Florida Veteran Benefits 2026: Property Tax Exemptions and Military Retired Pay Tax

The state benefits Florida gives veterans and their surviving spouses: property tax exemptions, how the state taxes military retired pay, and other benefits, each with who qualifies, the amount, how to apply and the official source.

Florida has no personal income tax, so military retired pay is not taxed by the state. Veterans who are Florida residents and were honorably discharged with a service-connected total and permanent disability pay no property tax on their homestead, and the exemption carries over to an unremarried surviving spouse. Smaller benefits cover veterans with lower ratings: a $5,000 exemption at a 10%+ rating, and a tax discount equal to the disability percentage for combat-disabled veterans aged 65 or older. (sources)

Official sources Checked against official sources on November 4, 2026. This page lists only benefits confirmed on an official state or federal page; counties and cities may offer more.

Property tax exemptions
Military retired pay tax
Other veteran benefits
Common questions

Property tax exemptions for veterans in Florida

Florida property tax benefits for veterans and surviving spouses (checked November 4, 2026)
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	How to apply	Source
Total exemption on homestead for veterans with a service-connected total and permanent disability	Veteran honorably discharged with a service-connected total and permanent disability (VA certification), who is a permanent Florida resident on January 1 of the tax year. Carries over to the surviving spouse while the spouse holds title, lives in the home and does not remarry; the spouse can move the exemption to a new home, capped at the dollar amount on the most recent tax roll.	Full exemption from ad valorem taxes on the homestead	File Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1, with the VA letter certifying total and permanent disability. You can apply before the VA letter arrives; once it arrives the exemption is backdated to the application date, with refunds limited to 4 years.	Florida Statutes s. 196.081 (2026), Exemption for certain permanently and totally disabled veterans and for surviving spouses of veterans and first responders
Total homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a servicemember who died on active duty	Surviving spouse of a veteran who died from service-connected causes while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, with a letter attesting to the death. Applies while the spouse holds title, lives in the home and does not remarry.	Full exemption from ad valorem taxes on the homestead	File Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1, with the letter attesting to the service-connected death.	Florida Statutes s. 196.081(4) (2026)
Total homestead exemption for wheelchair-bound disabled veterans	Ex-servicemember honorably discharged with a service-connected total disability who has a VA certificate showing special pecuniary assistance for specially adapted housing and must use a wheelchair. Carries over to the spouse if the home was held as an estate by the entirety, while the spouse lives there and does not remarry.	Full exemption from ad valorem taxes on the homestead	File Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1, with the VA certificate.	Florida Statutes s. 196.091 (2026), Exemption for disabled veterans confined to wheelchairs
$5,000 exemption for disabled ex-servicemembers	Bona fide Florida resident, discharged under honorable conditions, disabled 10% or more by misfortune or during wartime service. Also available to the unremarried surviving spouse. Not limited to homestead property.	$5,000 of assessed value exempt	File Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1, with a VA or U.S. Government certificate of disability.	Florida Statutes s. 196.24 (2026), Exemption for disabled ex-servicemember or surviving spouse
Homestead tax discount for combat-disabled veterans aged 65 or older	Veteran aged 65 or older on January 1, partially or totally and permanently disabled, whose disability is combat-related and who was honorably discharged. Carries over to the surviving spouse while the spouse holds title, lives in the home and does not remarry; the spouse can move the dollar amount to a new home.	Discount on the homestead's ad valorem tax equal to the veteran's VA permanent service-connected disability percentage (for example, 40% rating = 40% discount)	Submit Form DR-501 to the county property appraiser by March 1 with: a VA letter stating the disability percentage and evidence the disability is combat-related, a copy of the honorable discharge, and proof of age. Late filers can petition the value adjustment board.	Florida Statutes s. 196.082 (2026), Discounts for disabled veterans; surviving spouse carryover
Additional homestead exemption for deployed servicemembers	Member or former member of the U.S. military or reserves, the Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard who has a Florida homestead exemption and was deployed on active duty during the preceding calendar year outside the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii in support of an operation the Legislature has designated in s. 196.173(2) (22 operations as of 2026, including Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, Atlantic Resolve, Pacific Eagle and Southern Spear).	Homestead taxable value multiplied by the share of the preceding calendar year spent on qualifying deployment (days deployed / days in the year)	File Form DR-501M with the county property appraiser, with proof and dates of deployment, by March 1 of the year after the deployment (for the 2026 roll only, the deadline was extended to August 1, 2026 and 2023-2025 deployment days could be counted). A spouse, agent or personal representative may file.	Florida Statutes s. 196.173 (2026, as amended by ch. 2026-239); Florida DOR PT-109 (R. 10/26)
$5,000 exemption for widows and widowers (available to veterans' surviving spouses)	Any widow or widower who is a bona fide Florida resident. The same exemption covers blind residents and totally and permanently disabled residents certified by a Florida physician, the VA or the SSA.	$5,000 of assessed value exempt	File Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1.	Florida Statutes s. 196.202 (2026), Property of widows, widowers, blind persons, and persons totally and permanently disabled

Is military retired pay taxed in Florida?

Florida state income tax on military retired pay (checked November 4, 2026)
Treatment	Amount or limit	Source
Not taxed. Florida levies no personal income tax: the state constitution bars a tax on the income of resident natural persons, beyond amounts creditable against federal tax. Military retired pay, VA disability compensation and SBP annuities therefore owe no Florida income tax.	100% exempt (no state personal income tax)	flsenate.gov

For the dollars this treatment adds to (or saves on) a retiree’s state tax in 2026, see the military retirement tax by state study; for the pension itself, the military retirement pay calculator.

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Other Florida veteran benefits

Vehicles and license plates

Florida: vehicles and license plates for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
One free Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate	Honorably discharged veteran who has lived in Florida continuously for the preceding 5 years or has established Florida domicile, and who has a VA service-connected 100% disability rating, or a 100% rating plus military disability retirement pay, or a vehicle first acquired with VA automobile assistance.	One free DV plate for one vehicle owned or leased by the veteran, with initial validation stickers at no cost; the standard s. 320.04 service charge and 50-cent plate/sticker fee still apply	leg.state.fl.us

Hunting, fishing and other licenses

Florida: hunting, fishing and other licenses for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
Free 5-year hunting and fishing license for disabled veterans	Honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more. Separately, a resident rated totally and permanently disabled by the VA or the Armed Forces can get a free license.	No fee; the license is valid for 5 years	leg.state.fl.us
Military Gold Sportsman's License	Florida resident who is an active or retired member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard, Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve, showing a current military ID.	$18.50 per year for a combined hunting and fishing sportsman's license	leg.state.fl.us
License exemption for servicemembers home on leave	Resident member of the Armed Forces who is not stationed in Florida and is home on leave for 30 days or less (must carry orders).	No hunting or fishing license required during the leave	leg.state.fl.us

Education

Florida: education for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
Tuition waiver for Purple Heart and higher combat decoration recipients	Recipient of a Purple Heart or a higher-precedence combat decoration who is a Florida resident now, or was when awarded, and is enrolled at a state university, Florida College System institution or career center (DD-214 required).	Full undergraduate tuition waived for up to 110% of the credit hours the program requires	leg.state.fl.us
Congressman C.W. Bill Young Veteran Tuition Waiver (out-of-state fee waiver)	Honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces, Reserves or National Guard who physically lives in Florida while enrolled, or a person using VA educational assistance who lives in Florida while enrolled.	Out-of-state fees waived, so the student pays in-state tuition	leg.state.fl.us
Educational opportunity at state expense for dependents of deceased or 100% disabled servicemembers	Dependent child or unremarried spouse of a servicemember who died of service-connected causes on active duty, or child or spouse (married 1+ year) of a servicemember with a 100% permanent service-connected VA rating. Requires a Florida home of record or Florida residency for tuition purposes. A spouse of a deceased servicemember must apply within 5 years of the death.	Educational opportunity at state expense; the statute leaves the amount to State Board of Education rules	leg.state.fl.us

Employment

Florida: employment for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
Veterans' preference in state and local government hiring and retention	Veterans as defined in s. 1.01(14), wartime veterans with 1+ day of wartime service, disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability, current Reserve and Florida National Guard members, spouses of totally disabled or MIA/POW veterans, unremarried widows and widowers of veterans who died of a service-connected disability, and Gold Star parents and spouses.	Preference in appointment and retention by the state and its political subdivisions; agencies may also waive postsecondary education requirements for veterans and Guard/Reserve members	leg.state.fl.us

State veterans homes

Florida: state veterans homes for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
State Veterans' Nursing Homes run by the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs	Veteran, person with eligible peacetime service, or spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran who needs nursing home care, was a Florida resident when applying, is VA-approved for care, has applied for all reasonably available government financial aid, and owes nothing for a prior department stay. Admission priority: Florida-resident veterans first, then veterans whose service-connected disability causes the need for care, then veterans with non-service-connected disabilities who cannot pay, then spouses and surviving spouses.	Nursing home care at department facilities; the statute does not fix the resident charge	leg.state.fl.us

Common questions

Does Florida have a property tax exemption for disabled veterans?

Florida lists 7 veteran property tax benefits. The main one: Total exemption on homestead for veterans with a service-connected total and permanent disability. Who qualifies: Veteran honorably discharged with a service-connected total and permanent disability (VA certification), who is a permanent Florida resident on January 1 of the tax year. Carries over to the surviving spouse while the spouse holds title, lives in the home and does not remarry; the spouse can move the exemption to a new home, capped at the dollar amount on the most recent tax roll.. Amount: Full exemption from ad valorem taxes on the homestead (Florida Statutes s. 196.081 (2026), Exemption for certain permanently and totally disabled veterans and for surviving spouses of veterans and first responders).

How do I apply for the Florida veteran property tax exemption?

File Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1, with the VA letter certifying total and permanent disability. You can apply before the VA letter arrives; once it arrives the exemption is backdated to the application date, with refunds limited to 4 years. (Florida Statutes s. 196.081 (2026), Exemption for certain permanently and totally disabled veterans and for surviving spouses of veterans and first responders).

Does Florida tax military retirement pay?

Not taxed. Florida levies no personal income tax: the state constitution bars a tax on the income of resident natural persons, beyond amounts creditable against federal tax. Military retired pay, VA disability compensation and SBP annuities therefore owe no Florida income tax. Amount or limit: 100% exempt (no state personal income tax) (flsenate.gov).

What other benefits do veterans get in Florida?

One free Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate (leg.state.fl.us); Tuition waiver for Purple Heart and higher combat decoration recipients (leg.state.fl.us); Congressman C.W. Bill Young Veteran Tuition Waiver (out-of-state fee waiver) (leg.state.fl.us); Educational opportunity at state expense for dependents of deceased or 100% disabled servicemembers (leg.state.fl.us); Free 5-year hunting and fishing license for disabled veterans (leg.state.fl.us); Military Gold Sportsman's License (leg.state.fl.us); License exemption for servicemembers home on leave (leg.state.fl.us); Veterans' preference in state and local government hiring and retention (leg.state.fl.us); State Veterans' Nursing Homes run by the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs (leg.state.fl.us). Who qualifies and the amounts are in the tables above.

Sources

Every row above is copied from the official page linked beside it. Benefits change with new laws and local decisions, so confirm the amount and the deadline with the office that runs the program before you apply. QuantCalc is calculation software, not legal, tax or benefits advice. Last updated November 4, 2026.

Florida senior property tax relief → Florida state income tax for retirees → Veteran benefits in every state → Military retirement tax by state 2026 → Military retirement pay calculator → 2026 VA disability rates → Military retiree and VA COLA 2027 → VA loan limits 2026 →