Colorado Veteran Benefits

Colorado tax relief

Colorado provides a partial primary-residence property-tax exemption for qualifying disabled Veterans, with separate surviving-spouse and Gold Star spouse paths.

Colorado Career Assistance for Veterans

Colorado workforce centers provide employment assistance and priority of service for eligible veterans and spouses. CDLE specialists offer free career coaching, résumé and interview help, and referrals; intensive specialist services focus on people with significant employment barriers. This is employment assistance, not a college tuition benefit or a promise of a state job.

Colorado County Veterans Service Officers

Colorado county veterans service offices provide free help to veterans and family members with VA claims, benefit applications and appeals. Contact the county office for an appointment and required documents; assistance is not a guarantee of an award.

Colorado Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Property Tax Exemption

Colorado exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of an eligible primary residence for qualifying permanently 100% service-connected disabled veterans, veterans granted VA individual unemployability, and qualifying surviving spouses. Ownership, January 1 occupancy and survivor documentation rules apply. File with the county assessor by July 1; a limited late window through August 1 lacks denial-appeal rights.

Colorado Disabled Veteran License Plate

Honorably discharged Veterans may qualify for Colorado Disabled Veteran plates with VA or service-branch proof of at least a 50% service-connected disability, or qualifying loss or loss of use of hands or feet, or permanent bilateral blindness. One set receives the statutory fee exemption; additional sets cost $50 once plus other applicable taxes and fees. These standard plates do not authorize accessible parking. Apply through the county motor-vehicle office using the required military documentation and DR2002.

Colorado Driver License Exemption and Vehicle Registration for Nonresident Service Members and their Spouses

Active-duty military personnel and their spouses may keep a valid out-of-state driver license instead of obtaining a Colorado license; this exception does not extend to other dependents. Nonresident active-duty members who register a vehicle in Colorado may apply for the Specific Ownership Tax exemption using DR2667, renewed annually. Other vehicle taxes, fees and documentation rules can still apply. Contact the county DMV for vehicle transactions.

Colorado Fallen Soldier License Plate

Colorado Fallen Soldier plates honor a U.S. Army service member who died in the line of duty. Eligible relatives include a current or former spouse, child, sibling, parent or grandparent. Applicants provide relationship and line-of-duty death documentation. The first set waives only the one-time issuance fee; other taxes and fees remain. Additional sets cost $50 once plus applicable taxes and fees. Apply through the county motor-vehicle office using the required military documentation and DR2002.

Colorado Free Lifetime Fishing and Small Game Hunting Combination License for Disabled Veterans and Purple Heart Recipients

Colorado residents who received a Purple Heart or have a combined VA service-connected disability rating of at least 50% may apply for a free lifetime small-game hunting and fishing combination license. Hunter-education and other hunting rules still apply; this is not a free big-game license.

Colorado Hilton Honors Military Program

This Hilton/NASWA provider partnership—not a state or VA entitlement—may award hotel points for verified interviews, qualifying job training or pre-employment testing. Lifetime assistance is capped at 100,000 points, not guaranteed. General job searches, career fairs, relocation and past stays are excluded. Participating-state residency and additional eligibility rules must be confirmed before travel.

Colorado Honorably Discharged Veteran License Plate

Colorado’s Honorably Discharged Veteran plate section includes honorably discharged Veterans, discharged LGBTQ Veterans and military retirees, with accepted separation documentation. A $50 one-time issuance or replacement fee applies in addition to other taxes and fees. Eligible vehicle and registration rules apply. Apply through the county motor-vehicle office using the required military documentation and DR2002.

Colorado Income Tax on Military Pay

Colorado generally taxes resident military pay and excludes nonresident military pay, although other Colorado-source income can remain taxable. Federally excluded combat pay is also excluded by Colorado. Special rules may allow nonresident treatment after at least 305 days abroad, or a subtraction for qualifying service members who reacquired Colorado residence after previously changing domicile. Combat-zone filing relief also applies; review DOR’s specific conditions before filing.

Colorado Medal of Honor License Plate

Medal of Honor recipients may obtain customized Colorado Medal of Honor plates with award documentation and the military plate application. One set receives the statutory fee exemption; additional sets cost $50 once plus applicable taxes and fees. State Vehicle Services—not the county office—handles issuance of this plate; use the current DMV page for submission instructions.

Colorado Military and Veteran License Plates

Colorado offers military and Veteran plates for qualifying service, awards, disabilities and designated family relationships. Each design has its own proof and fee rules; a military plate does not automatically provide a registration-fee waiver or accessible-parking permission. The directory covers eligible passenger vehicles, specified noncommercial trucks, recreational vehicles, motor homes and motorcycles; International Registration Plan vehicles are excluded. Review the specific design before applying.

Colorado Military Family Relief Fund

Colorado’s Military Family Relief Fund accepts applications from eligible Colorado-resident National Guard and Reserve members on overseas active-duty mobilization orders for at least 30 days, or their families. Grants may help with income loss or deployment-related household expenses. This is not an emergency fund: complete applications are generally reviewed at monthly meetings.

Colorado Military Retired Pay Income Taxes

Colorado permits a subtraction for qualifying military retirement included in federal taxable income. For tax years 2022 through 2028, retirees under 55 may subtract up to $15,000. Retirees age 55 or older instead use applicable pension-and-annuity rules, generally up to $20,000 at ages 55–64 or $24,000 at 65 or older. The subtraction cannot exceed qualifying taxable income.

Colorado National Guard Coverage for Injury, Illness, Disability and Death Incurred while on State Active Duty Covered by Workers’ Compensation

Colorado military-force members ordered to state active service may receive workers’ compensation for death or disability arising in the course of that service. The statute excludes cases where similar federal benefits are payable. Eligibility is tied to covered state duty, not a VA disability rating; claims follow Colorado workers’ compensation procedures.

Colorado National Guard In-State Tuition Classification for Members and Dependents

A Colorado National Guard member stationed in Colorado by the first class day and physically residing in the state may qualify for in-state tuition classification. Spouses and biological or legally adopted dependent children have a related route when the member is stationed and living in Colorado. Campus verification is required; this is resident-rate tuition, not the separate member-only tuition waiver.

Colorado Nonresident Military Spouse Tax Relief

A service member and spouse may elect the member’s residence, the spouse’s residence or the permanent duty station for tax purposes during marriage. Qualifying income for services of a nonresident spouse in Colorado solely to accompany military orders is excluded from Colorado sourcing under federal law. Colorado provides nonresident return and withholding-exemption procedures; other Colorado-source income can still be taxable. Confirm the chosen residence and required documentation with DOR.

Colorado Operation Recognition High School Diplomas for Wartime Veterans

A Colorado school board may award a diploma to a qualifying veteran age 60 or older who left high school to serve during the statutory World War II, Korea or Vietnam periods and has no diploma. Honorable discharge or the statutory discharged-LGBT-veteran route and current or former district residence are required. GED holders can qualify, and family or guardians may request a posthumous award.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Military and Veterans Benefits

Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers distinct military and veteran programs, including resident disabled-veteran and Purple Heart licenses and park passes, plus Veterans Day admission. Eligibility, documentation and remaining charges differ by program; veteran status alone does not waive every outdoor fee.

Colorado Private Employer Veterans’ Hiring Preference

Colorado private employers may adopt a public, written and uniformly applied veteran hiring preference for equally qualified applicants. Generally the qualifying discharge or line-of-duty spouse death must be within five years; the window is ten years for a veteran with 100% permanent-and-total disability. Employers must implement the policy at least 14 days before using it. This is optional private hiring, not state-employment preference.

Colorado Professional-Licensing Support for Military Families and Veterans

Colorado DPO provides military-related licensing support across more than 60 professions. A qualifying military spouse, dependent or Gold Star spouse of military personnel stationed in Colorado may apply for a fee-free temporary credential using an active out-of-state credential in good standing and required military documents. The credential lasts six years and may be renewed for another six years when applicable Colorado orders continue. Separate renewal and reinstatement programs have their own rules; this is not a universal fee waiver or college-education benefit.

Colorado Purple Heart License Plate

Purple Heart recipients may obtain Colorado Purple Heart plates with a DD214 or military orders documenting the award. One set receives the statutory fee exemption; additional sets cost $50 once plus applicable taxes and fees. Receipt of the award—not being the recipient’s child—is the eligibility condition. Apply through the county motor-vehicle office using the required military documentation and DR2002.

Colorado Residency for Tuition Purposes for Nonresident Service Members, Veterans and their Families

Colorado public-college tuition law has military exceptions for qualifying active-duty members, Colorado National Guard members, veterans and family members. The route depends on assignment, physical residence, service or relationship documents. Apply through the campus residency office; resident tuition classification does not itself provide free tuition or resident financial aid.

Colorado Special Waterfowl Season Dates for Service Members and Veterans

Colorado’s 2026 special waterfowl hunts include eligible veterans and Armed Forces members on active duty, including active-duty Guard and Reserve members. Dates vary by zone: September 26–27, October 10–11, October 17–18 or October 24–25. Consult the official zone maps and table; identification, licenses, stamps and bag limits still apply.

Colorado State Employee Veterans' Hiring Preference

Colorado provides hiring preference for eligible veterans applying to the state personnel system, with service and discharge documentation. A qualifying spouse of a disabled veteran unable to work may receive five comparative-analysis points or placement on an interview list when the process is nonnumerical. Preference does not apply to promotions. Follow the job announcement and personnel-office documentation rules.

Colorado State Parks, Independence Parks Pass for Disabled Veterans and Purple Heart Recipients

Colorado resident veterans with qualifying service-connected disability or a Purple Heart may receive a free 12-month Independence Parks Pass. Disability routes include a combined 50% VA rating, qualifying loss of use or bilateral vision loss, with discharge and compensation documentation. The holder must be present. Renew annually while resident; camping and other charges are separate.

Colorado Survivor Pension Subtraction — Age 65 or Older

A Colorado taxpayer aged 65 or older receiving a qualifying military pension or annuity directly because of another person’s death may subtract up to $24,000 of federally taxable pension income. This can apply to qualifying military survivor annuities; payments redistributed by a trust or estate do not qualify as direct death benefits. The cap is shared with applicable Social Security, railroad-retirement and military-retirement subtractions, so it is not an additional allowance on top of those amounts. Use the Colorado return instructions to calculate the remaining eligible subtraction.

Colorado Survivor Pension Subtraction — Under Age 65

A Colorado taxpayer under age 65, including a survivor younger than 55 receiving a qualifying military pension or annuity directly because of another person’s death may subtract up to $20,000 of federally taxable pension income. This can apply to qualifying military survivor annuities; payments redistributed by a trust or estate do not qualify as direct death benefits. The cap is shared with applicable Social Security, railroad-retirement and military-retirement subtractions, so it is not an additional allowance on top of those amounts. Use the Colorado return instructions to calculate the remaining eligible subtraction.

Colorado Veteran and Dependent In-State Tuition Exception

Eligible honorably discharged veterans establish Colorado physical residence by the first term day and provide a timely DD214. A dependent route uses the sponsor’s Colorado PCS service within 12 years; biological/adopted-child or continuing-spouse requirements apply. Campus review determines resident-rate tuition, not automatic resident financial aid.

Colorado Veterans Community Living Centers

Colorado’s five Veterans Community Living Centers provide long-term care and related services in Aurora, Florence, Monte Vista, Rifle and Walsenburg. Eligible residents include honorably discharged veterans, qualifying spouses or surviving spouses, and Gold Star parents. Colorado residence is not required. Admission depends on care needs and availability; care is not automatically free.

Colorado Vets-2-Trucks Program, Commercial Driver License (CDL) Skills Test Waiver Program

Colorado’s Vets-2-Trucks program lets qualifying Colorado residents use military commercial-driving experience to seek a CDL driving-skills test waiver. The DMV page covers current service members and those within one year after discharge; required written tests still apply. Experience and licensing documentation must be reviewed by DMV. Ask DMV about any temporary federal waiver option; federal authorization alone does not establish Colorado participation.

Free Admission to Colorado State Parks for Disabled Veterans and Purple Heart Recipients

Colorado residents with current Colorado Disabled Veteran or Purple Heart plates may enter Colorado state parks without a separate windshield pass when the veteran is in the vehicle. This is an entrance-fee benefit, not free camping or a waiver of every park charge.

Free Admission to Colorado State Parks on Veterans Day for Veterans and Service Members

Veterans, active-duty members and National Guard members receive free Colorado state-park admission on Veterans Day with accepted military or veteran identification. Camping, fishing and other applicable fees remain payable.

State Sponsored Life Insurance (SSLI) for Colorado National Guard Service Members

The National Guard Association of Colorado sponsors a $1,000 no-cost survivor life-insurance benefit for active Colorado Guard Soldiers and Airmen. Optional additional member and family coverage has premiums and policy terms, underwritten by 5Star Life. This association program is not a VA payment or general insurance entitlement for all veterans.

Tax-Free VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Colorado Survivors

VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a federal tax-free survivor payment, not a separate Colorado award. Eligible spouses, children or parents must meet VA relationship and death-related rules. Certain spouse or child claims can instead qualify through the veteran’s duration of total service-connected disability. VA decides eligibility; state residence is not a requirement.

The Colorado Veterans Trust Fund and Veterans Assistance Grants

Organization benefit—not a personal entitlement.

Colorado’s Veterans Trust Fund and Veterans Assistance Grant fund eligible organizations delivering veteran services, not direct individual applications. VTF is limited to qualifying nationally recognized 501(c)(19)/(23) veterans organizations; VAG covers other eligible nonprofits and government entities. The published FY2027 application deadline was March 24, 2026; contact DMVA about the next cycle.

Veteran and Military Identifier on Colorado Driver License and ID Cards

Colorado residents may request a Veteran or military-branch identifier on their Colorado driver license or ID with qualifying service documentation. The Veteran identifier requires an original DD214 member copy 4 or valid military ID; the branch identifier accepts qualifying discharge or military credentials. Only one branch identifier is available. An identifier from an out-of-state credential does not automatically transfer; ask DMV which documents are required.

Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado

The Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado in Grand Junction provides no-charge interment and specified cemetery services for eligible Colorado-connected veterans and qualifying spouses or children. Military-service, discharge and family criteria apply, and the cemetery determines eligibility. Early registration is available but does not reserve a particular location; private funeral expenses are separate.