Applying online is the simplest and fastest option, Strickland said.
After completing the application, the veteran must print it, sign it and have it notarized by a notary public or “acknowledged” by the clerk or deputy clerk of a county Common Pleas Court. Then it must be mailed to this address:
Ohio Veterans Bonus
P.O. Box 373
Sandusky, OH 44871
The final application cannot be submitted on the Internet because it must be notarized or acknowledged, officials said.
Clerks of courts offices and offices of Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray are ready to help veterans with their forms, Cordray said.
“With eight locations around Montgomery County, the clerk of courts office can make it very convenient for veterans and we are happy to help with this service,” Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Greg Brush said in a press release.
Applications will be notarized for free at the attorney general’s regional offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown and Toledo.
A list of free notaries is available at:
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/VeteransBonus .
The ballot issue approved by voters last November calls for bonuses of $5,000 for families of those killed in action and bonuses of $100 a month — up to $1,000 — for veterans who served in the conflicts. Veterans who served elsewhere during the conflicts qualify for bonuses of $50 a month, up to $500.
Applications should be processed in eight weeks, said Bill Hartnett, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs. He estimated as many as 200,000 veterans may qualify.
To qualify, a veteran must have been an Ohio resident at the start of active duty and also must be a resident when applying.
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