Veteran's Preferences

Candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference include:

1. Disabled Veterans who have served on active duty in any branch of the Armed Forces and who presently have an existing service-connected disability which is compensable under public laws administered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) or are receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension by reason of public laws administered by the DVA and the Department of Defense.
2. The spouse of a Veteran:
   • Who has a total and permanent service-connected disability and who, because of this disability cannot qualify for employment; or
   • Who is missing in action, captured in the line of duty by a hostile force, or detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
3. A Veteran of any war, who has served at least one day during that war time or who has been awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal such as the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
   • World War II: December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946
   • Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955
   • Vietnam Era: February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975
   • Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990 to January 2, 1992
   • Operating Enduring Freedom: October 7, 2001 to TBD
   • Operation Iraqi Freedom: March 19, 2003 to TBD
   • Operation New Dawn: September 1, 2010 to TBD
4. -The unremarried widow or widower of a Veteran who died of a service-connected disability.
5. The mother, father, legal guardian, or unremarried widow or widower of a service member who died as a result of military service under combat-related conditions as verified by the United States Department of Defense.
6. A veteran who served in the active military, naval or air service and who was discharged under honorable conditions.
7. A current member of any reserve component of the United States Armed Forces or The Florida National Guard.

%	Item	Explanation
15%	1.	Disabled Veteran
10%	2.	Spouse of Veteran who meets criteria above.
10%	3.	Wartime Veteran and/or recipient of Expeditionary Medal.
10%	4.	Un-remarried widow/er of veteran who died as a result of military service combat.
10%	5.	Parent, legal guardian, or un-remarried widow/er of veteran who died as a result of military service under combat-related conditions.
5%	6.	A veteran who served in the active military, naval, or air service.
5%	7.	Current member of any reserve component of the United States Armed Forces or The Florida National Guard. (Exception: those serving on current active duty for training are ineligible for preference)

Apply

All applicants must supply a VP Certification, FDVA form VP-1(PDF, 261KB)

Item	Required Documentation
1.	Veterans, disabled Veterans, spouses of disabled Veterans and family members must furnish a Department of Defense document, commonly known as form DD-214 or military discharge papers, or equivalent certification from the Department of Veteran Affairs, listing military status, dates of service and Character of Discharge. Must have an Honorable Discharge. Disabled Veterans must also furnish a document from the Department of Defense, the DVA, or the Department certifying that the Veteran has a service-connected disability.
2.	DD-214 Spouses of disabled Veterans must also furnish either a certification from the Department of Defense or the VA that the Veteran is totally or permanently disabled or an identification card issued by the Department; spouses must also furnish evidence of marriage to the Veteran and a statement that the spouse is still married to the Veteran at the time of the application for employment; the spouse must also submit proof that the disabled Veteran cannot qualify for employment because of the service-connected disability. Spouses of persons on active duty must furnish a document from the Department of Defense or the DVA certifying that the person on active duty, or forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power; such spouses must also furnish evidence of marriage and a statement that the spouse is married to the person on active duty at the time of that application for employment.
3.	DD-214 (see 1stbullet under Item 1)
4.	FDVA form VP-3 “Certification of Unremarried Widow or Widower”(PDF, 82KB) and DD-214
5.	The mother, father, or legal guardian of a deceased Veteran must furnish a document from the Department of Defense showing the death of service member while on duty status under combat-related conditions or the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying the service-connected death of the Veteran, and must further furnish evidence of marriage. The legal guardian must show the proper court documents establishing the legal authority for the Guardian.
6.	DD-214 (see 1stbullet under Item 1)
7.	FDVA form VP-2 “Certification of Current Member of Reserve of the United States Armed Forces or the Florida National Guard”(PDF, 175KB)

Are Applicants currently serving in active duty eligible for veterans' preference?

No, a veteran is defined as a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and was discharged or released under honorable conditions (or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions). However, current members of the reserves are eligible.

Need Assistance?

For Assistance in attaching your DD-214 or other veteran forms contact us at (941) 429-7200. For questions, contact Nicole DeLaMater at (941) 429-7134. We thank you for serving our country and the sacrifices your family has made. The City of North Port is committed to providing Veterans’ Preference to qualified applicants. If you qualify for a position and have not received any information on a hiring decision within 45 days of the closing date or your interview date, whichever is later, you may request an investigation by contacting Nicole DeLaMater at ndelamater@cityofnorthport.com.

Applicants that meet the minimum job requirements and qualify for Veterans’ Preference that believe they have not been afforded the employment preference in accordance with applicable Florida law, they may file a written complaint requesting an investigation to the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Division of Benefits and Assistance, 9500 Bay Pines Blvd, Room 214, St. Petersburg, Florida 33708. The complaint may be filed within 60 calendar days from the date the applicant receives notice that they were not selected. For more information please see 55A-7: VETERANS’ PREFERENCE IN APPOINTMENT and 55A-7.016L Enforcement of Preference – Florida Administrative Code.