Louisiana veteran benefits
- Verified veteran benefits
- 24
- each with its statute
- Counties covered
- 64
- every one has its own page
- Veterans in this state
- 0.25M
- Rating thresholds that matter
- 0
- each one opens something different
How to use this, in four steps
You are on step 1. Nothing is locked — browse everything first, then check the ones that look relevant.
See what you may be entitled to
Browse every verified benefit in your state. No questions, no account — everything is open.
Check whether you qualify
Open any benefit and answer a few questions about that one. We stop as soon as we know.
Get the letter that shows the finding
A VA Benefit Summary Letter configured to show service connection, the rating and permanence satisfies most offices without disclosing any diagnosis.
File before the deadline
Take the VA rating letter to the parish assessor and claim the tier your rating carries.
Which of these sounds like you?
Pick one and we will narrow the list. You can change or clear it at any point.
Two things sharpen this a lot
Both optional. Your county decides where you file and what a property tax exemption is actually worth; your rating decides which thresholds you cross.
Where do you live?
We use this once to work out your county, because property tax is decided county by county. No benefit is ever matched on a ZIP code alone.
Your VA disability status
What does my rating actually unlock?
Read the record for your tier in Louisiana — the 2022 amendment created three, and the full tier includes unemployability.
26 benefits worth checking
What you appear to qualify for — worth checking.
One question checks 12 of them. You can skip it and keep browsing.
Did you serve in the U.S. armed forces?
2 more questions could resolve others. We ask them one at a time.
Veterans First Certification — Free, and a Public Database Customers Search
Louisiana certifies a business that is 51% or more owned by an honorably discharged veteran, an active-duty member, or a Reserve or Guard member, free of charge. Certification brings an insignia, a decal and a certificate for promotional use, and a listing in the public searchable database at LAVeteransFirst.org. Over 1,000 businesses have been certified since 2019. The business must be registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State.
VeteransApplies statewideFree certification, an insignia and decal, and a listing customers can search
Read it and check if you qualifyThree Tiers to a Full Exemption
The 2022 amendment tiers it: $100,000 of value protected at 50–69%, $120,000 at 70–99%, and the whole homestead at 100% or unemployability — exempt from all ad valorem taxation except for certain municipal tax assessments.
VeteransApplies statewideTiered: $100,000 at 50–69%, $120,000 at 70–99%, everything at 100%/IU
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Patriot Scholarship — the Fees STEP Does Not Pay
The Louisiana National Guard Patriot Scholarship pays the MANDATORY FEES on a Guard student's bill — precisely the portion the State Tuition Exemption Program does not cover. It runs up to 12 semesters or 16 quarters, and no more than four years unless extended for mobilisation. You need to be eligible for STEP and enrolled in at least one credit hour at a Louisiana public institution.
VeteransApplies statewideNot a veteran benefitThe mandatory fees on your bill paid — the part STEP leaves
Read it and check if you qualifySTEP — Free Tuition at Any Louisiana Public College for a Drilling Guard Member
The State Tuition Exemption Program exempts an actively drilling Louisiana National Guard member in good standing from TUITION at any Louisiana public postsecondary institution, for an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's degree. FEES ARE NOT COVERED — the Patriot Scholarship exists to pay those, and the two are meant to be claimed together. LSU applies it automatically from a Guard roster each semester.
VeteransApplies statewideNot a veteran benefitTuition exempt at any Louisiana public college — fees are NOT covered
Read it and check if you qualifyA $20 Combination Hunting and Fishing Licence — No Rating Needed
Louisiana sells a $20 combination hunting and fishing licence to resident retired military members and to honorably discharged resident veterans. There is NO disability requirement. It bundles hunting and fishing privileges that cost considerably more bought separately.
VeteransApplies statewide$20 for combined hunting and fishing privileges
Read it and check if you qualifyA Property Value Freeze at 50% — the Second Louisiana Property Benefit
A homestead-exemption holder with a service-connected rating of 50% or more may freeze the ASSESSED VALUE of their home at the level when they first qualify. It is a flat 50% gate with no tiers, and it comes with an income test — combined adjusted gross income not over $102,700. It freezes the VALUE, not the tax bill: millage changes still move what you pay.
VeteransApplies statewideThe assessed value frozen at the level when you first qualify
Read it and check if you qualifyFree Hunting and Fishing Licence — the 2025 Hard Card
At a permanent 50% rating, one free licence bundles basic and saltwater fishing, deer, waterfowl and turkey hunting, and WMA access — with the fee itself paid by the Foundation under Act 321 of 2025.
VeteransApplies statewideBasic + saltwater fishing, basic/deer/waterfowl/turkey hunting, and WMA access — free
Read it and check if you qualifyMilitary Retirement — Exempt From State Taxation
Military retirement benefits are exempt from state income taxation — the veterans department states it without qualification, under the federal-retirement-system exemption at R.S. 47:44.2.
VeteransApplies statewide100% of military retirement benefits exempt from state income tax
Read it and check if you qualifyState Park Day Use Free at 50% — With the Card
A veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or greater who has applied for the disabled veteran card is exempt from the day-use entrance fee at every state park.
VeteransApplies statewideDay-use entrance fee waived at every state park
Read it and check if you qualifyFree Veteran Plates — DV at 50%, the 100% DAV Plate at 100%
A veteran rated 50% or above qualifies for a free disabled veterans or military honors plate; a veteran rated 100% qualifies for the 100% DAV plate. Ordinary specialty plates cost others a one-time $25.
VeteransApplies statewideFree disabled veterans / military honors plate at 50%+; 100% DAV plate at 100%
Read it and check if you qualifyTitle 29 Tuition Exemption — Children, Spouses and Survivors
The state's in-state tuition exemption educates the families of qualifying veterans, on two routes with different tests. Living route: the veteran is rated 90-100% or 100% unemployable and was a Louisiana resident for at least a year before the student starts; children aged 16 to 25 qualify, and spouses do not while the veteran lives. Deceased, POW or MIA route: spouses and children both qualify, the spouse with no age limit but only within ten years of eligibility, and remarriage ends it permanently.
VeteransApplies statewideFour years of tuition at any state college or university, within five years, full-time
Read it and check if you qualifyState Veterans Cemeteries — Veteran Free, Family at the Plot Allowance
The state's veterans cemeteries bury an eligible veteran at no cost, with several burial options. A spouse or dependent child is interred for a fee equal to the current federal VA plot allowance — the fee moves with the federal figure.
VeteransApplies statewideVeteran burial at no cost at the state cemeteries; spouse/dependent fee equals the federal VA plot allowance
Read it and check if you qualifyFive or Ten Points on the Score — and a Route Around the Test Entirely
For original appointments in the classified service, five or ten preference points are added to the final examination score and noted on the certificate of eligibles — and an agency may hire a veteran discharged within the last twelve months without any civil service test score at all.
VeteransApplies statewideFive or ten points on the final examination score, plus a twelve-month testing exemption
Read it and check if you qualifyWar Veterans Homes — Free at 70%, $2,424 a Month Below It
Five state veterans homes take honorably discharged veterans with 90 days of active duty, eligible Guard and Reserve members, spouses and Gold Star parents. A veteran rated 70% or higher pays nothing; below that the fee is $2,424 a month; a spouse or Gold Star parent pays $5,500.
VeteransApplies statewideNo charge at 70% or above; $2,424 a month below it; $5,500 a month for a spouse or Gold Star parent
Read it and check if you qualifyVeteran Initiative — 12% of the Evaluation Points on a State Proposal
A certified veteran-owned small entrepreneurship can be awarded 12% of the total evaluation points on a state request for proposals, and agencies may skip the extra-quotes requirement on purchases under $25,000.
VeteransApplies statewide12% of the total evaluation points on an RFP, plus a small-purchase route under $25,000
Read it and check if you qualifyMilitary Family Assistance Fund — Up to $10,000 for Rent, Utilities and the Car
A state fund of last resort pays up to $10,000 on a need-based claim in a twelve-month period for mortgage or rent, utilities, vehicle payments, insurance and repairs, food, clothing and other basic life needs — for honorably discharged veterans and serving Guard and reserve members who live in this state.
VeteransApplies statewideUp to $10,000 on one claim per active-duty order in a twelve-month period
Read it and check if you qualifyA State Disability Payment for the Guard — $100,000, or $50,000 the Second Time
Louisiana pays its own lump sum to a Louisiana National Guard member left permanently and totally disabled while on federal or state active duty on or after 11 September 2001. The department states the figure as $100,000, or $50,000 for a qualifying subsequent disability. It is a state payment, separate from anything the VA pays.
VeteransApplies statewide$100,000 for a qualifying permanent and total disability; $50,000 for a subsequent one
Read it and check if you qualifyThe VETERAN Designation — and a Licence Fee Discount You Have to Ask About
Louisiana veterans can have a "VETERAN" designation placed on the state driver’s licence or ID. The Department of Veterans Affairs also states that veterans may qualify for special discounts or waivers on the fees for drivers’ licences or IDs, on proof of veteran status — but publishes no schedule, and directs enquiries to the Office of Motor Vehicles.
VeteransApplies statewideA VETERAN designation on the licence, and a fee discount or waiver to ask the motor vehicle office about
Read it and check if you qualifyWho the State Cemeteries Will Take — the Service Test, and a Guard Route the Federal Rules Do Not Have
This record covers eligibility only. Five state veterans cemeteries take veterans on a service test the department publishes: one day of active duty, not active duty for training, before 7 September 1980 for enlisted service and 16 October 1981 for an officer — or two consecutive years after those dates — with a discharge under honorable conditions. Separately, a state burial benefit lets a serving Louisiana National Guard member or drilling reservist be interred with a spouse, if they were resident here at death. For the cemeteries themselves and what interment costs, see the state veterans cemeteries record.
VeteransApplies statewideInterment at one of five state cemeteries, with a VA headstone or marker and perpetual grounds care at no cost to the family
Read it and check if you qualify25% Off the Liability Part of Your Auto Premium — and Since August 2026 You Apply Once, Not Every Year
A 25% discount on the liability portion of an auto insurance premium is available to active-duty personnel based in Louisiana, military reservists based in Louisiana, and members of the Louisiana Army National Guard or Louisiana Air National Guard. Bulletin 2026-11, issued on 4 August 2026, replaced the annual re-application with a single one-off application. Insurers may also offer it voluntarily to veterans rated 50% or more and to retirees.
VeteransApplies statewide25% off the liability portion of a Louisiana auto policy
Read it and check if you qualifyFree Airport Parking at 50% — Unlimited at the Airport, Seven Days at the Cruise Terminal
A veteran with a service-connected rating of at least 50% may be eligible for free parking at Louisiana airports for any length of time, and for free parking at the Port of New Orleans cruise terminal for seven days. Both need a form certified by a veterans assistance counsellor; the cruise terminal additionally needs a military honors licence plate.
VeteransApplies statewideAirport parking free for any length of time; cruise terminal parking free for seven days
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Veterans Honor Medal — Four Ribbons, and a Family Can Claim It
The state issues a Veterans Honor Medal to honorably discharged Louisiana veterans, and to the families of those killed in action. The ribbon says which: blue for an honorable discharge, purple for a Purple Heart recipient, black for prisoners of war and the missing in action, and yellow for those killed in action.
VeteransApplies statewideA state medal with the ribbon that matches the service, on application
Read it and check if you qualifyFifteen Dollars Buys Three Modules, a Boot Camp and a Consultant Who Stays
The Pathway to Assist Veteran Entrepreneurs is a business education programme run by the state economic development agency with the small business development centre network, the veterans department and the National Guard. Registration costs $15. It is three self-paced online modules of about an hour each, then a two-part virtual boot camp, then connection to a small business development centre consultant for continuing support.
VeteransApplies statewideA $15 registration for three training modules, a boot camp and ongoing consulting
Read it and check if you qualifyFree Tolls on Both Toll Roads — But Only Through a Transponder Account Set Up First
A disabled veteran qualifies for free passage on the LA 1 expressway and the LA 23 Belle Chasse bridge — the state’s only two tolled facilities. The vehicle must be registered in the veteran’s or the spouse’s name, and the exemption is granted against a GeauxPass account that has to be opened, documented and kept in good standing with a positive balance before you drive.
VeteransApplies statewideFree passage on LA 1 and LA 23 with a qualified GeauxPass account in good standing
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Gold Star Plate Reaches Further Than Any Other — And It Is Not Free
The Gold Star plate goes to an immediate family member of a member of the armed forces who lost his life in the circumstances the policy lists, and the definition of immediate family is the widest in the state’s plate rules: a widow or widower remarried or not, parents and step-parents, adoptive and foster parents who stood in place of a parent, grandparents, each child, step-child and adopted child, and each brother, half-brother, sister and half-sister. Regular registration and renewal fees apply.
VeteransApplies statewideRecognition plate; regular registration and renewal fees apply, plus $8.00 handling and $3.50 on initial issuance
Read it and check if you qualifyA Free Permanent Hang Tag With the Disabled Veteran Plate — Everyone Else Pays $3
A veteran who qualifies for the Disabled Veteran plate — a service-connected disability of 50% or more — may also be issued a permanent handicap placard on request at no charge, and holders of the plate are given the same privileges as holders of mobility impaired plates. An ordinary applicant needs a physician’s certification form and pays $3.00, with a four-year tag for a permanent impairment and a one-year tag for a temporary one.
VeteransApplies statewidePermanent handicap placard at no charge on request, against the $3.00 an ordinary applicant pays
Read it and check if you qualify
Does my county change the answer?
For the statewide records, no — the same law applies in all 64 counties. What changes is the office you file with and the local tax arithmetic, which we do not yet hold for Louisiana.
- Acadia Parish
- Allen Parish
- Ascension Parish
- Assumption Parish
- Avoyelles Parish
- Beauregard Parish
- Bienville Parish
- Bossier Parish
- Caddo Parish
- Calcasieu Parish
- Caldwell Parish
- Cameron Parish
- Catahoula Parish
- Claiborne Parish
- Concordia Parish
- De Soto Parish
- East Baton Rouge Parish
- East Carroll Parish
- East Feliciana Parish
- Evangeline Parish
- Franklin Parish
- Grant Parish
- Iberia Parish
- Iberville Parish
- Jackson Parish
- Jefferson Parish
- Jefferson Davis Parish
- Lafayette Parish
- Lafourche Parish
- LaSalle Parish
- Lincoln Parish
- Livingston Parish
- Madison Parish
- Morehouse Parish
- Natchitoches Parish
- Orleans Parish
- Ouachita Parish
- Plaquemines Parish
- Pointe Coupee Parish
- Rapides Parish
- Red River Parish
- Richland Parish
- Sabine Parish
- St. Bernard Parish
- St. Charles Parish
- St. Helena Parish
- St. James Parish
- St. John the Baptist Parish
- St. Landry Parish
- St. Martin Parish
- St. Mary Parish
- St. Tammany Parish
- Tangipahoa Parish
- Tensas Parish
- Terrebonne Parish
- Union Parish
- Vermilion Parish
- Vernon Parish
- Washington Parish
- Webster Parish
- West Baton Rouge Parish
- West Carroll Parish
- West Feliciana Parish
- Winn Parish
Every benefit here was checked against the statute or rule behind it, and each page shows the date. This is an informational match, not a government eligibility determination — the responsible agency decides your application.