South Dakota has established a program for members of the military who are legal residents of the state. South Dakota is paying a bonus of up to $500 for select active members an honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces who meet the membership criteria.
South Dakota Veterans Bonus
Military members must have been a resident of the state for no less than six months preceding their period of active service and who served during one or more of the following time periods:
- August 2, 1990 – March 3, 1991: all active service qualifies for payment
- March 4, 1991 – December 31, 1992: service must have been a hostile area which qualified for the Southwest Asia Service Medal qualifies for bonus payment.
- January 1, 1993 – September 10, 2001: service must have been in a hostile area which qualified for any US campaign or service medal awarded for combat operations against hostile forces qualifies for bonus payment.
- September 11, 2001 - (end date to be determined) – all active service qualifies for bonus payment.
Additionally, any Veteran with qualifying service before December 31, 1992 during Desert Storm and after January 1, 1993 during Operation Iraqi Freedom may be entitled to receive two separate $500 bonus payments. Veterans who have a service-related disability rated by the Veterans Administration as 10% or more disability will receive the maximum payment of $500. A verification of disability must be provided from the VA along with the application.
Any service member interested in applying for the South Dakota Veterans Bonus must provide branch of the military along with dates of service on a completed application. Certification of the application must be completed by local County or Tribal Veteran Service Officer. For applicants in other states, a certification must be completed by a Post Service Officer from one of the recognized Veterans Service organizations. All applications must be accompanied by a copy of your DD Form 214, which shows proof of military service.
Interested applicants can obtain an application via email at john.fette@state.sd.us, online at the State website. Additionally, applications may be requested by calling 605-773-7251 or via mail by corresponding to SD Veterans Bonus, 425 East Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501. Applicants living in South Dakota may request an application through the nearest County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer. See the official South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs for more information.
