State & County Benefits
Beyond your federal VA benefits, Illinois and Macoupin County offer property-tax relief, license-plate and driver's-license benefits, legal protections, and more. Our office helps you qualify and complete every form — at no cost.
Property Tax Relief for Veterans
Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD)
An annual reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the primary residence of a Veteran with a service-connected disability of 30% or more, certified by the VA. Set by Illinois law at 35 ILCS 200/15-169, the reduction increases with your rating:
| VA service-connected rating | Reduction in EAV |
|---|---|
| 30% – 49% | $2,500 |
| 50% – 69% | $5,000 |
| 70% or more | Residence fully exempt (EAV reduction up to $250,000) |
Forms to file (with the County Assessment Office)
- PTAX-342 — Application for the SHEVD (first-time application)
- PTAX-342-R — Annual Verification of Eligibility (renew each year)
Surviving spouses: the exemption carries over to an un-remarried surviving spouse who holds title to and lives in the home, and it can transfer to a new primary residence. The surviving spouse of a service member killed in the line of duty may receive a 100% exemption.
You'll need a current VA Benefit Summary Letter (award letter) showing your rating — we can help you obtain it.
World War II Veterans & Their Surviving Spouses
Under a 2024 update to 35 ILCS 200/15-169, a Veteran who served in World War II — any time between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946 — receives a 100% property-tax exemption on their primary residence, regardless of disability rating. You must be an Illinois resident, own or hold legal interest in the home, occupy it as your principal residence, and be liable for the taxes.
Surviving spouses: a non-remarried surviving spouse of a WWII Veteran may apply, provided they have been an Illinois resident from the time of the Veteran's death through the year they apply.
Apply through the County Assessment Office using the SHEVD application (PTAX-342). Once approved, this exemption renews automatically — no annual re-application required.
Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption
A one-time $5,000 reduction in EAV for Veterans returning from active duty in an armed conflict, for the tax year they return (and the following year if applicable).
- PTAX-341 — Application for the Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption
IL Dept. of Revenue — Veteran Property Tax Relief ↗ Macoupin County Parcel Viewer (REACH) ↗
The law: 35 ILCS 200/15-169. This is general information, not legal advice — amounts and rules are set by statute and can change. File exemptions through the Macoupin County Supervisor of Assessments / Chief County Assessment Office; bring your award letter to our office and we'll walk you through it.
License Plates & Driver's License (Illinois Secretary of State)
Service-Connected Disabled Veteran (ISERVE) License Plates
Multi-year plates for Veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability, for passenger vehicles, trucks, and vans rated 8,000 lbs. or less. You'll submit the request form, your registration/renewal, the required fees, and a letter from the VA verifying your service-connected disability (ISERVE).
ISERVE plates — eligibility & request form →Disabled Veteran Plates & Parking Placard
Disabled-Veteran plates and the disability parking placard are available to Veterans whose service-connected disability is certified by a licensed physician. Your doctor completes the certification form:
- VSD 800 — Disabled Veteran Certification for Parking Placard (your physician completes this)
VSD 800 physician form (PDF) →
Veteran & Military License Plates and "Veteran" ID Designation
Illinois offers Veteran license plates for every branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), a Universal Veteran plate, and honor plates (Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, POW, Gold Star, Pearl Harbor survivor). Illinois can also add a Veteran designation to your driver's license or state ID — bring your DD-214, or we can verify your service.
All Illinois Veteran & Military license plates →Education Benefits
Illinois and the VA both help pay for school — for Veterans, current service members, and their families. We help you figure out which one fits and how to apply.
Illinois (State) Education Programs
- Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) — pays tuition and mandatory fees at Illinois public colleges and universities for eligible Veterans. Administered by ISAC.
- Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant — tuition and fee assistance for eligible Illinois National Guard members.
- MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship — education benefits for dependents of Veterans who are POW or MIA, deceased, or rated 100% service-connected disabled.
MIA/POW Dependents' Scholarship →
IDVA Education Benefits →
Federal (VA) Education Programs
- Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) — tuition, a monthly housing allowance, and a book stipend; may be transferable to a spouse or children.
- Yellow Ribbon Program — helps cover tuition above the Post-9/11 GI Bill cap at participating schools.
- Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35) — for the spouse and children of a permanently and totally disabled or deceased Veteran.
- Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) — training, counseling, and support to help service-disabled Veterans prepare for and find work.
Yellow Ribbon — talk to a service officer →
DEA (Ch. 35) — we'll help you apply. Call (217) 854-5249 →
VR&E (Ch. 31) — talk to a service officer →
Employment & Job Help
Veterans get priority of service for employment help in Illinois — and there are programs built specifically to get you hired and to protect your job. We can point you to the right one.
Find a Job — Veteran Priority
- IllinoisJobLink.com — the state job board. Veterans get priority access, and your resume is flagged so employers see your Veteran status.
- IDES Veteran employment services — DVOP specialists and LVER representatives at American Job Centers give one-on-one help and run Veteran hiring events.
- The Job Center – Carlinville (Illinois workNet) — local employment and job-search help at 116 S. Plum St., Carlinville.
IllinoisJobLink →
Job Rights, Training & Hiring Preference
- USERRA reemployment rights — if you left a civilian job for military service (including Guard/Reserve duty), you generally have the right to return to it. U.S. DOL VETS: 1-866-487-2365.
- Veterans' preference — added consideration in federal and Illinois public-sector hiring.
- Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Ch. 31) — for service-disabled Veterans: training, counseling, and help finding work. See Education above.
Not sure where to start? We’ll connect you →
Hunting, Fishing & State Parks
Free Hunting & Fishing License
Illinois Veterans with a 10% or greater service-connected disability (or receiving a total-disability pension) qualify for a free, permanent Illinois hunting and fishing license. You'll need your DD-214 and a Disability Affidavit — which our office can help you complete.
IDVA — Fishing & Hunting Permits →Free State Park Camping & Admission
Illinois resident disabled Veterans and former prisoners of war get free admission and free camping at Illinois Department of Natural Resources state parks and recreation areas — extending to immediate family when they're with the Veteran. You'll need an IDVA Veterans Disability Certification Card.
IDNR — Camping & Admission Discounts →Legal Protections — Illinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General's Military and Veterans Rights Bureau helps service members and Veterans with consumer protection, financial and employment rights, and Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) issues. The Attorney General also publishes Benefits for Illinois Veterans — a plain-language guide to state and federal Veteran benefits.
Benefits for Illinois Veterans Handbook (PDF) → Office of the Illinois Attorney General →
For civil legal services — discharge upgrades, benefit appeals, family, housing, and consumer matters — we can also refer you to the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (AFLAN).
Benefits for Your Family & Survivors
Your service can help your loved ones too. If you have a service-connected disability — or if a Veteran has passed away — a spouse, surviving spouse, and children may qualify for benefits of their own, such as:
- Health care for your family (CHAMPVA) — VA-paid health coverage for an eligible spouse and children. Also covers the survivor of a Veteran who was permanently and totally disabled at the time of death — even if the death was unrelated. This category is the one most often missed.
- Money for school — education benefits for a spouse and children (VA Chapter 35 and the Illinois MIA/POW scholarship).
- Monthly survivor payments (DIC) — a tax-free monthly payment to an eligible surviving spouse and children. Not only for a service-connected death: under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 a survivor may also qualify if the Veteran was rated totally disabling (including TDIU) for 10+ years before death — even if the death was unrelated.
- Help with burial — and a headstone, marker, or medallion.
Not sure what your family qualifies for? That's exactly what we're here for — bring your paperwork and we'll sort it out with you.
Family & dependent benefits — the VAC can help you apply. Contact us →
More Illinois Veteran Benefits
Illinois offers still more — state-employment Veterans' preference, the Illinois Veterans' Homes, Illinois State Fair admission, and the Illinois Lottery Veterans' Cash grant. These two official directories list every Illinois and federal benefit in one place:
Illinois Military & Veterans Benefits Library → Illinois Dept. of Veterans' Affairs →
We'll help you claim every benefit you've earned.
From the property-tax exemption to your license plates, our accredited Veterans Service Officers help you qualify and complete the forms — free of charge.