This guide to Hawaii veteran benefits covers both state programs run through the State of Hawaiʻi Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS) and county partners, and federal VA benefits (health care, disability compensation, GI Bill®, VA home loans). This guide focuses on Hawaii-specific benefits veterans and eligible family members use most often—property tax relief, vehicle registration, education, long-term care, employment help, and where to get free local advocacy—updated for 2026.
Programs, dollar amounts, and eligibility rules change. Always confirm with the official agency linked below, the Office of Veterans’ Services, your county real property tax office, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs before you apply.
Hawaii Veteran Benefits: Population & Overview
The Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS), within the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense, is the principal state office for policies and programs for veterans, dependents, and survivors. OVS prepares VA claims, supports appeals and hearings, guides totally disabled veterans on home tax exemptions, validates State Employees’ Retirement System service credit, assists with indigent burials, and oversees state veteran homes. OVS Advisory Board materials have referenced on the order of approximately 120,000 veterans in the state—use current VA VetPop figures for planning counts.
Federal VA benefits are separate: enroll and file through VA.gov. Island OVS offices are usually the best first stop for free claims help and state program navigation.
OVS main contact (Oʻahu – Tripler): 459 Patterson Road, E-Wing Room 1-A103, Honolulu, HI 96819-1522 · 808-433-0420 · Fax 808-433-0385 · [email protected] · dod.hawaii.gov/ovs
Major Hawaii state programs at a glance
- OVS benefits & services — claims advocacy, tax guidance, homes oversight, DD-214 copies
- Totally Disabled Veterans real property tax exemption — county-administered (Honolulu example; other counties differ)
- State motor vehicle registration fee exemption — $46 state portion for 100% service-connected disabled veterans (annual OVS letter)
- UH nonresident tuition exemptions — military, Guard/Reserve, and many GI Bill users living in Hawaiʻi
- HIARNG State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) — Guard tuition reimbursement at UH system schools
- State veterans homes — Yukio Okutsu (Hilo) and Daniel K. Akaka (Oʻahu area)
Hawaii Veteran Medical & Healthcare Benefits
VA health care (federal)
Most clinical care for veterans is through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligibility depends on service history, discharge status, income in some priority groups, and other federal rules—not OVS membership.
- Check eligibility and apply: VA health care eligibility · How to apply (10-10EZ)
- Find Hawaiʻi clinics and medical centers: VA facility locator
- Main VA line: 800-698-2411
State veterans homes
OVS provides development and oversight of Hawaiʻi’s state veterans homes—a state long-term care path, different from VA medical centers:
- Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home (Hilo)
- Daniel K. Akaka Veterans Home (Oʻahu / Kapolei area)
Confirm current admission criteria, waitlists, and levels of care with OVS or the facility before you apply: OVS benefits and services.
Claims advocacy (OVS)
A core OVS function is free advocacy: preparing VA claims, filing appeals, representing veterans at VA hearings, reviewing medical service records, and helping resolve benefit disputes. Contact your island OVS office to sign power of attorney with OVS when appropriate.
Hawaii Veteran Housing Benefits
Housing-related Hawaii veteran benefits focus on county real property tax relief and federal VA home loans—Hawaiʻi does not operate a large standalone state veterans mortgage program comparable to some mainland states.
Real property tax exemption (county-administered)
OVS describes tax exemptions on real property owned and occupied as a home by a totally disabled veteran or their widow(er). The benefit varies by island and county—there is no single statewide dollar amount. Applicants must contact the local real property tax office.
- City & County of Honolulu: Totally Disabled Veterans exemption (claim forms and process on the county site)
- Other counties: Hawaiʻi County, Maui County, and Kauaʻi County real property tax offices (linked from OVS benefits pages)
Motor vehicle registration fee exemption (100% service-connected)
OVS administers a $46.00 State Registration Fee Exemption (state portion only—not a full registration wipeout). Example: if registration is $246, DMV subtracts $46 and the balance is still due.
All three eligibility requirements must be met:
- Hawaiʻi resident
- Other-than-dishonorable discharge from U.S. uniformed armed forces
- VA determination of a 100% service-connected disability rating
Process: Submit driver’s license, current registration (one vehicle), VA 100% disability letter, and mailing address to OVS (fax 808-433-0385 or email [email protected]). OVS issues an original letter for DMV (prior-year letters are not accepted). New request each year. The vehicle must have current registration and safety check. OVS also notes a tax exemption pathway for certain passenger cars subsidized by VA—confirm with OVS.
Federal VA home loan guaranty
Eligible veterans can use the federal VA home loan program through private lenders. Certificate of Eligibility and lender requirements apply.
Homeless veterans
If you are a veteran experiencing homelessness or housing instability:
- National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 877-424-3838 (24/7)
- VA homeless programs overview
- HUD-VASH · SSVF
Hawaii Veteran Education Benefits
Education support is a core Hawaii veteran benefits category for service members, veterans, and military-connected students in the University of Hawaiʻi system—plus federal GI Bill programs.
University of Hawaiʻi — resident / nonresident tuition exemptions
University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents policy on exemptions to nonresident tuition includes, among others:
- U.S. military personnel stationed in Hawaiʻi on active duty and authorized dependents (while stationed)
- Members of the Hawaiʻi National Guard and Hawaiʻi Reserves
- Veterans eligible to use Post-9/11 GI Bill® or MGIB-AD educational benefits under federal law (Isakson and Roe / P.L. 116-315) who live in Hawaiʻi, and those who later move but maintain continuous enrollment
- Individuals using transferred Post-9/11 benefits under the same federal framework who live in Hawaiʻi (with continuous-enrollment exceptions)
UH Mānoa assesses in-state (resident) tuition for students eligible under Chapter 30 MGIB-AD, Chapter 31 VR&E, Chapter 33 Post-9/11, or Chapter 35 DEA. Chapter 1606 Selected Reserve students should consult Residency Counselors.
Hawaiʻi Army National Guard — State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)
STAP offers tuition assistance (reimbursement after successful completion with a grade of C- or higher) toward degrees at University of Hawaiʻi system schools, subject to funding:
- 100% tuition reimbursement for courses toward a first undergraduate degree
- 50% for courses toward a first master’s degree
- Grades E1–E9, W1–W5, or O1–O3; UH residency; unit satisfactory participation; AIT completion (or exception to policy); ETS constraints for enlisted members
- Applications due no later than 30 days after classes start; grade/financial summary due 15 days after grades post
HIARNG Education Office (Kapolei): 808-672-1019 · STAP applications
Federal education benefits
Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Montgomery GI Bill®, DEA (Chapter 35), Yellow Ribbon, and VR&E remain federal benefits used widely at Hawaiʻi schools. Explore: About GI Bill benefits.
Hawaii Veteran Benefits for Employment & Tax
Employment and re-employment
OVS lists employment and re-employment assistance among its services. The Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Workforce Development Division and American Job Centers provide employment and training services for veterans.
State Employees’ Retirement System
OVS validates service credit for the State Employees’ Retirement System—useful when military service may count toward state retirement. Start with OVS for the validation process.
Property and vehicle tax relief
Primary tax-related state/county benefits are the county totally disabled veterans real property tax exemption (varies by island) and the $46 state registration fee exemption for 100% service-connected disabled veterans (see Housing). Confirm county amounts and forms with the local assessor or real property office—not a single statewide table.
Hawaii Other Veteran Benefits
State veterans cemeteries
Qualified veterans (including certain U.S. war allies) and dependents may be buried in the Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery on Oʻahu or veterans’ cemeteries on Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, or Lānaʻi.
- Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery (Kāneʻohe): 45-349 Kamehameha Hwy., Kāneʻohe, HI 96744 · 808-369-3575
- Eligibility overview: VA burial eligibility
- OVS also assists with burials of indigent veterans
Specialty license plates
For the same cost as a regular plate (per OVS), qualified veterans may choose specialty designs—Veteran, Combat, Combat Wounded, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Former POW, era-specific, Gold Star Family, and others, including motorcycles. Applications go through county motor vehicle offices; OVS links county forms from its benefits pages.
DD-214 / discharge documents
OVS provides free certified copies of DD-214 if the document is on file with the office.
Federal recreation lands
U.S. military veterans and Gold Star families can get a free Military Lifetime Pass for entrance/day-use on many federal lands. This does not replace any separate state park programs.
Federal disability compensation
Monthly tax-free compensation for service-connected disabilities is federal: VA disability · How to file. OVS or an accredited VSO can help at no charge for basic claims assistance.
Mental health & suicide prevention
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, contact the Veterans Crisis Line immediately: dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat via VA resources.
How to Apply for Hawaii Veteran Benefits
- Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS) — VA claims, appeals, state program navigation, annual registration-fee exemption letters. Main: 808-433-0420 · OVS contact & island offices
- Island OVS offices — Kapolei 808-458-5072 · Kauaʻi 808-369-3535 · Hilo 808-369-3538 · Kailua-Kona 808-844-6664 · Maui/Molokaʻi/Lānaʻi 808-369-3541
- Crisis support — Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255
- Property tax exemption — your county real property tax office (totally disabled pathway); Honolulu: county page
- Vehicle registration fee exemption — annual original letter from OVS with required documents · [email protected] · fax 808-433-0385
- UH in-state / GI Bill certification — campus School Certifying Official / Registrar veterans services
- STAP (Hawaiʻi Army National Guard) — HIARNG Education Office 808-672-1019 · STAP
- Employment — DLIR American Job Centers / veterans services
- Federal VA — va.gov · 800-698-2411
- Accredited representative — Find VA-accredited help
Official Resources & Contacts
Use these official links to verify and claim Hawaii veteran benefits. Prefer .gov sources over third-party summaries.
| Resource | Link / contact |
|---|---|
| Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS) | dod.hawaii.gov/ovs · 808-433-0420 |
| OVS benefits & services | Benefits and services |
| OVS contact / island offices | Contact page |
| Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery | 808-369-3575 · Kāneʻohe |
| Honolulu totally disabled veterans property tax | realproperty.honolulu.gov |
| UH military & veterans tuition | hawaii.edu |
| HIARNG STAP | STAP applications · 808-672-1019 |
| DLIR veterans employment | labor.hawaii.gov |
| Veterans Crisis Line | 988 then 1 · text 838255 |
| VA.gov | va.gov · 800-698-2411 |
| VA facility locator | Find locations |
| VA education / GI Bill | va.gov/education |
| Homeless veterans hotline | 877-424-3838 |
Proud Veteran provides general information for veterans and families. We do not determine eligibility, provide legal or tax advice, or replace OVS, county real property offices, the University of Hawaiʻi, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Verify every benefit with the linked official sources before you apply.
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