U.S Code last checked for updates: May 07, 2024
§ 3729.
Loan fee
(a)
Requirement of Fee.—
(1)
Except as provided in subsection (c), a fee shall be collected from each person obtaining a housing loan guaranteed, insured, or made under this chapter, and each person assuming a loan to which section 3714 of this title applies. No such loan may be guaranteed, insured, made, or assumed until the fee payable under this section has been remitted to the Secretary.
(2)
The fee may be included in the loan and paid from the proceeds thereof.
(b)
Determination of Fee.—
(1)
The amount of the fee shall be determined from the loan fee table in paragraph (2). The fee is expressed as a percentage of the total amount of the loan guaranteed, insured, or made, or, in the case of a loan assumption, the unpaid principal balance of the loan on the date of the transfer of the property.
(2)
The loan fee table referred to in paragraph (1) is as follows:

Type of loan

Active duty

veteran

Reservist

Other

obligor

(A)(i) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, or any other initial loan described in section 3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10-down (closed on or after October 1, 2004, and before January 1, 2020)

2.15

2.40

NA

(A)(ii) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, or any other initial loan described in section 3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10-down (closed on or after January 1, 2020, and before April 7, 2023)

2.30

2.30

NA

(A)(iii) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, or any other initial loan described in section 3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10-down (closed on or after April 7, 2023, and before November 15, 2031)

2.15

2.15

NA

(A)(iv) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, or any other initial loan described in section 3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10-down (closed on or after November 15, 2031)

1.40

1.40

NA

(B)(i) Subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, or any other subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) (closed on or after October 1, 2004, and before January 1, 2020)

3.30

3.30

NA

(B)(ii) Subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, or any other subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) (closed on or after January 1, 2020, and before April 7, 2023)

3.60

3.60

NA

(3)
Any reference to a section in the “Type of loan” column in the loan fee table in paragraph (2) refers to a section of this title.
(4)
For the purposes of paragraph (2):
(A)
The term “active duty veteran” means any veteran eligible for the benefits of this chapter other than a Reservist.
(B)
The term “Reservist” means a veteran described in section 3701(b)(5)(A) of this title who is eligible under section 3702(a)(2)(E) of this title.
(C)
The term “other obligor” means a person who is not a veteran, as defined in section 101 of this title or other provision of this chapter.
(D)
(i)
The term “initial loan” means a loan to a veteran guaranteed under section 3710 or made under section 3711 of this title if the veteran has never obtained a loan guaranteed under section 3710 or made under section 3711 of this title.
(ii)
If a veteran has obtained a loan guaranteed under section 3710 or made under section 3711 of this title and the dwelling securing such loan was substantially damaged or destroyed by a major disaster declared by the President under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), the Secretary shall treat as an initial loan, as defined in clause (i), the next loan the Secretary guarantees or makes to such veteran under section 3710 or 3711, respectively, if—
(I)
such loan is guaranteed or made before the date that is three years after the date on which the dwelling was substantially damaged or destroyed; and
(II)
such loan is only for repairs or construction of the dwelling, as determined by the Secretary.
(E)
The term “subsequent loan” means a loan to a veteran, other than an interest rate reduction refinancing loan, guaranteed under section 3710 or made under section 3711 of this title that is not an initial loan.
(F)
The term “interest rate reduction refinancing loan” means a loan described in section 3710(a)(8), 3710(a)(9)(B)(i), 3710(a)(11), 3712(a)(1)(F), or 3762(h) of this title.
(G)
The term “0-down” means a downpayment, if any, of less than 5 percent of the total purchase price or construction cost of the dwelling.
(H)
The term “5-down” means a downpayment of at least 5 percent or more, but less than 10 percent, of the total purchase price or construction cost of the dwelling.
(I)
The term “10-down” means a downpayment of 10 percent or more of the total purchase price or construction cost of the dwelling.
(c)
Waiver of Fee.—
(1)
A fee may not be collected under this section from a veteran who is receiving compensation (or who, but for the receipt of retirement pay or active service pay, would be entitled to receive compensation), from a surviving spouse of any veteran (including a person who died in the active military, naval, air, or space service) who died from a service-connected disability, or from a member of the Armed Forces who is serving on active duty and who provides, on or before the date of loan closing, evidence of having been awarded the Purple Heart.
(2)
(A)
A veteran described in subparagraph (B) shall be treated as receiving compensation for purposes of this subsection as of the date of the rating described in such subparagraph without regard to whether an effective date of the award of compensation is established as of that date.
(B)
A veteran described in this subparagraph is a veteran who is rated eligible to receive compensation—
(i)
as the result of a pre-discharge disability examination and rating; or
(ii)
based on a pre-discharge review of existing medical evidence (including service medical and treatment records) that results in the issuance of a memorandum rating.
(Added Pub. L. 97–253, title IV, § 406(a)(1), Sept. 8, 1982, 96 Stat. 805, § 1829; amended Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title V, § 2511(a), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1117; Pub. L. 100–198, §§ 2, 10(c), Dec. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 1315, 1323; Pub. L. 100–203, title VII, § 7002, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–279; Pub. L. 100–322, title IV, § 415(c)(6), May 20, 1988, 102 Stat. 551; Pub. L. 101–237, title III, §§ 303(a), 313(b)(1), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2071, 2077; Pub. L. 101–239, title V, § 5001, Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2136; Pub. L. 101–508, title VIII, § 8032, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–348; Pub. L. 102–54, § 15(a)(3), (4), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 289; renumbered § 3729 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 102–547, §§ 2(b)(1), 5, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3633, 3636; Pub. L. 103–66, title XII, § 12007, Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 414; Pub. L. 103–446, title IX, § 904(c), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4677; Pub. L. 104–275, title II, § 202(b), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3330; Pub. L. 105–33, title VIII, §§ 8012, 8032, Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 664, 669; Pub. L. 105–368, title VI, §§ 602(e)(1)(D), 603(b), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3346, 3348; Pub. L. 106–419, title IV, § 402(b), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1861; Pub. L. 107–14, § 8(b)(4), June 5, 2001, 115 Stat. 36; Pub. L. 107–103, title IV, §§ 405(c), 406, Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 994; Pub. L. 108–183, title IV, § 405, Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2665; Pub. L. 108–454, title IV, § 406, Dec. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 3617; Pub. L. 111–275, title II, § 204, Oct. 13, 2010, 124 Stat. 2874; Pub. L. 112–26, § 3(a), Aug. 3, 2011, 125 Stat. 269; Pub. L. 112–37, § 15, Oct. 5, 2011, 125 Stat. 398; Pub. L. 112–56, title II, § 265(a), Nov. 21, 2011, 125 Stat. 732; Pub. L. 112–154, title II, § 210, title VII, § 702(b), Aug. 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 1179, 1205; Pub. L. 113–146, title VII, § 704, Aug. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 1797; Pub. L. 115–46, title IV, § 402, Aug. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 969; Pub. L. 115–182, title V, § 508, June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1480; Pub. L. 116–23, § 6(b), (c), June 25, 2019, 133 Stat. 973, 975; Pub. L. 116–154, § 7, Aug. 8, 2020, 134 Stat. 694; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(49), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830; Pub. L. 116–315, title II, §§ 2102, 2103, Jan. 5, 2021, 134 Stat. 4981; Pub. L. 117–76, § 6, Dec. 21, 2021, 135 Stat. 1520; Pub. L. 117–328, div. U, title II, § 204, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5451; Pub. L. 118–19, § 4, Oct. 6, 2023, 137 Stat. 107.)
cite as: 38 USC 3729