South Dakota Veterans Benefits

Exempts a portion of the assessed value of an owner-occupied dwelling (house, garage, and up to one acre) for a veteran rated permanently AND totally disabled from a service-connected disability by the VA. The statute requires a permanent and total (P&T) service-connected rating; it does not key off a numeric percentage other than total/100%. Apply on a form prescribed by the secretary of revenue to the county Director of Equalization by November 1 for the following assessment year.

Dwellings specifically designed for wheelchair use, owned and occupied by a veteran with the loss or loss of use of both lower extremities (paraplegic), are FULLY exempt from property taxation (no dollar cap). Also covers the unremarried widow/widower of such a veteran. Property must be owned and occupied for one full calendar year before the exemption takes effect; apply to the county assessor by November 1.

Unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who was permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, OR whose death was service-connected (spouse receiving VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation), receives a partial exemption on an owner-occupied dwelling. Apply to the county by November 1.

South Dakota levies no individual income tax. Military retirement pay, VA disability compensation, and all other income are free of state income tax. No filing or exemption claim is required.

Children under age 25 who are SD residents and whose parent was killed in action or died while on active duty (parent must have been an SD resident at least 6 months before service) receive free tuition at state-supported schools. Spouses and children of POW/MIA service members receive tuition and mandatory-fee waivers for up to eight semesters, provided they lack equal or greater federal benefits.

An honorably discharged South Dakota resident veteran who qualifies for in-state tuition and is NOT eligible for the GI Bill or other federal educational assistance may attend a state-supported university or technical college tuition-free. Benefit is one month of free tuition for each month of qualifying war service, ranging from one to four academic years maximum. Apply via the E-12 form through the SD Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

Active members of the South Dakota National Guard receive a 100% reduction in tuition charges at state universities and technical colleges (up to 128 undergraduate credits and 32 graduate credits), contingent on maintaining Guard membership and meeting drill-attendance requirements. This is a Guard membership benefit rather than a veteran benefit.

Honorably discharged veterans (and certain spouses/surviving spouses/family members who claim on the veteran's behalf) receive preference in public employment across state, county, city, and public school systems. Disabled veterans receive preference over non-disabled veterans. In the state executive branch, preference-eligible applicants who meet job qualifications are guaranteed an interview. The page describes federal 5/10-point scoring but does not state a specific point value for SD state/local positions.

Resident veterans who hold a VA 'K' award, received an automobile under Public Law 187, hold a statutory benefit for loss/loss of use of one or more extremities, or receive a VA allotment for total service-connected disability may obtain a Disabled Veteran plate. The injury must have been incurred on active duty during wartime or armed conflict. The annual vehicle REGISTRATION fee is waived; only a $10 annual plate charge applies.

Purple Heart plates carry no registration fee (only a $10 annual plate charge). Medal of Honor plates carry no fee at all. Other valor-medal plates (Silver Star, Bronze Star, Navy Cross, etc.) require both the registration fee and the $10 plate fee at initial application.

Any South Dakota RESIDENT veteran who has received the VA 'K' award OR receives a VA allotment for a service-connected disability rated 40% or greater may purchase a reduced-fee combination hunting and fishing license. A $10 application fee applies and the license is valid for four years. Authorized under SDCL 41-6-10.2 and 41-17-13.4.

Resident veterans deemed 100% disabled receive a free LIFETIME state park entrance license (free vehicle entry to all SD state parks/recreation areas), plus a 50% discount on camping fees and associated electrical-service fees. Apply online through GFP and upload VA verification; approved applicants receive a billfold card.

100-bed state veterans home (78 nursing beds, 24 domiciliary/assisted-living beds) for eligible SD veterans and their spouses/widows/widowers. Eligibility tied to qualifying for VA per-diem domiciliary or nursing-home care; veterans domiciled in SD within the past five years receive admission preference. Costs (subject to change): assisted living about $203.75/day or 50% of a single resident's income (55% of combined income for couples); nursing-facility care about $360.00/day.

Cash bonus for veterans who were SD legal residents for at least six months immediately before active duty. Up to $500 for Persian Gulf-era service (Aug 2, 1990 - Dec 31, 1992) and up to an additional $500 for qualifying service after Jan 1, 1993 (including ongoing Global War on Terror service from Sept 11, 2001). Active duty for training does not count. Prior WWI/WWII/Korea/Vietnam bonus programs are closed.