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Louisiana benefits for Veterans and families, each checked against an official Louisiana source and linked to it. Federal VA benefits work the same everywhere, and the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) can help you apply for them at no cost.
13 benefits from official sources1 not yet finalizedLast verified
How to read the labels:In effect confirmed on an official page. Not yet finalized announced or passed but not in force yet. Unverified — confirm with the agency we couldn't confirm it on an official page, so ask the agency.
Help from your state veterans office
LDVA and parish veterans service offices
In effect
Louisiana has at least one LDVA veterans service office in every parish, staffed by veterans assistance counselors. LDVA also runs five veterans homes and five veterans cemeteries.
Veterans rated 50%+ service-connected get an extra exemption on their primary residence. Those rated 100% are exempt from all ad valorem taxes except certain municipal assessments.
Military retirement excluded from Louisiana income tax
In effect
Federal retirement benefits, including military retirement and military Survivor Benefit Plan payments, can be excluded from Louisiana taxable income (R.S. 47:44.2).
Who qualifies
Military retirees and SBP recipients.
Amount or details
Full exclusion.
How to apply
Claim the federal retirement exclusion on the Louisiana return.
Veteran plates, license fee waivers and free parking
In effect
Louisiana offers Disabled Veteran, Military Honors and 100% DAV plates, plus Support Our Veterans and Support Our Troops plates. Disabled veterans may get license and ID fee waivers, and 50%+ veterans park free at Louisiana airports and for seven days at the Port of New Orleans cruise terminal.
Who qualifies
Varies by plate; parking requires 50%+ service-connected rating.
Amount or details
Support Our Veterans $25 one-time; Support Our Troops $25 annual.
Title 29 dependent education assistance and in-state tuition
In effect
Title 29 helps surviving spouses and children of deceased veterans, and children of veterans rated 90%+, attend Louisiana public schools. Veterans, spouses, children and active-duty members get in-state tuition at any Louisiana public college. A 2026 law lets veterans use a DD-214 as proof for TOPS.
Who qualifies
Title 29: survivors of deceased veterans; children of veterans rated 90%+.
Amount or details
Title 29 tuition assistance for 5 years to finish 4 years; in-state tuition.
How to apply
Apply through your parish veterans service office.
“In-state tuition status granted to veterans, their spouses and children, and active-duty military attending any Louisiana public college or university.”
The MFA Fund gives need-based financial help to eligible veterans and Louisiana National Guard or Reserve members, up to $10,000 per claim in a 12-month period.
Who qualifies
Eligible veterans and LANG/Reserve members with financial need.
Amount or details
Up to $10,000 per 12 months.
How to apply
Apply through your parish veterans service office.
Free hunting and fishing license for 50%+ disabled veterans
In effect
Veterans with a permanent service-connected disability of 50% or more get a free Disabled Veterans Hunting and Fishing License. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation covers the $4 fee. LDVA notes discounts and waivers for state park entry too.
Who qualifies
Permanent service-connected disability of 50%+.
Amount or details
Free ($4 fee paid by the LWF Foundation).
How to apply
Submit the LDWF Disabled Veterans Hunting and Fishing License application.
LDVA runs five veterans homes: Louisiana, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest. Veterans rated below 70% (including those with no rating) pay $2,424 a month (subject to change).
Who qualifies
Veterans, spouses, Gold Star parents and eligible Guard/Reserve.
Amount or details
$2,424/month for veterans under 70%; $5,500/month for some non-veteran residents.
How to apply
Submit an application by mail or fax to the home of your choice.
2026 session: free health records for disability claims (Act 558); stolen valor crime (Act 203)
In effect
HB 609 (Act 558) exempts veterans from fees for health records requested for a VA or state disability claim (once per facility). SB 51 (Act 203) creates a state crime for fraudulently claiming military service or awards.
Who qualifies
Veterans filing disability claims.
Amount or details
One-time-per-facility records fee exemption.
How to apply
Request records from the facility, citing the disability claim.
“exempts veterans from fees for health records requested in connection with a disability claim before the federal or state veterans affairs departments”
Proposed constitutional amendment: surviving spouses can move the disabled-veteran exemption to a new home
Not yet finalized
Not final yet: On the fall 2026 ballot; the outcome and effective date weren't available at research time (2026-11-01).
SB 180 (Act No. 39) would let a surviving spouse already receiving the expanded disabled-veteran property tax exemption transfer it to one later home. Louisiana voters decide it in the fall 2026 election.
Who qualifies
Surviving spouses of veterans with service-connected disabilities who already receive the exemption.
Amount or details
Transfer of the existing exemption to one later home.
We only publish what we could confirm on an official Louisiana source. These are the open questions from our latest review. Ask the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) about anything here.
Most items cite the official LDVA 2026-2027 Guidebook rather than statute or Revenue/OMV pages; homestead amounts not cross-checked against the Louisiana Constitution Art. VII Sec. 21.
State park veteran discount details not reviewed from LA State Parks.
Effective dates of 2026 Acts 203 and 558 not confirmed; SB 180 ballot date/outcome not confirmed.
HB 175 (Veterans Service Grant Board) did not pass in 2026.
This state page was last reviewed against official sources on November 1, 2026. Our watcher re-checks those pages automatically and flags any item whose quoted wording disappears.