Georgia Veteran Benefits

Georgia extends a 5-point credit added to a passing score on numerically scored state pre-employment assessments for veterans who served on active duty during a period of armed conflict (including qualifying National Guard/Reserve activations). Documentation must be submitted to the hiring agency's HR department.

A 10-point credit is extended to veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or more, veterans over 55 receiving a disability pension/compensation, spouses of disabled veterans disqualified from work due to the disability, and unmarried widows/widowers of deceased veterans of any period of armed conflict.

Georgia resident veterans who served 90+ days of active federal duty and were honorably discharged on/after July 1, 2005 qualify for a free one-time full-privilege sportsman's license (hunting, big game, migratory bird stamp, salt/freshwater fishing, trout), valid one year and issued only once.

Veterans with a permanent and total disability rating from the VA (or another government agency) are eligible for a heavily discounted 3-year disability sportsman's license; honorably discharged resident veterans ages 16-49 can also buy an adult lifetime license at a 20% discount.

Veterans with an honorable discharge and a VA service-connected disability rating receive a 25% reduction on entrance fees, accommodations, and recreation fees at Georgia state parks, historic sites, and recreational areas. Apply at a GDVS field office with DD Form 214, disability verification, and proof of residency.

Qualifying disabled veterans who are Georgia residents may receive free Disabled Veteran license plates for up to two motorcycles or passenger vehicles for personal use, with no registration, manufacturing, or annual fee. The plate also authorizes parking in disability-accessible spaces.

Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating are exempt from ad valorem (registration) taxes on one vehicle. Recent legislation removed the requirement to carry a Disabled Veteran plate, so eligible veterans may keep any Georgia plate and still receive the exemption.

Georgia-resident veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible for a free veteran-designated driver's license or ID card. Apply at a DDS office with the Member 4 copy of DD Form 214 (or a GDVS Certificate of Eligibility) and proof of residency.

Georgia operates two state skilled-nursing homes for eligible war veterans (Milledgeville and Augusta). Eligibility requires Georgia residency (2 years immediately preceding application, or 5+ of the past 15 years), active-duty wartime service (WWII, Korea, or Cold War periods), a discharge under other than dishonorable conditions, and VA approval for skilled nursing care.

A nominal daily fee is charged; the fee is paid in full by the VA for veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher or whose admission is due to a service-connected condition. Other eligible veterans may apply for the federal Aid & Attendance benefit to help offset the fee.

The disabled veteran homestead property-tax exemption (up to $121,812 for 2025) passes to the un-remarried surviving spouse or minor children as long as they continue to occupy the home as their primary residence.

Unmarried widows/widowers of deceased veterans of any period of armed conflict, and spouses of disabled veterans who are disqualified from employment due to the veteran's disability, receive a 10-point credit in Georgia state hiring.