County and City Permit Fee Exemption for Accessibility Improvements
No county or city in Florida may charge a totally and permanently disabled veteran a licence or permit fee to make their own home accessible.
Verified August 15, 2026
What this benefit is
No county or city in Florida may charge a totally and permanently disabled veteran a licence or permit fee to make their own home accessible.
This is a state law that operates at the counter of every local building department in Florida. It is not a courtesy any individual county chose to offer.
What it's worth: All county and city permit fees for the improvement
- Covers ramps, widening doors, and similar improvements that make the dwelling habitable or safe for the veteran.
- It does not cover general renovation — the improvement must serve accessibility.
- Permit fees vary widely by jurisdiction, so we do not publish a single figure.
Who is entitled to it
- A totally and permanently disabled veteran, honorably discharged and resident in Florida.
- Holding either a 100% service-connected disability rating, 100% disability retirement pay, or a valid FDVA identification card.
- Who owns the dwelling and uses it as their residence.
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
A statewide rule that operates locally
Most of the local corpus is county programmes that exist in one place. This is the opposite: a single statute binding all 67 counties and every municipality inside them. If a building department has not heard of it, the citation is Fla. Stat. §295.16.
How to claim it
- 1Get either a VA letter showing 100% service-connected permanent and total, or an FDVA identification card.
- 2Take it to the building department with your permit application.
- 3Cite Fla. Stat. §295.16 — this is a state law binding every county and municipality, not a local courtesy.
- File with
- Your county or city building department
- Documents you will need
- va letter 100 pt or fdva card · dd214 · proof of ownership
- No renewal needed
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Paying the permit fee because the clerk did not know. Cite the statute.
- Expecting it to cover general renovation. The improvement must serve accessibility — ramps, widening doors, and similar work that makes the dwelling habitable or safe.
Questions people ask
- What improvements count?
- The statute names ramps, widening of doors, and similar improvements for the purpose of making the dwelling habitable or safe for the veteran. A new kitchen does not qualify.
- Can I use my FDVA card instead of a VA letter?
- Yes. §295.16 accepts a valid FDVA identification card as an alternative to the 100% rating.
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. §295.16
Why only one source type: The statute binds local building departments directly. There is no single statewide operating page — each of the 67 counties and their municipalities administer it themselves.
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.