State veteran benefits

Veteran Benefits in Maryland

Maryland offers a full dwelling exemption for qualifying disabled veterans and certain surviving spouses, a partial military retirement income subtraction, military-connected scholarships, Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, recreation benefits, state hiring credit, and temporary financial assistance.

Checked against official state sources on October 3, 2026.

Free help in Maryland

Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families

Maryland's state department for veterans and military families.

Agency website (opens in a new tab) · Phone: 410-260-3838

Free help with VA claims

DVMF provides free claims help through VA-accredited Benefits Specialists. Its application page includes a statewide office directory.

Find a local office (opens in a new tab)

Not sure what applies to you?

Answer seven questions and the Benefits Finder builds a checklist of federal and state benefits, deadlines and free help.

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Property tax relief

Disabled veteran dwelling property tax exemption

Who qualifies
A veteran honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances whom VA has found permanently 100% service-connected disabled, with the disability expected to last for life and not caused by misconduct. The veteran must own the legal residence, which can house no more than two families. Certain unremarried surviving spouses also qualify under the separate ownership and occupancy rules.
What you get
Exempts the qualifying dwelling, its lot or surrounding grounds, and structures necessary for residential use from property tax.
How to apply
Submit the disabled-veteran application to the local Supervisor of Assessments with discharge documentation and VA disability certification or a rating decision showing its effective date. Veterans and surviving spouses may apply at any time.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (3)

State income tax

Military retirement pay: Partly exempt

Military retirement income subtraction

Who qualifies
Maryland taxpayers receiving qualifying military retirement income, including death benefits. The age test is the taxpayer's age on the last day of the tax year.
What you get
Subtract up to $12,500 if under age 55, or up to $20,000 if age 55 or older, limited to qualifying income included in federal adjusted gross income.
How to apply
Complete Maryland Form 502 and follow the resident tax booklet instructions for line 13.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (2)

Education and tuition

Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship

Who qualifies
Military pathways include veterans with at least 25% service-connected disability who exhausted or are no longer eligible for federal veterans education benefits, and qualifying children, stepchildren, or unremarried surviving spouses of service members who died from service or became permanently 100% service-connected disabled after December 7, 1941. Applicants must be at least 16, meet an eligible enrollment pathway, and satisfy Maryland residency at application or the disabling or fatal event. The disabled-veteran pathway is limited to 15 recipients annually.
What you get
Scholarships toward tuition and mandatory fees, capped by the statute's public-university tuition-and-fee benchmark. Awards can last up to five full-time or eight part-time years. For 2026-27, MHEC allocates funding to institutions before awards; confirm the actual award with the institution.
How to apply
Apply directly to the eligible postsecondary institution and confirm its current application deadline and financial-aid instructions.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (2)

Douglas J.J. Peters Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship

Who qualifies
Maryland-resident eligible veterans and active or activated Reserve-component service members, and their spouses, children, and stepchildren. Qualifying service is in Afghanistan or contiguous airspace on or after October 24, 2001, or Iraq or contiguous waters or airspace on or after March 19, 2003. Applicants must enter an eligible undergraduate or transferable two-year certificate program. Recipients must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.
What you get
Assistance with tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board, capped at 50% of the statutory Maryland public-university annual cost benchmark. It can supplement federal education benefits.
How to apply
Apply through the MHEC One-App in MDCAPS and confirm the current academic year's opening date, deadline, and documentation requirements.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (2)

State jobs and hiring preference

State employment veterans selection-test credit

Who qualifies
Otherwise-qualified applicants who pass the selection test and are eligible veterans, spouses of active service members, spouses of service-connected disabled eligible veterans, or surviving spouses of deceased eligible veterans. Effective October 1, 2026, the veteran definition uses discharge other than dishonorable or satisfactory completion, including Reserve, Public Health Service, and NOAA commissioned service. Current state employees and veterans convicted of a crime after military service cannot claim this veteran credit.
What you get
Adds 10 points to the selection-test score, with two more points for a former POW. This does not guarantee selection.
How to apply
Use the current-recruitments link on Maryland's Jobs for Veterans page and follow the individual vacancy's application instructions.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (3)

Licenses, plates and parks

Veteran state park day-use fee waiver

Who qualifies
Veterans presenting accepted identification, including resident and out-of-state veterans. Effective October 1, 2026, accepted identification also covers former Maryland National Guard members discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
What you get
Waives the holder's day-use entry fee and the per-vehicle entry fee when the holder is in the vehicle. Other facility-use charges are not waived.
How to apply
Show a valid veteran ID, a driver's license or other state-issued license or ID showing veteran status, or other DNR-accepted proof of veteran or qualifying former Maryland Guard status.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (2)

Disabled veteran and former POW lifetime hunting and fishing licenses

Who qualifies
Maryland residents who are former POWs, veterans whom VA finds unemployable, or 100% service-connected disabled veterans.
What you get
Complimentary lifetime hunting, nontidal angling, and Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing licenses.
How to apply
Provide a VA disability or certification letter and complete the applicable license application linked on the DNR Military One-stop Shop page.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (5)

Emergency financial help

Maryland Veterans Trust Fund

Who qualifies
The current administrative page lists Maryland residents who are honorably discharged veterans, Maryland National Guard members, or qualifying surviving veteran or Guard spouses. Additional financial and expense eligibility rules apply.
What you get
One-time financial assistance after program review. It is not an immediate emergency fund; the department says review takes about four weeks.
How to apply
Apply through the official online portal during the monthly application window, the 1st through the 15th. Check the program page for required documents and qualifying past-due expenses.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (3)

State veterans homes

Before you apply

This page summarizes state law and agency guidance as checked on October 3, 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Eligibility depends on your records, and laws change, so confirm the details on the official page linked with each benefit, or ask a free accredited representative. This page covers the main state programs. Your county veterans service officer can tell you about smaller or local benefits.

Federal VA benefits apply in every state. See the Veteran Resource Directory and the Benefits Finder.