Wisconsin VA Disability Benefits & Resources for Veterans

Wisconsin doesn’t exempt disabled veterans from property tax. Instead, it refunds the tax through the income tax return, and that credit hinges on a 100% or unemployability rating. The Wisconsin GI Bill is one of the broadest state tuition programs and extends to spouses and children of veterans rated 30% or more. County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs) certify many of these benefits, so they are usually the first stop.

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

Key Wisconsin Benefits at a Glance

Property Tax Credit for Disabled Veterans

Under Wis. Stat. 71.07(6e), the credit refunds all property taxes paid on your principal dwelling and up to one acre of land. The Department of Revenue pays it through your state income tax return, and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) decides who is eligible.

Eligible veterans must meet all of these:

• Served on active duty under honorable conditions.
• Were a Wisconsin resident when entering service, or lived in Wisconsin for any five consecutive years after entering.
• Live in Wisconsin now.
• Have a 100% service-connected rating or a 100% rating based on individual unemployability.

Temporary 100% ratings (prestabilization, hospitalization or convalescence under 38 CFR 4.28 through 4.30) do not qualify, and neither do section 1151 ratings.

Surviving spouses who have not remarried can qualify in several situations: the veteran died on active duty, the veteran was rated 100% or IU at death, the spouse receives DIC, or a Guard or Reserve member died in the line of duty. The residency rules above apply to the veteran.

How to claim:

1. Ask your County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer for certification, or use WDVA form B0106. WDVA can be reached at 1-800-947-8387.
2. After WDVA certifies you, claim the credit on your Wisconsin income tax return. If you are certified partway through the year, you can still claim all property taxes paid on the home that year.
3. You can’t also claim other state property tax relief credits, such as the school property tax/rent credit, for the same home.

2026 status: An amendment to extend a prorated credit to veterans rated 80% or higher passed the Assembly in the May 2026 special session, but the Senate refused to concur. The 100%/IU requirement is unchanged.

State Taxes

• Military retirement: All payments from the U.S. military retirement system are exempt from Wisconsin income tax, including Survivor Benefit Plan and Retired Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan payments.
• VA disability compensation: Excluded from federal income, so Wisconsin does not tax it.

Hunting, Fishing and State Parks

The Wisconsin DNR sells the reduced-fee items below to resident disabled veterans. Bring a VA decision or award letter, a VA letter on letterhead, or proof that VA pays you at the unemployability rate.

• Disabled Veteran Recreation Card, $7 per year (50%+ or IU): Covers fishing, small game, vehicle park admission and the state trail pass.
• Disabled Veteran Fishing License, $3 per year (70%+, IU, or receiving a non-service-connected VA pension).
• Spring turkey harvest authorization (50%+ or IU): Buy one for any zone and period without entering the drawing. It costs $10, and you still need a license and stamp.
• Honor Admission Pass, free (70%+ or former POW): Covers park admission and trail passes. Your CVSO certifies form 2500-123.
• Purple Heart recipients: Conservation Patron license for $10 (residents).
• Recently discharged veterans: Get a voucher from WDVA (form WDVA 2240 or MyWisVets.com) for one free small game, archery, gun deer or annual fishing license. Redeem it within 365 days of discharge.

Education: Wisconsin GI Bill

The Wisconsin GI Bill waives full tuition and segregated fees for up to eight semesters or 128 credits, whichever is greater. It is used at University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Technical College System schools.

• Veterans: You must live in Wisconsin now and either have entered service from Wisconsin or have lived here for three consecutive years before the semester. You also need a discharge under honorable conditions and qualifying service, such as 90 days of wartime active duty, 2 consecutive years of active duty, or discharge for a service-connected disability.
• Spouses and children: The veteran must be rated at least 30% service-connected, or have died on active duty or from a service-connected disability while a Wisconsin resident. Children must be at least 17 and not yet 26.
• How to apply: Apply on MyWisVets.com or send WDVA Form 2030 with your DD-214 and rating letter. After WDVA certifies you, give WDVA Form 2029 to your school’s veteran certifying official.

State Veterans Homes

WDVA runs three homes offering 24-hour skilled nursing care for veterans, their spouses and Gold Star parents:

• Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, King
• Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, Union Grove
• Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Falls

Employment Preference

Wisconsin’s state civil service no longer adds points to exam scores. Instead, veterans get expanded certification. After the top candidates are certified to the hiring agency, Wis. Stat. 230.25 adds the three highest-ranked veterans and the three highest-ranked disabled veterans. It also adds the three highest-ranked disabled veterans rated at least 70% and three spouses of such veterans, plus certain unremarried surviving spouses. Agencies can also fill some positions with disabled veterans without competition (Wis. Stat. 230.15(2m) and 230.275). Veterans who separate after a register is set up can file late applications (Wis. Stat. 230.16(7m)).

Vehicles

WisDOT issues military license plates to eligible veterans. Military plates give no special parking privileges. Check the WisDOT military plates page for current plate types and fees.

VA Regional Office and Medical Centers

Milwaukee VA Regional Benefit Office: 5400 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53214.

• Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee
• William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison
• Tomah VA Medical Center, Tomah

VA clinics in Wisconsin include Appleton, Baraboo, Beaver Dam, Chippewa Falls, Cleveland, Green Bay, Hayward, Janesville, La Crosse, Oconomowoc, Owen, Rhinelander, Rice Lake, Rothschild, Superior, Union Grove and Wisconsin Rapids. Clinics in northern Wisconsin belong to the Iron Mountain (Michigan) and Minneapolis VA systems.

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, find your County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer or call WDVA at 1-800-947-8387.

Crisis Support

Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.