Texas stacks more state benefits on a VA rating than most states: a property tax exemption that becomes total at 100% or individual unemployability, up to 150 free college credit hours you can pass to a child, and land and home loans from the Veterans Land Board. Most of these are claimed at a county office or with a state agency, not through VA.
State benefit details verified against official state sources on September 27, 2026.
Key Texas Benefits at a Glance
| Benefit | Who qualifies | Amount / limit | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled veteran exemption (Tax Code 11.22) | Texas resident with a service-connected rating of 10% or more; unremarried surviving spouse; children under 18 | $5,000 to $12,000 off the assessed value of any one property, by rating | TX Comptroller |
| 100% disabled veteran homestead exemption (Tax Code 11.131) | Veteran awarded 100% compensation for a 100% rating or individual unemployability; unremarried surviving spouse | Total appraised value of the residence homestead | TX Comptroller |
| State income tax | All residents | None; the Texas Constitution prohibits a tax on individual net income | Texas Constitution |
| Disabled Veteran license plates | Rating of 50% or more, or 40% or more due to lower-extremity amputation | $3 plate for one vehicle; additional DV plates pay registration and local fees | TxDMV Form VTR-615 |
| Driver license and ID fee exemption | Honorably discharged veteran rated 60% or more who receives VA compensation | Free non-commercial license or ID card | Texas DPS |
| Disabled Veteran Super Combo license | Rating of 50% or more, or loss of use of a foot or leg, with VA compensation | Free hunting and all-water fishing package | TPWD |
| Hazlewood Act | Honorably discharged veteran with more than 180 days of active duty who entered service in Texas or had Texas as home of record | Up to 150 credit hours of tuition and most fees at public colleges; unused hours can go to a child | Education Code 54.341 |
| Texas State Veterans Homes | Eligible veterans, spouses and Gold Star parents | Ten homes; veterans rated 70% or more may live there free | Veterans Land Board |
| VLB home and land loans | Eligible Texas veterans and military members | Home loans up to $832,750; land loans up to $200,000 with 5% down | Veterans Land Board |
Property Tax Exemptions
Texas has two separate disabled veteran exemptions, and an eligible veteran can receive both.
Disabled veteran exemption (Tax Code 11.22). Based on your VA or service-branch rating, you can take this amount off the assessed value of any one property you own and designate:
| VA disability rating | Exemption from assessed value |
|---|---|
| 10% to 29% | $5,000 |
| 30% to 49% | $7,500 |
| 50% to 69% | $10,000 |
| 70% to 100% | $12,000 |
You also qualify for the $12,000 amount if you are 65 or older with at least a 10% rating, totally blind in one or both eyes, or have lost the use of one or more limbs. When the veteran dies, an unremarried surviving spouse keeps the veteran’s exemption amount. If there is no surviving spouse, unmarried children under 18 share it. The surviving spouse of a service member who died on active duty gets a $5,000 exemption.
100% disabled veteran homestead exemption (Tax Code 11.131). If VA has awarded you 100% disability compensation because of a 100% rating or individual unemployability, your residence homestead is exempt from property tax on its total appraised value. You can get it for part of a year as soon as you qualify. An unremarried surviving spouse keeps the full exemption on the same home if it was the spouse’s homestead when the veteran died. If the spouse moves, the new home gets an exemption equal to the dollar amount of the last exemption on the old home, which may not cover all the tax.
Surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty get a total homestead exemption under Tax Code 11.133 if they have not remarried.
How to apply:
- For the 11.22 exemption, file Form 50-135. For the 100% homestead exemption, file Form 50-114.
- Submit to the appraisal district in the county where the property is located, with your VA rating letter. A driver license or ID card is not accepted as proof of your rating.
- The general deadline is April 30, but disabled veterans can file up to five years after the delinquency date for the taxes on the property.
A home donated to you by a charitable organization can also be partly exempt under Tax Code 11.132, by a percentage equal to your rating.
State Taxes
Article 8, Section 24-a of the Texas Constitution, added by voters in 2019, bars the Legislature from taxing individuals’ net income. Military retirement pay, VA disability compensation and survivor benefits are not taxed by the state.
Vehicles and Driver Licenses
- Disabled Veteran plates: For a service-connected rating of 50% or more, or 40% or more due to amputation of a lower extremity. One vehicle can get DV plates for $3; more vehicles can display DV plates but pay registration and local fees. Use Form VTR-615 at your county tax assessor-collector’s office with a VA letter showing your rating. Plates with the International Symbol of Access and parking placards need proof of a qualifying mobility or vision disability.
- Free driver license or ID card: Honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected rating of at least 60% who receive VA compensation don’t pay for a Texas driver license or ID card. Bring a signed VA disability letter. The exemption does not cover commercial driver licenses.
- Veteran and Disabled Veteran designation: Texas DPS can print a VETERAN or DISABLED VETERAN designation on your license or ID.
Hunting, Fishing and State Parks
- Disabled Veteran Super Combo Hunting and All-Water Fishing Package: Free for veterans with a VA rating of 50% or more, or loss of use of a foot or leg, who receive compensation for the disability. It’s available to residents and non-residents. It includes resident hunting and fishing licenses plus archery, freshwater, saltwater (with red drum tag), upland game bird and migratory game bird endorsements. The Federal Duck Stamp is not included. Buy it in person at a license retailer each year, with VA proof issued within the last 12 months or a driver license showing the Disabled Veteran designation.
- Disabled Veterans Parklands Passport: Free entry to Texas state parks for you and one companion if you have a 60% or higher service-connected rating or loss of a lower extremity. Get it at any state park with photo ID and your VA award letter, DV plate receipt or Texas veterans tax exemption letter.
Education: The Hazlewood Act
The Hazlewood Act (Education Code 54.341) exempts eligible veterans from tuition and most required fees at Texas public colleges and universities for up to 150 credit hours. It does not cover general deposit fees, student services fees, or room and board.
Veteran eligibility:
- Honorably discharged, with more than 180 days of active duty (not counting training) during a qualifying period, which includes service since September 11, 2001.
- Entered service in Texas, declared Texas as home of record, or would have qualified as a Texas resident when you entered service.
- Currently live in Texas.
- If you have federal education benefits that can only be used for tuition and fees and are worth at least as much as the exemption for that term, you must use those first.
Spouses and children: The spouse or child of a service member who was killed in action, died in service, is missing in action, died of a service-connected illness or injury, or became totally and permanently disabled or eligible for individual unemployability from a service-related injury can also use Hazlewood. They must be Texas residents.
Legacy Act transfer: Veterans can assign unused hours to a child. The child must be a biological, adopted or stepchild, or claimed as a dependent on your federal tax return. The child must be a Texas resident, make satisfactory academic progress and be 25 or younger on the first day of each term. The Texas Veterans Commission administers applications and assignments; start at tvc.texas.gov.
Texas State Veterans Homes
The Veterans Land Board runs ten Texas State Veterans Homes offering long-term care, each with a memory care unit. Veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected rating may live there free.
- Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home, Amarillo
- Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez Texas State Veterans Home, Big Spring
- Clyde W. Cosper Texas State Veterans Home, Bonham
- Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home, El Paso
- Frank M. Tejeda Texas State Veterans Home, Floresville
- The Tuskegee Airmen Texas State Veterans Home, Fort Worth
- Richard A. Anderson Texas State Veterans Home, Houston
- Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home, McAllen
- William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home, Temple
- Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home, Tyler
Veterans Land Board Loans
- Home loans (Veterans Housing Assistance Program): Up to $832,750 on a 15-, 20-, 25- or 30-year fixed rate for a primary residence in Texas, with little or no down payment. Veterans rated 30% or higher get a discounted interest rate.
- Land loans: Up to $200,000 to buy land, typically with at least 5% down on tracts of one acre or more. Two veterans married to each other can borrow up to $275,000 together for the same tract.
Employment Preference
Under Government Code Chapter 657, state agencies must give a hiring preference to veterans over other applicants who are not better qualified. Order of priority: veterans with a disability, then veterans, then qualifying military spouses, then unremarried surviving spouses, then orphans of service members killed on active duty. On competitive exams, veterans get 10 points added to a passing score, and veterans with a disability get 5 more.
VA Regional Office and Medical Centers
Texas has two VA regional benefit offices:
- Houston VA Regional Benefit Office: 6900 Almeda Road, Houston, TX 77030.
- Waco VA Regional Benefit Office: 701 Clay Avenue, One Veterans Plaza, Waco, TX 76799.
VA medical centers in Texas:
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston
- Dallas VA Medical Center, Dallas, and Garland VA Medical Center, Garland
- Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center, Bonham
- Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, San Antonio, and Kerrville VA Medical Center, Kerrville
- Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Center, Temple, and Doris Miller VA Medical Center, Waco
- Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center, Amarillo
- George H. O’Brien, Jr. VA Medical Center, Big Spring
El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley are served by VA clinics rather than medical centers: the El Paso VA Clinic and the Harlingen VA Clinic. Other VA clinics are in cities including Austin, Abilene, Beaumont, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, Laredo, Lubbock, McAllen, Odessa, Plano, San Angelo, Tyler and Victoria. Clinics in Longview and Texarkana belong to the Shreveport VA system, and Wichita Falls to the Oklahoma City VA system.
Filing a Federal VA Claim
The VA claims process is federal and the same in every state. See How to File a VA Claim, Check Your Claim Status and 2026 VA Disability Rates. For free local help, the Texas Veterans Commission has claims counselors around the state. Call TVC at 1-800-252-8387 or visit tvc.texas.gov.
Crisis Support
Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Texas disabled veteran property tax exemption?
Under Tax Code Section 11.22 the exemption depends on your VA rating: $5,000 of assessed value for 10% to 29%, $7,500 for 30% to 49%, $10,000 for 50% to 69% and $12,000 for 70% to 100%. It can be applied to any one property you own. Veterans awarded 100% disability compensation because of a 100% rating or individual unemployability also get a total exemption on their residence homestead under Section 11.131, and can receive both exemptions.
Does the surviving spouse keep the Texas 100% disabled veteran homestead exemption?
Yes, if the spouse has not remarried and the home was the spouse's residence homestead when the veteran died and remains so. If the spouse later moves, the new homestead gets an exemption equal to the dollar amount of the last exemption on the old home, which may not be a total exemption. File with your county appraisal district.
What is the deadline to file for a Texas disabled veteran exemption?
The general deadline is April 30, but disabled veterans can file the Section 11.22 exemption (Form 50-135) or the 100% homestead exemption (Form 50-114) up to five years after the delinquency date for taxes on the property. Submit forms to the appraisal district where the property is located.
Can I transfer my Hazlewood hours to my child?
Yes. Under the Hazlewood Legacy Act, a veteran eligible for Hazlewood can assign unused hours of the 150-hour exemption to a child. The child must be a Texas resident, make satisfactory academic progress and be 25 or younger on the first day of each term the exemption is used. The Texas Veterans Commission handles the assignment.
Do Texas disabled veterans get free hunting and fishing licenses?
Yes. Texas Parks and Wildlife issues the Disabled Veteran Super Combo Hunting and All-Water Fishing Package free to veterans with a VA disability rating of 50% or more, or loss of use of a foot or leg, who receive compensation for that disability. It must be bought in person at a license retailer, with VA proof issued within the last 12 months or a driver license with the Disabled Veteran designation.
Sources
Every rating percentage, diagnostic code, and dollar figure on this page is sourced from the references below. See our editorial policy for how we choose and verify sources.
- Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Exemptions FAQ — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- 100 Percent Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse FAQ — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Form 50-135, Application for Disabled Veteran's or Survivor's Exemptions — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Form 50-114, Residence Homestead Exemption Application — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Tax Code Chapter 11 (Sections 11.22, 11.131, 11.133) — Texas Legislature
- Texas Constitution Article 8, Section 24-a (individual income tax prohibited) — Texas Legislature
- Form VTR-615, Application for Disabled Veteran License Plates and/or Parking Placards — Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
- Veteran Services (driver license fee exemption) — Texas Department of Public Safety
- Disabled Veteran Super Combo Hunting and All-Water Fishing Package — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Texas Parklands Passports — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Education Code Section 54.341 (Hazlewood Act) — Texas Legislature
- Exemptions and Waivers Information for Institutions — Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- Texas State Veterans Homes Locations — Texas General Land Office, Veterans Land Board
- VLB Home Loans — Texas General Land Office, Veterans Land Board
- VLB Land Loans — Texas General Land Office, Veterans Land Board
- Government Code Chapter 657 (military employment preference) — Texas Legislature
- Texas Veterans Portal: Agencies — State of Texas
- Houston VA Regional Benefit Office — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Waco VA Regional Benefit Office — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA Houston Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA North Texas Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA South Texas Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA Central Texas Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA Amarillo Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA West Texas Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA El Paso Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA Texas Valley Health Care Locations — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Related Guides
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance, consult a VA-accredited VSO, attorney, or claims agent.