State and territory disclosures

Federal law (38 USC 5901 and 5904) governs who may charge fees for VA claim assistance and when. Several states have additional laws. Pay Vets Now is a VA-accredited practice operating under the federal accredited-agent carve-out in every jurisdiction below.

New Jersey

P.L. 2023 c.150 (N.J.S.A. 56:8-228) bars unaccredited persons from charging veterans for claim assistance. We are VA-accredited and comply fully. Pay Vets Now does not charge any fee for initial claim preparation.

New York

GBL Article 37 (signed Veterans Day 2024) bars unaccredited compensation. We are VA-accredited and compliant.

Maine

LD 2259 (P.L. 2023 Ch. 631) bars unaccredited compensation before a Notice of Disagreement. We are VA-accredited and do not charge fees before a VA decision.

California

SB 694 (Veterans Benefit Protection Act, effective January 1, 2027) requires federal accreditation to charge veterans. We are VA-accredited. Our operations in California comply with B&P Code Section 17200 and SB 694 implementing regulations as they are issued.

Alabama

SB 206 (2025) bars unaccredited compensation. We are VA-accredited and compliant.

Other regulatory regimes

Louisiana (2024 Act 390, struck down in February 2026 on preemption grounds, appeal pending), Florida (2023 HB 33 - disclosure only), Tennessee (2024 Pub. Ch. 888), Oklahoma (2024 SB 1506), Colorado (SB25-282) have regulatory frameworks we comply with under federal preemption.

Unified disclosure

No matter which state or territory you are in: we are VA-accredited, we do not charge fees on initial claims, we file all fee agreements with VA OGC within 30 days, our contingency on appeals is 20 percent VA direct-pay under 38 CFR 14.636, and free assistance is always available from recognized Veterans Service Organizations (DAV, VFW, American Legion, PVA, AMVETS, VVA) and county Veterans Service Officers.