Michigan veteran benefits
- Verified veteran benefits
- 15
- plus 9 general-law and correction records
- Counties covered
- 83
- every one has its own page
- Veterans in this state
- 0.47M
- 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 and permanence satisfies most offices without disclosing any diagnosis.
File before the deadline
The deadline for the main property tax relief is: December 31. File with your local assessing officer.
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 the test that actually applies in Michigan — several reliefs across this corpus turn on the words on your VA letter rather than on the number.
1 likely, 31 possible
What you appear to qualify for — worth checking.
One question checks 28 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.
Full Property Tax Exemption for 100% Disabled Veterans
The whole bill on your homestead — and since 2025 you no longer have to reapply every year.
VeteransApplies statewide100% of your property tax bill
Read it and check if you qualifyA State Retirement Cheque for Nineteen and a Half Years in the Michigan Guard
Michigan pays its own retirement to long-serving National Guard members, separate from anything federal. The service test is oddly precise — 19 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AND 1 DAY of active National Guard service in the State Defense Forces and the Michigan National Guard, Army or Air — which means someone who fell just short of twenty years and assumed they had nothing may in fact qualify. You must be separated from service and aged 55 or over to draw it. The payment amount is not published, so treat this as a call to make rather than a sum to count on.
VeteransApplies statewideState retirement pay; the amount is not published
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Plate Is the Pass — No Recreation Passport at Any State Park
A Michigan-registered vehicle carrying a resident Disabled Veteran, Ex-Prisoner of War or Medal of Honor plate needs no Recreation Passport. That covers state parks and recreation areas, state forest campgrounds, boating access sites and trailheads. There is nothing to apply for and no card to carry: the plate on the vehicle is what is checked at the gate. The Ex-POW plate carries no rating requirement at all, so a former prisoner of war with no VA disability rating still gets in free.
VeteransApplies statewideRecreation Passport not required for entry
Read it and check if you qualifyMilitary Family Relief Fund — Cash When a Call-Up Breaks the Budget
When a Michigan reserve-component member is called to federal active duty, the state can make grants to the family for the things that stop first: clothing, food, housing, utilities, medical care and prescriptions, insurance and vehicle payments. The fund exists because a call-up frequently cuts household income overnight while the bills carry on. It is administered by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, not by the veterans agency, which is one reason families do not find it. The grant ceiling is not published, so ask rather than assume the sum is too small to matter.
VeteransApplies statewideGrants for necessities during a federal call-up; ceiling not published
Read it and check if you qualifyIn-State Tuition Whatever Your Residency — the Difference Is Often Five Figures
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency states that veterans and active-duty members receive in-state tuition at Michigan public institutions regardless of their state of residency or duty status. The resident and non-resident rates differ by tens of thousands of dollars a year at some Michigan universities, so this is one of the largest single savings available to a veteran moving into the state — and it applies from the first term rather than after a year of establishing residency. How each institution implements it varies, so ask the admissions or veterans office in writing before you accept a non-resident bill.
StudentsApplies statewideResident tuition rate; the saving is the resident/non-resident difference at your school
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Diploma You Left Behind — Awarded by the District You Walked Out Of
A veteran who attended a Michigan high school and left before graduating to serve in WWII, Korea or Vietnam can be awarded the diploma by that school district. The windows are 16 December 1940 – 31 December 1946, 27 June 1950 – 31 January 1955, and 28 February 1961 – 7 May 1975. An honorable discharge is required. The district makes the award; the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency supplies the form and helps with the DD214. There is no deadline and no cost, and a family can pursue it on behalf of a veteran who has died.
VeteransApplies statewideThe high school diploma, awarded by your former district
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Property Tax Credit on Its Own Form — and It Pays Renters Too
Michigan has a homestead property tax credit reserved for veterans, their surviving spouses and blind people, claimed on the MI-1040CR-2 rather than the ordinary credit form. It is REFUNDABLE, so it pays out even when you owe no tax, and it reaches RENTERS as well as owners — up to $1,900 for a renter. The credit is computed from taxes levied or rent paid, the home's taxable value and an allowance for your filing category. Watch the ceilings: total household resources above $71,500 disqualify altogether, and the computed credit is cut by 10% for each $1,000 above the phase-out point.
VeteransApplies statewideRefundable credit computed from taxes or rent; up to $1,900 for a renter
Read it and check if you qualifyMilitary Driving Swaps Straight into a CDL — Both Tests Waived
Michigan waives BOTH the CDL knowledge test and the on-road skills test for a service member or veteran trained and employed within the past year to drive the military equivalent of a commercial vehicle. Most states waive the skills test only; Michigan drops the written one as well, which is what turns this from a shortcut into a straight conversion. The qualifying equipment is fifth-wheel truck tractors and semitrailers, pintle-hook truck-trailer combinations, and single vehicles above the Class B weight threshold. The one-year window from when you last did the work is the part that is easy to lose.
VeteransApplies statewideBoth the CDL knowledge test and the road skills test waived
Read it and check if you qualifyMichigan Does Not Tax Active-Duty Pay — but You Have to Subtract It Yourself
Michigan does not tax military pay for active service. It is not automatic: the pay arrives inside your federal adjusted gross income and stays in your Michigan taxable income unless you SUBTRACT IT ON SCHEDULE 1 of the MI-1040. Treasury's guidance is that non-residents stationed in Michigan are not taxed on active-duty pay either. One thing to watch — civilian pay received from the military is not military pay for this purpose, so a DoD civilian post does not qualify.
Serving membersApplies statewideActive-duty military pay fully subtracted from Michigan taxable income
Read it and check if you qualifyMichigan Does Not Tax Military Retirement
Military retirement and pension benefits are subtracted from Michigan taxable income in full. Survivor benefits are addressed separately by Treasury's military FAQ, including where they pass to a beneficiary who is not the spouse.
VeteransApplies statewideThe whole of your military pension, untaxed
Read it and check if you qualifyChildren of Veterans Tuition Grant
Up to $2,800 a year for the child of a Michigan veteran who died or became totally and permanently disabled in service.
VeteransApplies statewideUp to $2,800 a year full time — $1,400 a semester
Read it and check if you qualifyFree Hunting and Fishing Licences — 100% P&T or Unemployability
A resident veteran the VA holds permanently and totally disabled at the 100% rate — or rated individually unemployable — gets any hunting or fishing licence that does not require a separate application free of charge.
VeteransApplies statewideAny hunting or fishing licence that does not require a separate application, free of charge
Read it and check if you qualifyInitial Licence Fee Waived for Veterans, Temporary Licence for Spouses
Michigan waives both the initial licence or registration fee and the application processing fee for a veteran separated under honorable conditions — on the strength of a DD214, with no rating and no residency test. A servicemember’s spouse gets a six-month temporary licence instead.
VeteransApplies statewideThe initial licence fee and the application processing fee, both waived
Read it and check if you qualifyMichigan Veteran Homes — Long-Term Care Without a Residency Test
Three state homes offering nursing and, at Jacobetti, domiciliary care. Michigan residency is not required, and what you pay is set by a monthly assessment of what you can afford.
VeteransApplies statewideNursing care at $208.80 a day for a veteran, against $357.51 for a non-veteran — before the affordability assessment
Read it and check if you qualifyA 10% Pricing Preference on State Contracts for Service-Disabled Veterans
A business at least 51% owned by service-disabled veterans gets up to a 10% pricing preference on State of Michigan bids, against a 5% share of total state spending. There is no pre-certification — you claim it inside the bid.
VeteransApplies statewideUp to a 10% pricing preference, against a 5% goal across state spending
Read it and check if you qualifyMichigan Veterans Trust Fund Emergency Grants
A county committee can pay a utility bill, a home or vehicle repair, a mortgage arrear or a medical bill outright — if the grant will actually resolve the problem and you can carry the obligation afterwards.
VeteransApplies statewideAn amount decided by your county committee, against the bill you bring
Read it and check if you qualifyVeterans’ Preference in the State Classified Service — and You Must Register for It
Civil Service Rule 3-8 gives a preference to veterans and qualifying spouses on state jobs, at hiring and at later promotion — but only after a separate registration with the Civil Service Commission.
VeteransApplies statewideA preference in state classified selection processes, at hiring and at promotion
Read it and check if you qualifyMINGSTAP — Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance
Up to $14,400 towards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree and up to $6,000 towards a master’s, a certificate or a training programme — and since 2023 a spouse or dependent child can use the member’s benefit.
VeteransApplies statewideUp to $14,400 for an associate’s or bachelor’s, up to $6,000 for a master’s, certificate or training
Read it and check if you qualifyBusiness Filing Fees Waived for Veteran-Owned Entities
Corporations Division fees can be waived where a majority of the ownership is held by veterans — but which filings qualify depends on whether you are a profit corporation, an LLC or a nonprofit, and the three rules point in different directions.
VeteransApplies statewideThe $25 corporation annual report fee, the $75 PLLC annual fee, and most other Corporations Division filing fees
Read it and check if you qualifyVeteran Navigators — All Eras, All Discharge Types
Regional navigators inside Michigan’s public behavioural health system who connect veterans and military families to mental health, substance use and housing help — explicitly regardless of era or discharge type.
VeteransApplies statewideA named person inside the public behavioural health system — no cost figure is published
Read it and check if you qualifyNo Michigan State Veterans Cemetery — But There Is a County Burial Payment
Michigan operates no state veterans cemetery. The Veterans Affairs Agency’s own burial guidance routes families to the National Cemetery Administration and names four federal cemeteries in the state. That is not the whole picture for money: a $300 burial expense is paid at COUNTY level, documented on the agency's own benefits pages and covered by its own record here.
VeteransApplies statewideNothing to claim from the State — the gravesite, marker and flag come from the federal system
Read it and check if you qualify$300 Towards the Burial — Paid by the County, Not the State
Veterans, and a spouse or surviving spouse, who meet residency and asset limits may qualify for a $300 burial expense paid by the County Board of Commissioners or the Board of County Auditors.
VeteransApplies statewide$300 towards burial expenses, where the county allows it
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Utilities Stay On — 90 Days’ Protection on Call-Up
Michigan law bars a public utility from cutting off heat, water, electricity or gas to a service member’s home for unpaid bills during the first 90 days of military service — and a separate law lets you apply for shut-off protection when a call-up cuts household income.
VeteransApplies statewideNo shut-off for unpaid heat, water, electricity or gas during the first 90 days of service
Read it and check if you qualifyCalled Up by the Governor — Lawsuits Adjourn and Property Cannot Be Seized
Michigan law adjourns suits against a member entering state active service, blocks forfeiture of an executory contract and seizure or sale of chattels during service and for 90 days after, and protects a deploying member’s storage unit.
VeteransApplies statewideSuits adjourned, no forfeiture, no seizure of chattels — during service and 90 days after
Read it and check if you qualifyEnd a Car Lease on Deployment — and the Spouse Can Do It Too
Michigan’s Military Personnel Motor Vehicle Leasing Act lets a member deployed for 180 days or more, or that member’s spouse, terminate any motor vehicle lease — and it reaches state active duty ordered by the Governor.
VeteransApplies statewideA motor vehicle lease ended early on deployment of 180 days or more
Read it and check if you qualifyA Coverage Gap Caused by Active Duty Cannot Be Held Against You
A car insurer may not refuse to insure, limit coverage, charge a reinstatement fee or raise your premium solely because you let coverage lapse while you were on active duty for at least 30 consecutive days and the vehicle was not driven.
VeteransApplies statewideNo lapse surcharge, no reinstatement fee, no refusal — where the gap was active duty
Read it and check if you qualifyRegister One Vehicle Free on a Total and Permanent Rating
A veteran the VA has rated totally and permanently disabled may register one passenger vehicle with a Disabled Veteran plate at no fee — with a one-time $5 administrative fee at first issue. Ex-prisoners of war qualify at any rating.
VeteransApplies statewideNo registration fee on one passenger vehicle — $5 once, when the plate is first issued
Read it and check if you qualify"Veteran" Printed on Your Licence — Free, If You Ask at the Right Moment
A veteran with an honorable or general discharge may have the word Veteran printed in red on a Michigan driving licence or state ID. It costs nothing when applying for an original or a renewal — and correction fees apply if you ask in between.
VeteransApplies statewideNo extra charge at an original or renewal — a correction fee if you add it in between
Read it and check if you qualifyWomen Veterans — a State Holiday and an Outreach Campaign, Not a Separate Benefit
Michigan’s women veterans provision is recognition and outreach: 12 June is a state holiday under a 2023 Act, and the agency runs an annual conference and the "She Is a Veteran" campaign. No woman-specific payment or service is published.
VeteransApplies statewideRecognition, an annual conference and outreach — no separate entitlement
Read it and check if you qualifyGold Star Family Plate — and an "Immediate Family" List That Reaches Step-Parents and Half-Siblings
The Gold Star Family plate goes to immediate family members of military personnel who lost their lives in combat, and the Secretary of State reads immediate family widely: spouse, father, stepfather, mother, stepmother, foster parent, brother including half brother, sister including half sister, child, and stepchild. It sits in the military and veteran plate family, which the department says carries no added plate fee.
VeteransApplies statewideA recognition plate with no added plate fee; ordinary registration still applies
Read it and check if you qualifyYour Disabled Veteran Plate Will Not Park You in a Disability Space — the Placard Will, and It Is Free
The Secretary of State states on both Disabled Veteran plate entries that a disability placard is required to use the plate to park in a disability space. The placard is free to obtain and free to renew, is issued on a medical certification with seven listed conditions, and runs four years for a permanent disability. A yellow sticker added to a permanent blue placard gives free parking at public meters and ramps.
VeteransApplies statewideNot a veteran benefitPlacard free to obtain and to renew; $10 to replace a lost or stolen one; free metered parking with the yellow sticker
Read it and check if you qualifyThe Bridge Toll Has No Veteran Rate — Read From the Toll Schedule Itself
The Mackinac Bridge Authority’s published toll schedule sets two classes and nothing else: $2.00 per axle or $4.00 per car for a passenger vehicle, and $5.00 per axle for everything else. There is no veteran, disabled-veteran, Purple Heart or Medal of Honor rate, and the prepaid MacPass account is a convenience rather than a discount.
VeteransApplies statewideNo veteran toll rate exists — budget $4.00 per car each crossing
Read it and check if you qualify
Does my county change the answer?
For the statewide records, no — the same law applies in all 83 counties. What changes is the office you file with and the rate your bill is calculated at, and we do not yet hold Michigan rates.
- Alcona County
- Alger County
- Allegan County
- Alpena County
- Antrim County
- Arenac County
- Baraga County
- Barry County
- Bay County
- Benzie County
- Berrien County
- Branch County
- Calhoun County
- Cass County
- Charlevoix County
- Cheboygan County
- Chippewa County
- Clare County
- Clinton County
- Crawford County
- Delta County
- Dickinson County
- Eaton County
- Emmet County
- Genesee County
- Gladwin County
- Gogebic County
- Grand Traverse County
- Gratiot County
- Hillsdale County
- Houghton County
- Huron County
- Ingham County
- Ionia County
- Iosco County
- Iron County
- Isabella County
- Jackson County
- Kalamazoo County
- Kalkaska County
- Kent County
- Keweenaw County
- Lake County
- Lapeer County
- Leelanau County
- Lenawee County
- Livingston County
- Luce County
- Mackinac County
- Macomb County
- Manistee County
- Marquette County
- Mason County
- Mecosta County
- Menominee County
- Midland County
- Missaukee County
- Monroe County
- Montcalm County
- Montmorency County
- Muskegon County
- Newaygo County
- Oakland County
- Oceana County
- Ogemaw County
- Ontonagon County
- Osceola County
- Oscoda County
- Otsego County
- Ottawa County
- Presque Isle County
- Roscommon County
- Saginaw County
- St. Clair County
- St. Joseph County
- Sanilac County
- Schoolcraft County
- Shiawassee County
- Tuscola County
- Van Buren County
- Washtenaw County
- Wayne County
- Wexford County
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.