with ITD Form 3397 (Disability Veteran or Disability Purple Heart plates).

Other options:

• Purple Heart plates (ITD Form 3398) carry no plate fee, though regular registration still applies.
• Branch and era veteran plates use ITD Form 3682.
• Veteran designation on your driver’s license is free with a new or renewed license, or $15 as a duplicate at other times.

Hunting and fishing licenses

Idaho Fish and Game sets its disabled veteran discounts at a 40% or higher service-connected rating:

• Residents: the DAV license costs $5 and unlocks reduced tags: deer $10.75, elk $16.50, bear $6.75 and turkey $10.75. Archery or muzzleloader permits are $3.75 each.
• Nonresidents rated 40%+: can buy a $31.75 DAV hunting license with 3-day fishing and reduced nonresident tags. These are limited to 500 deer and 300 elk tags.
• How to prove eligibility: send your one-page VA benefit summary (percentage) letter to Fish and Game once, by email to [email protected], by mail, or at a regional office.

The Disabled Veterans Special Big Game Tag Program gives out five free, once-in-a-lifetime tags each year for deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear or mountain lion. IDVS sponsors two of them for Idaho residents with a VA disability rating. Applications run January 2-31. Moose was removed from the program for 2026.

Education benefits

The Armed Forces and Public Safety Officer Scholarship (Idaho Code 33-4302) covers:

• Tuition and fees for undergraduate study at Idaho public colleges and public career technical colleges
• Up to $750 per term for books and supplies
• On-campus housing and subsistence for full-time students living on campus

It lasts up to 36 months. Eligible students are spouses and children of an Idaho resident who entered service from Idaho and who:

• Is a POW or MIA, or
• Died from, or is unemployable because of, injuries sustained on active duty or in training

“Unemployable” means a VA individual unemployability decision, or a Social Security total and permanent disability finding based on those injuries. Children must be Idaho residents who finished high school in Idaho. Apply through the State Board of Education.

State veterans homes

IDVS runs four skilled nursing homes, all Medicare and Medicaid certified:

• Idaho State Veterans Home — Boise: 131 skilled nursing beds plus a 36-bed residential unit
• Idaho State Veterans Home — Lewiston: 66 beds
• Idaho State Veterans Home — Pocatello: 66 beds
• Idaho State Veterans Home — Post Falls: 64 beds

IDVS also runs state veterans cemeteries in Boise and Blackfoot and at the Snake River Canyon cemetery.

Employment preference

Idaho Code Title 65, Chapter 5 gives public-sector job applicants preference points on the first hire only:

• 5 points: preference-eligible veterans discharged under honorable conditions, and their unremarried widows or widowers.
• 10 points: disabled veterans with a current service-connected rating of 10% or more, and Purple Heart recipients.
• Interview offer: veterans rated 30% or more get an interview if they rank in the top 10 qualified applicants.

How to apply for Idaho veteran benefits

1. Download your VA benefit summary letter from VA.gov. The Tax Commission, county assessors, ITD and Fish and Game all ask for it.
2. For either property tax program, apply between January 1 and April 15 online through the Idaho State Tax Commission or with your county assessor.
3. For D.V. plates, submit ITD Form 3397 to the Idaho Transportation Department with your VA letter.
4. For the $5 DAV license, send your 40%+ rating letter to Idaho Fish and Game once, then buy the license and tags.
5. For free claim help, contact the IDVS Office of Veterans Advocacy (208-780-1380, Boise). It also has offices in Caldwell, Lewiston, Mountain Home, Pocatello, Post Falls and Twin Falls. The IDVS central office is at 351 Collins Road, Boise (208-780-1300).

VA offices and medical centers in Idaho

Boise VA Regional Benefit Office — 444 W. Fort Street, Boise, ID 83702.

VA medical center in Idaho:

• Boise VA Medical Center — Boise

Some Idaho clinics belong to neighboring VA systems: the Pocatello and Idaho Falls clinics are run by VA Salt Lake City, and the Bonner County clinic by VA Spokane. Find the nearest clinic with the VA facility locator.

Filing a federal VA disability claim from Idaho

The federal claim process is the same in every state. See how to file, check your claim status, and review the 2026 compensation rates. IDVS’s Office of Veterans Advocacy service officers file claims and appeals for free. If you are in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1.