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$75,000 Active-Duty Death Benefit
Florida pays $75,000 to the designated beneficiary when a servicemember is killed on active duty, on top of anything federal.
Verified August 19, 2026
What this benefit is
Florida pays $75,000 to the designated beneficiary when a servicemember is killed on active duty, on top of anything federal.
What it's worth: $75,000, paid by the state
- This is a state payment and is separate from any federal death gratuity or SGLI. It is not offset against them.
Who is entitled to it
- The member was killed, or died of injuries sustained, while on active duty.
- You are a survivor of the member.
- Your home is in Florida.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
How to claim it
- 1Apply to the Department of Military Affairs with proof that the member was a Florida resident, or had a duty post in Florida, at the time of death.
- 2The payment goes to the beneficiary the member designated — establish who that is before assuming it follows the estate.
- 3Ask about the education waiver in the same conversation. It comes from the same statute and is claimed separately, from a different body.
- File with
- The Florida Department of Military Affairs
- Documents you will need
- death certificate · dd214
- No renewal needed
Worth knowingThe residency test is about the MEMBER, not about you. The member must have been a Florida resident or have had a duty post in Florida at death, which means a family who has since moved away may still be owed this.
Worth knowingIt is paid to the designated beneficiary. That is not automatically the spouse, and it is worth establishing early rather than at the point of claim.
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. §295.061
- operating · published policyFlorida Department of Veterans' Affairs — Benefits and Services
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.