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Michigan benefits for Veterans and families, each checked against an official Michigan source and linked to it. Federal VA benefits work the same everywhere, and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs can help you apply for them at no cost.
13 benefits from official sources1 not yet finalized1 unverifiedLast verified
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs
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
MVAA and accredited VSO locator
In effect
MVAA runs the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET and has a county-filter locator for accredited Veterans Service Officers.
Veterans who are 100% P&T, rated individually unemployable, or received a VA specially adapted housing grant can have their homestead fully exempted from property tax. Unremarried surviving spouses also qualify. The State Tax Commission affidavit (Form 5107) must be filed every year.
Who qualifies
Honorably discharged Michigan resident veterans with a 100% P&T rating, IU rating, or SAH grant; unremarried surviving spouses.
Amount or details
Full homestead exemption. Disabled veterans can also claim a property tax credit on form MI-1040CR-2.
How to apply
File Form 5107 with the local assessor between January 1 and December 31 each year.
A veteran with a VA total and permanent disability rating can register one passenger vehicle with a disabled veteran plate at no fee, plus a one-time $5 administrative fee. Ex-POWs also qualify. The Secretary of State also offers veteran and military service plates.
Who qualifies
Veterans rated totally and permanently disabled by VA; ex-POWs.
Amount or details
No registration fee for one vehicle; $5 one-time fee.
“A veteran determined by the VA to have a total and permanent disability rating qualifies to register one passenger vehicle with a disabled veteran plate at no fee. There is a one-time $5 administrative fee when the plate is first issued.”
Veterans with an honorable or general discharge can have 'Veteran' printed in red on their Michigan driver's license or state ID. There is no extra charge at original issue or renewal.
Who qualifies
Honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge.
Amount or details
No additional charge at original or renewal issue.
How to apply
Submit discharge proof at a Secretary of State office or with a mail renewal.
Children of Veterans Tuition Grant; in-state tuition
In effect
The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant, run by Treasury, pays undergraduate tuition assistance for children of veterans who died on active duty or are rated totally and permanently disabled. Veterans and active-duty members get in-state tuition regardless of residency.
Who qualifies
Children of qualifying veterans; all veterans for in-state tuition.
“The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant provides undergraduate tuition assistance to the child of a veteran who died while on active federal duty or who has been awarded a total and permanent disability rating from VA.”
State employment preference; LARA licensing accommodations
In effect
Veterans and their spouses get preference for initial employment with the State of Michigan. LARA lets veterans and spouses use military experience toward licensing requirements and waives initial license processing fees.
Who qualifies
Veterans and spouses.
Amount or details
Hiring preference; fee waivers.
How to apply
Claim preference when applying for state jobs; contact LARA about licensing.
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund emergency grants; county burial allowance
In effect
The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund gives emergency grants for temporary financial hardship. Wartime veterans with 180 days of service qualify, and so do peacetime veterans aged 65+ under the 65+ Peacetime Program. County boards also pay a $300 burial allowance to eligible veterans and spouses who meet asset limits.
Who qualifies
Wartime veterans (or 65+ peacetime veterans) with honorable or general discharge; Michigan residents.
Free hunting/fishing licenses for 100% P&T or IU veterans; free park entry
In effect
Michigan resident veterans who are 100% P&T (for disabilities other than blindness) or rated individually unemployable can get any hunting or fishing license that does not require a separate application for free. Medal of Honor recipients, 100% disabled veterans, and ex-POWs with the specialty plate get free entry to facilities that require a Recreation Passport.
Who qualifies
Resident 100% P&T or IU veterans (licenses); 100% DV, MOH, or ex-POW with the specialty plate (parks).
Amount or details
Free licenses (no lottery licenses); free park entry.
How to apply
Show VA proof at a license agent; display the plate at the park.
“Michigan resident veterans with a disability are eligible to obtain any hunting or fishing license that does not require a separate application free of charge, if one of the following conditions is met:”
Michigan Veteran Homes (Chesterfield Twp., Grand Rapids, D.J. Jacobetti/Marquette)
In effect
Michigan Veteran Homes runs homes at Chesterfield Township, Grand Rapids, and D.J. Jacobetti in Marquette, and a new Jacobetti home is planned. Applicants send an application with documentation to the home they choose.
Who qualifies
Veterans meeting MVH admission criteria (see application).
Amount or details
Skilled nursing and domiciliary care; cost of care depends on VA benefits.
“To apply for admission to Michigan Veteran Homes, candidates should submit a completed application to their chosen home, along with the following documentation:”
No state-operated veterans cemetery confirmed; national cemeteries serve Michigan
Unverified — confirm with the agency
Not confirmed on an official page: No state veterans cemetery appears on the MVAA burial page. Absence was not confirmed by an official statement, and the purpose of the PA 105 of 2026 land transfer is unverified.
MVAA's burial page lists only national cemeteries (Great Lakes in Holly, Fort Custer in Augusta, Fort Mackinac). Public Act 105 of 2026 (SB 478) transfers about 93 acres in Livingston County to DMVA, but the bill text reviewed here does not say what the land is for.
Who qualifies
Veterans eligible for national cemetery burial.
How to apply
Schedule through the VA National Cemetery Scheduling Office.
Pending 2026 bills: lifetime hunting/fishing licenses for veterans (SB 821), DV property tax changes, plate fee waivers
Not yet finalized
Not final yet: These bills are still in committee or on second reading as of the 2025-2026 legislature search reviewed today.
SB 821 of 2026 would create lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for veterans and has been referred to committee. Other 2025-2026 bills that would change the disabled veteran property tax exemption (MCL 211.7b), waive plate fees for veterans, and exempt veterans from the Recreation Passport are still pending.
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.