Chesterfield County Line of Duty Surviving Spouse Exemption

Chesterfield applies the line-of-duty surviving spouse exemption to the home and up to 10 acres, capped at the county average dwelling assessment. Its application covers a death in the line of duty, including suicide; its web page still describes only killed in action.

Also called: Gold Star spouse, line of duty, killed in action, surviving spouse property tax, KIA.

For: Survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Chesterfield County, VACounty

Chesterfield's surviving spouse application covers the spouse of a member of the armed forces killed in action, or who died in the line of duty including by suicide, as well as the spouse of a first responder killed in the line of duty. The exemption covers the home and up to ten acres, based on the county's average dwelling assessment. The application asks for DD Form 1300 for a death in action, or a Department of Defense letter confirming a line-of-duty death. The county does not publish its average dwelling figure on the page or form. The county's web page is behind the law. It describes the exemption as covering members "killed in action or died of wounds received in action" and cites Code of Virginia section 58.1-3228.2. 2024 Acts chapter 583 repealed section 58.1-3228.2 and widened section 58.1-3219.9 to any death in the line of duty with a Department of Defense determination, from January 1, 2025. A spouse whose service member died in the line of duty but not in action qualifies, as the county's own application says.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Chesterfield County Line of Duty Surviving Spouse Exemption
Gate	Rule
Died in the line of duty	The service member was killed in action or died in the line of duty, including by suicide, with Department of Defense documentation. The spouse has not remarried and occupies the home. No disability rating is involved.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-09-30.

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.