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A Vehicle Excise Tax Credit for Disabled Veterans Who Own No Qualifying Property

Indiana gives a credit against vehicle excise tax to a veteran with 90 or more days of service and an honorable discharge, holding a veterans department certificate of eligibility, who does NOT own property the disabled-veteran property tax deduction can be applied to. It exists precisely for the veteran who rents. A statute mirror shows the lesser of the excise due or $70 per vehicle, for up to two vehicles a registration year, claimed on State Form 52870 — but those figures could not be confirmed on an official page this session.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Indiana gives a credit against vehicle excise tax to a veteran with 90 or more days of service and an honorable discharge, holding a veterans department certificate of eligibility, who does NOT own property the disabled-veteran property tax deduction can be applied to. It exists precisely for the veteran who rents. A statute mirror shows the lesser of the excise due or $70 per vehicle, for up to two vehicles a registration year, claimed on State Form 52870 — but those figures could not be confirmed on an official page this session.

What it's worth: A credit against vehicle excise tax — a statute mirror shows $70 per vehicle, up to two

  • It exists FOR THE VETERAN WHO OWNS NO QUALIFYING PROPERTY. If the disabled-veteran property tax deduction can be applied to property you own, this is not your route.
  • That makes it the disabled veteran renter's equivalent of the property deduction — a group the property records cannot reach.
  • It asks for 90 or more days of service, an honorable discharge, and a veterans department certificate of eligibility.
  • A statute mirror shows the credit as the lesser of the excise due or $70 per vehicle, for up to two vehicles per registration year, claimed on State Form 52870. THOSE FIGURES WERE NOT CONFIRMED on an official page this session and are not asserted as current.
  • Get the certificate of eligibility from the veterans department first — the BMV works from it.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You have a VA service-connected disability.
  • You were discharged honorably.
  • You register a vehicle in Indiana.

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

  1. 1Get the certificate of eligibility from the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs first. The BMV works from that document.
  2. 2Claim at registration with State Form 52870.
  3. 3Confirm the current credit amount and the vehicle limit with the BMV. The $70-per-vehicle figure here comes from a statute mirror and was not confirmed officially.
  4. 4If you own a home the disabled-veteran property deduction applies to, use that instead — this credit is for veterans who do not.
Form
State Form 52870, with an IDVA certificate of eligibility
File with
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, with an IDVA certificate of eligibility
Documents you will need
va benefit summary letter
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Known gapThe credit amount (lesser of excise due or $70 per vehicle), the two-vehicle limit and the form number come from a statute mirror rather than from an official page opened this session. Confirm with the BMV before relying on the figures.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.