South Carolina Disabled Veterans Benefits

By Jane Meggitt

Honorably discharged disabled veterans residing in South Carolina may qualify for state benefits besides those offered by to all Palmetto State veterans. Certain benefits depend on the level of disability as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or whether the disability occurred during wartime.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources provides free hunting and fishing licenses to veterans certified as totally and permanently disabled by the VA. They may also receive reduced admission to any state park, as long as documentation of disability is presented at the time of the visit.

Federal disability benefits are not subject to South Carolina state tax. Veterans certified by the VA as 100-percent totally and permanently disabled from service-related causes are exempt from property taxes on their primary dwelling. The exemption continues for surviving spouses. It may also transfer upon purchase of another dwelling in the state as long as it is the primary residence. Veterans losing the use of the lower extremities or paralyzed on one half of their body due to service-related causes may qualify for exemption from municipal, county and state taxes on the prinicipal residence.

Veterans qualifying for state Disabled Veterans license plates are exempt from municipal meter parking fees.

Although the state does not provide specific education benefits for disabled veterans, the children of certain disabled veterans may qualify for free tuition at South Carolina state institutions of higher learning. The veteran parent's disabilities must occur during active duty in wartime. Children must be under age 25 and reside in the state of South Carolina.

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