Minnesota VA Disability Benefits & Resources for Veterans

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

Overview

Minnesota’s disabled veteran benefits are written mostly into statute, and they are generous at two thresholds: 70% (a $150,000 homestead exclusion) and 100% (a $300,000 exclusion, free vehicle registration, and free hunting and fishing). The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) runs eight veterans homes and works through a County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) in every county, who also certifies your rating to the assessor each year.

Key benefits at a glance

Property tax relief

Minnesota reduces the taxable market value of a disabled veteran’s homestead under Minn. Stat. 273.13, subd. 34:

• Service-connected rating of 70% or more: $150,000 of market value excluded.
• Total (100%) and permanent rating: $300,000 of market value excluded.

You must have been honorably discharged, as shown on a DD-214. On an agricultural homestead, only the house, garage and surrounding acre qualify.

Surviving spouses. The $300,000 exclusion carries over to the spouse of a veteran who was 100% total and permanent until the spouse remarries or sells the home. It is also available to the spouse of a veteran who never applied, if the VA certifies the veteran was 100% P&T or the spouse receives DIC, and to spouses of service members who died on active duty (apply within two years of the death). Current law lets a qualifying spouse carry the exclusion to a different homestead.

Caregivers. If a qualifying veteran doesn’t own a Minnesota homestead, the homestead of the veteran’s VA-approved primary family caregiver can receive the exclusion instead.

How and when to apply: file with your county assessor by December 31 of the first assessment year you want the exclusion. After that, your CVSO certifies your rating and address to the assessor by July 1 each year. Tell the assessor if ownership or homestead use changes.

State income tax

Under Minn. Stat. 290.0132, subd. 21, military retirement pay included in federal adjusted gross income is a full subtraction. That includes Survivor Benefit Plan payments under 10 U.S.C. 1447–1455 and reserve retirement under section 12733. You cannot also claim the older military retirement credit under section 290.0677. VA disability compensation is excluded from federal gross income (IRS Publication 525), so it is never taxed by Minnesota.

Vehicle registration and plates

A veteran with a total service-connected disability is exempt from Minnesota registration tax, administrative and filing fees, and plate and sticker fees on a passenger car, one-ton pickup, motorcycle or recreational vehicle, including jointly registered vehicles (Minn. Stat. 168.012, subd. 13). Personalized plate fees and required contributions for special plates still apply. Driver and Vehicle Services can also add a veteran 100% disabled designation to your driver’s license, which then works as proof for DNR licenses.

Hunting and fishing licenses

Minn. Stat. 97A.441 requires license agents to issue these without a fee to a resident veteran with a 100% service-connected disability:

• a permanent license to take fish by angling;
• a license to take deer by firearm or archery;
• a license to take small game.

Proof can be your VA letter, a permanent DNR card documenting your 100% status, or a driver’s license or state ID with the 100% disabled veteran designation.

Education benefits

• Minnesota GI Bill (Minn. Stat. 197.791): for Minnesota residents who are veterans, Guard or Reserve members with five or more years of service including some after September 11, 2001, and spouses and children of service members who died from service or are rated total and permanent (if they are eligible for Chapter 33 or 35 benefits). Postsecondary students can receive up to $5,000 per state fiscal year and $15,000 in a lifetime. Apprenticeship and on-the-job training can receive up to $3,000 a year. Apply before the term ends and file the FAFSA.
• Children and surviving spouses of deceased veterans (Minn. Stat. 197.75): educational assistance for children and surviving spouses of veterans who died from their service. Surviving spouses stay eligible if they remarry. The Legislature amended this section in 2026, so confirm current terms with MDVA or your CVSO.

State veterans homes

Minnesota has eight state veterans homes, in Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Preston and Silver Bay (MDVA). Hastings is a domiciliary, and Minneapolis also runs an adult day center.

Employment preference

Under Minn. Stat. 197.455, public employers add points to a passing score on a competitive open examination:

• 10 points for a nondisabled veteran
• 15 points for a disabled veteran, plus 5 points on a competitive promotional exam for a disabled veteran’s first promotion

Public schools that use a 100-point hiring method apply the same credits; schools that don’t must interview properly licensed veteran applicants.

How to apply in Minnesota

1. Contact your County Veterans Service Officer. Every county has one. They handle state benefit paperwork, certify your rating for the homestead exclusion, and file federal claims for free.
2. Homestead exclusion: apply with the county assessor by December 31.
3. Vehicle exemption and license designation: apply through Driver and Vehicle Services with your VA letter.
4. Hunting and fishing: show the DNR card or designated license at any agent.
5. Minnesota GI Bill: apply through MDVA before the end of the term.

VA regional office and medical centers

The St. Paul VA Regional Benefit Office is at 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, St. Paul, MN 55111. Minnesota veterans are served by:

• Minneapolis VA Health Care System: Minneapolis VA Medical Center, with clinics in Albert Lea, Ely, Fort Snelling, Hibbing, Mankato, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Ramsey, Rochester, Shakopee and St. James
• St. Cloud VA Health Care System: St. Cloud VA Medical Center, with clinics in Brainerd, Alexandria and Montevideo
• Fargo VA Health Care System (North Dakota): clinics in Bemidji and Fergus Falls

Filing a federal VA claim

VA disability claims follow one federal process: see how to file a VA claim, check your claim status, and current compensation rates. In Minnesota, the jump from 69% to 70% and the “permanent” designation at 100% have large property tax consequences, so ask your CVSO to check both.

If you are in crisis, call 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.