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Massachusetts benefits for Veterans and families, each checked against an official Massachusetts source and linked to it. Federal VA benefits work the same everywhere, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) can help you apply for them at no cost.
16 benefits from official sources1 not yet finalized1 unverifiedLast verified
Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS)
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
EOVS and local Veterans Service Officers
In effect
EOVS is a cabinet-level agency. Each city and town has a local Veterans Service Officer (VSO) who takes applications for state benefits such as Chapter 115.
“VSOs are veteran resources in cities and towns across Massachusetts devoted to help you find resources, enrolling in state benefits and connect you to community partners within your city or town.”
Local veteran property tax exemptions (Clauses 22-22H)
In effect
Under M.G.L. c.59 §5 Clauses 22-22H, qualifying veterans get property tax exemptions. Examples: $400 for a 10%+ service-connected disability (Clause 22) and $1,000 for a 100% service-connected disability (Clause 22E). Paraplegic veterans and some surviving spouses get a full exemption. Under the 2024 HERO Act, municipalities may opt to double these exemptions and/or index them to inflation.
Who qualifies
Veterans who own and occupy a Massachusetts domicile and meet the clause requirements (disability rating, Purple Heart, etc.).
Amount or details
Clause 22 $400; 22A $750; 22B $1,250; 22C $1,500; 22E $1,000; 22D, 22F and 22H (local option) full. Local option to double the exemption or adjust it for inflation.
“As a result of the passage of the HERO Act, certain municipalities are now eligible to double the property tax exemption and/or tie the exemption to inflation, or both.”
HERO Act RMV fee, excise and sales tax exemptions for disabled veterans
In effect
Veterans with a 100% VA rating or VA unemployability pay no registration fees and no driver's license transaction fees. They are also exempt from motor vehicle excise tax on one vehicle. Veterans with DV plates are exempt from sales tax on one vehicle, and the HERO Act extends this to Purple Heart recipients rated 60%+ who are approved for DV plates.
Who qualifies
Massachusetts resident veterans rated 100% or individually unemployable by VA; vehicle sales tax requires DV plates.
Amount or details
Registration and license fees waived (special plate fees and professional credential fees still apply); excise tax exemption for one passenger vehicle or pickup truck.
How to apply
Apply through the RMV with VA disability documentation.
“The Massachusetts HERO Act exempts disabled veterans from paying Registration fees for any/all vehicle registration(s), with the following exceptions:”
“Veterans will qualify for a motor vehicle excise tax exemption if the VA determines they have a 100% disability rating or deems them unemployable due to their service-connected disability.”
Categorical tuition waiver for veterans at public colleges
In effect
Massachusetts veterans who are legal residents may receive a full or partial tuition waiver for state-supported undergraduate and certificate courses at public colleges and universities, on a space-available basis. National Guard members are eligible for a separate tuition and fee waiver.
Who qualifies
Veterans as defined by M.G.L. ch. 4 §7 cl. 43 who are legal residents of Massachusetts.
Amount or details
Full or partial tuition (not fees) for state-supported courses.
How to apply
Contact the veterans' representative at the college.
“Veterans will be eligible on a space-available basis for a waiver of full or partial tuition based on proper documentation of the eligibility of the veteran.”
“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers a tuition waiver to all veterans and active duty servicepersons who are permanent and legal residents of Massachusetts.”
Civil service absolute veterans' preference; Vet-Hire tax credit
In effect
Massachusetts civil service uses absolute veterans' preference: veterans who pass an open competitive exam are placed above non-veterans on the eligible list, and disabled veterans are placed first. The HERO Act raised the Vet-Hire tax credit for small businesses to $2,500.
Who qualifies
Veterans who pass civil service exams; employers hiring eligible veterans for the credit.
Amount or details
Order: disabled veterans, then veterans, then certain surviving spouses and parents. Vet-Hire credit up to $2,500.
How to apply
Claim veteran status when applying for the exam; update it through Civil Service.
“Civil service uses a system of absolute veteran's preference in which someone qualifying as a veteran who passes the open competitive exam is placed higher on the resulting eligible list”
Chapter 115 is a needs-based program that helps veterans with low income pay for daily living, medical costs, rent, and dependents. It now also covers outpatient behavioral health care and prescriptions.
Who qualifies
Low-income veterans and dependents meeting Chapter 115 criteria.
Amount or details
Monthly assistance based on need; can be paid by check or direct deposit.
“Veterans eligible for Chapter 115 financial benefits may now utilize benefits for outpatient behavioral health services”
Disabled veteran annuity ($2,500/year)
In effect
Massachusetts pays an annual annuity of $2,500 to 100% service-connected disabled veterans, Gold Star parents, and eligible surviving spouses. Since July 1, 2025, surviving spouses keep the annuity if they remarry.
Who qualifies
Veterans rated 100% service-connected or paid at 100% by VA; Gold Star parents; surviving spouses.
Amount or details
$2,500 per year, one check.
How to apply
Apply to EOVS; it must receive and approve new applications by June 30.
“Effective July 1, 2025, surviving spouses of deceased U.S. Armed Forces member can continue receiving annuity benefits even if they remarry.”
Veterans' bonuses (Treasury Bonus Division)
In effect
The Treasurer's Veterans' Bonus Division pays bonuses to veterans who listed Massachusetts as home of record for at least six months before service. Post-9/11 Welcome Home bonuses are $500 for 6 months of active service and $1,000 for imminent-danger service, with smaller amounts for later deployments.
Who qualifies
Massachusetts domicile at least six months before entry; wartime or combat-operation service.
Amount or details
Welcome Home: $500 for CONUS/OCONUS service; $1,000 for imminent danger or death on active service; $500 or $250 for subsequent deployments.
How to apply
Apply online or by mail to the Veterans' Bonus Division.
Free state park parking with DV or Purple Heart plates
In effect
At DCR state parks, vehicles with a Disabled Veteran plate, a Purple Heart plate, or a disability plate or placard do not pay daily parking fees and do not need an annual pass.
Who qualifies
Vehicles bearing Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or disability plates or placards.
Amount or details
Daily parking fees waived (the annual pass costs $60 otherwise).
Free fishing/hunting licenses (disability-based, not veteran-specific)
Unverified — confirm with the agency
Not confirmed on an official page: No veteran-specific hunting or fishing license was found on MassWildlife pages reviewed. A veteran-specific benefit is not confirmed absent, so this is not marked none_offered.
MassWildlife gives free licenses to people who are blind, have an intellectual disability, or have paraplegia. This official page shows no veteran-specific free license.
Who qualifies
Blind, intellectually disabled, or paraplegic residents (veterans qualify only through the same disability criteria).
Amount or details
Free license.
How to apply
First-time applicants submit a Certificate of Blindness or a physician certification form to MassWildlife.
Massachusetts Veterans Homes at Chelsea and Holyoke
In effect
The state runs long-term care Veterans Homes in Chelsea and Holyoke; a new 234-bed Holyoke home has opened. Applicants must be Massachusetts residents, be suitable for long-term nursing care, and meet the statutory definition of veteran.
Who qualifies
Massachusetts residents who meet the veteran definition and are medically suitable.
Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemeteries (Agawam, Winchendon)
In effect
The state cemeteries in Agawam and Winchendon provide free burial for eligible veterans and charge spouses and dependents a nominal fee. The cemeteries stop pre-qualifying burial applications on July 1, 2026.
Who qualifies
Eligible veterans and their spouses and dependents.
Amount or details
Free burial for veterans; nominal fee for spouses and dependents. Phone (978) 297-9501.
Not final yet: These are bills, not law. H.3836 was sent to a study order, which usually means it will not pass.
H.5508, An Act relative to veterans' housing stability, had a written-testimony hearing on 07/21/2026. H.3836, a disabled veteran homestead exemption, was heard on 10/28/2025 and then sent to a study order.
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.