Five benefits Nevada Veterans can take advantage of right now. Do you know other benefits Nevada has to offer?

The more than 225,000 Veterans who call Nevada home can lay claim to the state with most mountains, the largest Alpine lake in North America and most of the gold our nation mines. You can also take advantage of these Nevada-specific programs and services and live life to the fullest after your military service:

1. Connect with a Nevada Department of Veterans Service (NDVS) Veterans service officer (VSO). Start by meeting your VSO, who receives training and accreditation in veterans’ benefits counseling. They assist you in applying for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs in compensation and pensions, the GI Bill, health care, home loans and more. They also help file appeals for denied claims, provide guidance related to discharge upgrades and connect you to certain state-offered benefits (see below).

Learn more: Chat online with a VSO or find your nearest VSO at https://rly.pt/2Th1O9V.

2. Seek free legal services. If you a Veteran in Nevada, get free assistance establishing a will or power of attorney through the Nevada Attorney General’s Office of Military Legal Assistance. Free legal assistance and representation in other civil law matters are also provided to active duty, reserve and National Guard service members.

Learn more: https://rly.pt/31zMdXH.

3. Apply a Veteran’s tax exemption. Nevada offers two tax exemptions covering most veterans who live in the state. You can apply it to your automobile registration service tax or private property tax or apportion it to both. The two tax exemptions are:

• Annual: Qualify for this benefit if you are a veteran with wartime service who was honorably discharged. It may be renewed annually through your county assessor.

• Disabled Veterans: Qualify for this benefit if you are a Veteran resident of Nevada with a VA service-connected disability rating of 60% or higher with an honorable discharge. The level of benefit depends on your disability rating. Surviving spouses may be entitled to this exemption as well.

Learn more: Find your county assessor at https://rly.pt/37y7SmD and read more about the exemptions in the state benefits brochure, at the link below.

4. Explore the outdoors. The Disabled Veteran Permit provides low-cost, unlimited access to all of Nevada’s many state parks, which feature ancient fossils, beaver dams, forts, gorges, lakes, rivers and much more. If you reside in the state and can show proof of at least a 10% VA service-connected disability rating and an honorable discharge, apply for the $30 pass. The pass also comes with 12-month use of camping and boat launch facilities.

If you have a service-connected disability of 50% or more, you can apply for a discounted combination hunting and fishing license.

Learn more: Get the details about the Annual Disabled Veteran Permit at https://rly.pt/3m4PRR8 and https://rly.pt/2HpF2Kj. Get details about hunting and fishing licenses at https://rly.pt/3mgrtw3.

5. Start a business. After the military, you may choose a career in health care, high tech, public service, the service sector or another industry (https://rly.pt/34lGQNG). Or you can become an entrepreneur. Here are a few resources to get your Veteran-owned business off the ground in the Silver State:

• Consult with a Nevada Small Business Development Center (SBDC). This nationwide business assistance network is partly funded by Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The network (https://rly.pt/33Ldx5F) gives you access to free and at-cost training to start, grow and expand your small business. The Nevada SBDC State Office (https://rly.pt/3kn9Lq5) oversees an in-state network of 11 service centers, which provide no- and low-cost counseling and training to new and established small businesses. You can receive market analyses through the center’s geographic information services department, which helps determine where to locate your business. Another unique service offered is environmental and energy consulting to assist you in complying with these issues.

• Locate other trainings. Also check out National Veterans Small Business Week on Nov. 2-6, 2020, at https://rly.pt/3knMdkH; and SBA’s Boots to Business training offerings for transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses at https://rly.pt/2ZBUTvp. In addition, find local, no-cost business advisers at https://rly.pt/2E3xICV, https://rly.pt/33A6Xi0 and https://rly.pt/3hy2eTc.

• Get verified as Veteran-owned in Nevada and federally. Once your business is set up, get verified and receive benefits at the state and federal level:

• At the state level, “Nevada provides a veterans’ preference for those who identify as a veteran-owned business,” Julie Dudley, NDVS communications director, said in a recent VA blog. Categories include Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled VOSB, Veteran-Owned or Service-Disabled VO. Details: https://rly.pt/3kn42jV and https://rly.pt/2HscHDr.

• At the federal level, VA’s Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization assists you in getting verified to do business directly with VA, the second largest federal agency. Details: https://rly.pt/3kheSZ6.

More resources for Nevada Veterans

• Become a Nevada Veterans Advocate: https://rly.pt/3jjXtgL.

• Contact the Nevada Department of Veterans Services: https://rly.pt/34l70jp.

• Download the State Benefits for Veterans brochure: https://rly.pt/37vXJad.

• Read about recent Nevada Veterans’ legislation: https://rly.pt/3jnfnPC.

• Register for NVVetNet Benefits, Resources and Opportunities: https://rly.pt/3jnFWnM.