Veterans Preference in Public Employment — and a Right to Your Old Job Back
Florida and its counties, cities and school districts must give preference in hiring and retention to veterans and certain family members. A separate right under s. 295.09 covers coming back: reemployment or reinstatement to the same or an equivalent position within one year of separation from service, with preference in promotion on return.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
Florida and its counties, cities, school districts and special districts must give preference in appointment and retention to veterans and certain family members.
It reaches further into families than most people expect.
What it's worth: Preference in appointment and retention in public employment
- Applies to the state and its political subdivisions — counties, cities, school districts and special districts.
- The statute also permits waiving postsecondary education requirements for otherwise-qualified veterans and Guard members.
- s. 295.09 is a separate and distinct right: reemployment or reinstatement to the same or an equivalent position within one year of separation from service.
- It also carries preference in promotion on return, so the time away does not cost the place in the queue.
- That section matters to someone already employed who is deploying, where the hiring preference matters to someone applying.
Who is entitled to it
- Veterans with a service-connected disability compensable under VA law.
- Wartime veterans with at least one day of wartime service, and veterans generally.
- Current reserve component and Florida National Guard members.
- Spouses of veterans whose total and permanent service-connected disability prevents them working, and spouses of those missing in action or detained.
- Unremarried widows and widowers of veterans who died of service-connected disabilities, and parents or unremarried surviving spouses of members who died in combat-related line of duty.
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.
The thing most people get wrong
You have to claim it, and you can challenge it
Preference is not applied automatically — you claim it on the application. And if you are passed over, §295.11 gives you a right to an investigation and an administrative hearing. That remedy exists and is almost never used.
How to claim it
- 1Claim preference on the application itself — it is not applied automatically.
- 2Attach your DD214, and a VA rating letter if you are claiming disabled-veteran preference.
- 3If you are passed over, §295.11 gives you a right to an investigation and an administrative hearing.
- File with
- The hiring agency, when you apply
- Documents you will need
- dd214 · va letter rating
- No renewal needed
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Not claiming it on the application itself.
- Assuming only the veteran qualifies. Spouses, widows, widowers and in some cases parents are covered.
- Walking away after being passed over without asking for the §295.11 investigation.
Questions people ask
- Does it apply to city and county jobs?
- Yes. The statute binds the state "and its political subdivisions" — counties, cities, school districts and special districts.
- What if the job requires a degree I do not have?
- §295.07 permits waiving postsecondary education requirements for qualifying veterans and reserve or Guard members who are otherwise qualified.
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. §295.07
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. §295.11 — right to investigation and hearing
Why only one source type: Each hiring agency administers preference itself; there is no single statewide operating page.
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.