Am I considered a Massachusetts Veteran?

To be eligible for Veterans benefits in Massachusetts, an individual must be a veteran or dependent of a veteran under M.G.L. c. 4, sec. 7, cl. 43rd as amended by the Acts of 2005, ch. 130. To be a “veteran” under Massachusetts law a person is required to have a last discharge or release under honorable conditions AND either:

• 180 days of regular active duty service; or
• 90 days of active duty service, one day of which is during “wartime” based on dates of eligibility

Guard Members:

To qualify an individual must have been discharged or released under honorable conditions AND have either:

• 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code; or
• 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime based on dates of eligibility, for members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or M.G.L., c. 33, sections 38, 40, and 41.

Reservists:

To qualify, the individual must have been called to regular active duty, at which point their eligibility can be determined based on dates of eligibility.

Training Duty Exception:

Active duty service in the Armed Forces shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Minimum Active Service Exception (Purple Heart or Service-Connected Disability or Death):

Wartime Service: If his or her last discharge or release from wartime service was under honorable conditions, then a person who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States under Title 10 of the United States Code during 1 day of wartime service, or a person on full-time Massachusetts National Guard duty under Title 32 of the United States Code during at least 1 day of wartime service, or a person on full-time Massachusetts National Guard duty under sections 38, 40 and 41 of chapter 33 of the general laws during at least 1 day of wartime service, who sustained a service-connected disability during such wartime service or was awarded the Purple Heart during such wartime service or who died during such wartime service under conditions other than dishonorable, is excused from completing the 90-day active service requirement during such wartime service.

Peacetime: If his or her last discharge or release from active service was under honorable conditions, then a person who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States under Title 10 of the United States Code during peacetime, who sustained a service-connected disability while on active duty during peacetime, or who died on active duty during peacetime under conditions other than dishonorable, is excused from completing the 180-day active service requirement during peacetime.

Dates of Eligibility:

Download a PDF of DEFINITION OF MASSACHUSETTS VETERAN here.