West Virginia provides a refundable income-tax credit for qualifying homestead real-property taxes paid on time. Under the current statutory definition, a Veteran must have an honorable discharge and either a VA service-connected disability rating of at least 90% or eligibility for individual unemployability. An unmarried surviving spouse may qualify if the disabled Veteran previously received the credit. Delinquent or back-tax payments do not qualify. Confirm the claim form and tax year with the Tax Division.
A qualifying nonresident military spouse may exclude wages earned while accompanying a service member in West Virginia under military-spouse residency protections. The couple may elect the service member’s residence, the spouse’s residence, or the permanent duty station for tax residency. Other West Virginia-source income, such as rent, may remain taxable. Follow TSD 443 for DD Form 2058 and refund-filing instructions.
Honorably discharged U.S. Veterans may request a Veteran designation on a West Virginia driver’s license or ID card. DMV verifies status using a DD Form 214, listed older separation forms, a military identification card, or a current military-plate registration record. Follow normal license or ID application requirements.
The Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery in Dunbar provides burial for eligible service members, Veterans and family members. Eligible Veteran interment includes the grave or niche, opening and closing, marker and perpetual care without charge; charges may apply to family interments. Ask cemetery staff to confirm eligibility and arrangements.
Qualified service members and former service members may request a CDL skills-test waiver based on equivalent military commercial-vehicle experience. The current West Virginia form asks for qualifying employment within the past 12 months and two years of relevant driving experience, a satisfactory driving record, and commanding-officer certification. Written knowledge tests remain required; passenger and school-bus endorsements are excluded. Ask DMV whether a temporary federal lookback option applies to your application.
West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance benefits offices help Veterans and their families understand and apply for federal, state and local benefits. Accredited service officers can help prepare claims and appeals and connect people with other services. Contact the office serving your area for assistance.
West Virginia provides a refundable income-tax credit for qualifying homestead real-property taxes paid on time. Under the current statutory definition, a Veteran must have an honorable discharge and either a VA service-connected disability rating of at least 90% or eligibility for individual unemployability. An unmarried surviving spouse may qualify if the disabled Veteran previously received the credit. Delinquent or back-tax payments do not qualify. Confirm the claim form and tax year with the Tax Division.
A Veteran with a VA 100% permanent and total service-connected disability rating, or a qualifying VA automobile grant, may apply for a West Virginia Disabled Veteran plate. DMV and Veterans Assistance verify eligibility and vehicle requirements. The unremarried surviving spouse may retain the plate until death or nonrenewal.
A vehicle displaying an appropriate Disabled Veteran or Purple Heart plate may park without depositing money at municipal metered spaces in West Virginia under §17A-3-15a. This is not a blanket exemption from private parking charges or permission to ignore other parking restrictions.
Qualifying relatives of a service member who died in circumstances covered by the Gold Star rules may apply for a West Virginia Gold Star Family plate. The DMV application requires relationship and casualty documentation certified by Veterans Assistance; not every line-of-duty death qualifies. Current law waives registration fees for one personal-use Gold Star plate for an eligible spouse, remarried or not, or parent. Other relatives should confirm applicable fees with DMV.
The NASWA–Hilton program may award hotel points for verified job interviews, employment-related training or pre-employment testing. West Virginia is a participating state. General job searching, relocation, house hunting and previous hotel stays are not covered. Awards are not guaranteed; contact a participating American Job Center or NASWA about state-specific eligibility.
West Virginia public institutions charge in-state tuition, regardless of domicile, to nonresident members of a West Virginia Guard or Reserve unit; current Armed Forces members living in or moving to the state; and Veterans living in or moving to West Virginia to attend a state institution. Spouses and dependents living in or moving with a qualifying member or Veteran are included. Ask the institution for documentation. The current statute does not impose the old three-year-after-discharge deadline.
Military disability retirement is not the same as VA disability compensation. West Virginia permits a subtraction for qualifying military retirement income included in federal adjusted gross income. Federal treatment of disability retirement depends on IRS exclusion rules, including certain service-connected or combat-related circumstances; do not assume all military disability retirement is federally tax-free.
VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a tax-free federal survivor benefit for eligible surviving spouses, children and parents. West Virginia starts with federal adjusted gross income, so this tax-exempt VA benefit is not included in that starting amount. Eligibility and payments are determined by VA, not by West Virginia.
The John F. “Jack” Bennett Fund provides needs-based help of up to $380 toward installing a deceased Veteran’s grave marker. Family members, next of kin, funeral directors or cemeteries may apply with supporting documents. This state installation assistance is separate from the federal VA headstone or marker benefit.
West Virginia public higher-education institutions waive undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees for eligible resident Veterans with an honorable discharge who received the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart, for up to eight semesters. Other education benefits and grants affect the waiver amount; the statute has a special offset rule for qualifying combat injuries involving permanent disability or loss of a limb. Apply through the institution.
Medal of Honor recipients may request the West Virginia Medal of Honor plate. Contact DMV for the required application and documentation. Eligibility for this plate depends on the award, not a VA disability percentage.
Surviving Veterans who left high school without graduating to serve during World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War may qualify for an honorary diploma if discharged under honorable conditions and not already awarded a high-school diploma. Apply to the county board where you now live or where your former school is located; the statute defines the eligible service periods.
Purple Heart recipients may apply for a West Virginia Purple Heart plate using the DMV form and Veterans Assistance eligibility certification. Vehicle and registration requirements apply. An unremarried surviving spouse may retain the plate until death or nonrenewal.
West Virginia offers military and Veteran plates for specified service, awards and eligible family relationships. Each plate has its own documentation, vehicle and fee requirements; use the DMV military-plate directory to select the correct application. A military plate is not by itself a finding of eligibility for unrelated benefits.
West Virginia law exempts the first qualifying honorary military plate from registration fees for Disabled Veterans, Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross and Air Force Cross recipients, and Pearl Harbor survivors. A second plate has a $10 one-time charge plus other required fees. Eligible surviving spouses may continue the plate until death, remarriage or nonrenewal. Ask DMV about qualifying transfers of the fee exemption to another military plate.
Permanent state, county and municipal employees who are Guard or Reserve members may receive paid military leave for ordered duty or training, up to 30 working days or 240 hours per calendar year. A qualifying Title 10 mobilization or contingency call can provide an additional 30 working days or 240 hours per call, with statutory rules for combining unused annual leave. This benefit is tied to public employment and orders, not Veteran status alone.
Veterans and active-duty service members can receive 10% off eligible lodge rooms, cabins and campsites at West Virginia State Parks using VETS10 and presenting valid military identification at check-in. Stonewall Resort is excluded; other restrictions and availability conditions apply. Review the current offer before booking.
West Virginia excludes qualifying military survivor annuities, including SBP, RCSBP and RSFPP payments, from state adjusted gross income to the extent they are included in federal adjusted gross income. This state subtraction does not make a federally taxable annuity federally tax-free.
West Virginia provides income-tax relief when an Armed Forces member dies while serving in a combat zone or from wounds, disease or injury incurred during that service. The law covers the death year and qualifying earlier combat-service years and addresses abatement of certain unpaid taxes. Special rules govern missing-status death determinations and refund deadlines; survivors should consult the Tax Division before filing.
Military pay is not automatically exempt from West Virginia income tax. A West Virginia domiciliary is treated as a nonresident under the 30-day rule only if they keep no permanent abode in West Virginia, keep a permanent abode elsewhere, and spend no more than 30 days in the state during the tax year. Separate subtractions may apply to specified active-duty service and the year of permanent military separation; consult TSD 443 and the current return instructions.
West Virginia public institutions waive undergraduate tuition and fees for eligible spouses and children of resident service members killed in the line of duty, including specified Guard, Reserve and active-duty service. Admission, available classroom space, a FAFSA, use of other tuition-and-fee assistance and satisfactory academic progress are required. Laboratory or other special course fees and parking may still be charged. Apply through the institution.
Honorably discharged Veterans may apply for a West Virginia Veteran plate for a qualifying passenger car, truck or motorcycle titled in their name. The DMV application requires Veterans Assistance certification and normal registration documentation and fees. An unremarried surviving spouse may retain the plate until death or nonrenewal.
West Virginia Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture connects participating Veterans, service members and eligible family members with agricultural training, mentoring, networking and business resources. Membership is free. The current program offers up to $600 per fiscal year for approved educational training, but applicants must obtain approval before registering; funding and program conditions apply.
Eligible applicants may receive five Veteran-preference points on a passing West Virginia state-employment examination score. Qualifying service includes full-time active duty followed by an honorable or under-honorable-conditions discharge, or more than 90 consecutive days of full-time active-duty training in the Guard or Reserves. Qualifying disability or Purple Heart status can add five more points, for a maximum of ten. Submit the required military and, if applicable, current VA documentation.
The 125-bed West Virginia Veterans Home in Barboursville offers residential housing, not skilled nursing care. Applicants must meet discharge, service-length, VA-care and medical screening requirements and remain ambulatory and independent in daily activities. The domiciliary program generally requires a contribution of half the resident’s monthly income; Project-214 offers a separate 60-day no-cost option for eligible Veterans experiencing homelessness.
The West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility in Clarksburg provides skilled nursing care for eligible West Virginia Veterans. Its 120 beds include a 20-bed Alzheimer’s-care unit. Contact the facility for admission criteria, assessment and current availability.
Honorably discharged West Virginia Veterans who have exhausted GI Bill benefits may apply for re-education assistance for enrollment at a West Virginia postsecondary school or training program. DVA describes awards of up to $500 per semester, subject to available funding and agency discretion, for tuition, professional-license or certification tests, or training materials. Submit a new application each semester.
Veterans Upward Bound offers free college-preparation assistance to eligible Veterans, including academic refreshers, admissions help and guidance on VA benefits, financial aid and scholarships. The provider serves Veterans who left military service in good standing and meet its income or first-generation-college criteria. This is an advising and preparation program, not a guaranteed scholarship award.
WorkForce West Virginia gives eligible Veterans and spouses priority access to employment and training services, including job listings, career counseling, resume assistance, placement help and training information. Register with WorkForce and complete the military-history section so staff can determine eligibility. This priority is distinct from state civil-service examination preference points.