| Military retirement pay | South Dakota has no individual income tax, so military retirement pay and Thrift Savings Plan withdrawals are not taxed by the state. |
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| Property tax | A veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from service gets a $200,000 exemption off the full value of their owner-occupied house, garage and lot. An unremarried surviving spouse who receives dependency and indemnity compensation may also qualify. Get a VA statement of your permanent and total rating (Sioux Falls VA Regional Office, 1-800-827-1000) and apply to your County Director of Equalization by November 1. Once approved, you do not have to reapply. Paraplegic veterans with a specially designed home may be fully exempt on the house, garage and up to one acre. |
| Disabled veteran property tax exemption Taxes | $200,000 off the value of the owner-occupied home for permanent and total service-connected veterans; apply by November 1. |
| Paraplegic veteran full exemption Taxes | Full property tax exemption for veterans who lost the use of both legs and live in a home designed for wheelchair use. |
| Michael J. Fitzmaurice SD Veterans Home Health & Homes | 100-bed state veterans home in Hot Springs, open to resident veterans and spouses. |
| South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery Burial | Cemetery in Sioux Falls with no fee for the veteran's burial; spouses and dependents pay $1,002. The state reimburses up to $200 for a government headstone. |
| Free tuition for veterans Education | One month of free undergraduate tuition at state universities and technical colleges for each month of qualifying wartime service, from one to four years, after VA education benefits are used. |
| $10 four-year hunting and fishing license Recreation | Resident disabled veterans rated 40%+ and former POWs can get a four-year license for $10. |
| Free lifetime state park entrance Recreation | Resident veterans rated 100%, former POWs and Purple Heart recipients get free lifetime park entrance and half-price camping. |
| State and local hiring preference Jobs | Preference order is disabled veterans, spouses of disabled veterans, veterans, then unremarried surviving spouses. |
Last checked 2026-11. State rules change often; confirm with South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs before you rely on any benefit.