One Vehicle Free of Ad Valorem Tax — and You No Longer Need the DV Plate
O.C.G.A. 48-5-478 exempts ONE vehicle from ad valorem taxation for a veteran verified by the VA as 100% totally and permanently service-connected disabled, or rated unemployable with a qualifying statutory award for loss or loss of use of feet, hands or sight. Purple Heart and Medal of Honor plate holders qualify too. Recent state law changes mean you may now choose ANY veteran licence plate and still receive the exemption — it used to be tied to the Disabled Veteran plate.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
O.C.G.A. 48-5-478 exempts ONE vehicle from ad valorem taxation for a veteran verified by the VA as 100% totally and permanently service-connected disabled, or rated unemployable with a qualifying statutory award for loss or loss of use of feet, hands or sight. Purple Heart and Medal of Honor plate holders qualify too. Recent state law changes mean you may now choose ANY veteran licence plate and still receive the exemption — it used to be tied to the Disabled Veteran plate.
What it's worth: One vehicle exempt from ad valorem tax, every year
- The exemption covers ONE vehicle the veteran owns. Choose the one with the highest value — ad valorem tax follows value.
- The routes are: 100% totally and permanently service-connected; OR rated unemployable and receiving or entitled to receive statutory awards for loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet or hands, or loss of sight; OR qualifying for the Purple Heart or Medal of Honor plate.
- RECENT CHANGE: state law now lets the veteran choose any veteran licence plate and still receive the exemption. It used to be tied to the Disabled Veteran plate specifically, so older advice will tell you otherwise.
- It is administered through county tax and tag offices under the revenue department.
- The tax is value-based and annual, so the saving recurs and is larger on a newer vehicle.
- This is separate from the free Disabled Veteran PLATE, which the corpus covers elsewhere. The plate is issued once; this exemption comes round every year.
Who is entitled to it
- You served in the U.S. armed forces.
- You are on one of the routes to the exemption.
- You are rated 100% total and permanent.
- You hold a qualifying statutory award condition.
- You register a vehicle in Georgia.
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
- 1Claim at your county tax or tag office with VA verification of the qualifying rating or award.
- 2Pick the right vehicle. The exemption covers one, and ad valorem tax is value-based — so put it on the most valuable one you own.
- 3If you are told you must hold the Disabled Veteran plate to get the exemption, that is out of date. Recent state law lets you choose any veteran plate and keep it.
- 4If your route is unemployability plus a statutory award rather than a 100% permanent and total rating, say so — it is a separate limb and is often overlooked.
- 5Purple Heart and Medal of Honor plate qualifiers should ask about this too.
- Form
- Claimed at the county tax or tag office
- File with
- Your county tax or tag office
- Documents you will need
- va benefit summary letter
- Annual
- Claimed once a year.
Sources
- authority · published policyGeorgia Department of Veterans Service — tax exemptions (O.C.G.A. 48-5-478)
- operating · published policyGeorgia Department of Revenue
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