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Arkansas Veteran benefits

21 benefits from Arkansas for Veterans and their families, on top of what VA gives. Many need no disability rating.

Each one says who qualifies, how to apply, the official link, and the date we last checked it. Rules change, so the official page has the final word.

Free help in Arkansas

Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs is the state Veterans agency. They can tell you what you qualify for and help you apply.

Call 501-683-2382 State agency website

A Veterans service officer (VSO) helps with VA claims and state benefits for free.

Find a service officer near you Arkansas's list of local offices
Your VA disability rating
Who is it for?

21 benefits

Property tax

  • Certain disabilities

    Disabled Veteran Homestead and Personal Property Tax Exemption

    Arkansas exempts qualifying disabled veterans from all state taxes on their homestead and personal property under Arkansas Code 26-3-306, recertified annually with a VA Summary of Benefits letter.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Certain serious disabilities (see who qualifies). Arkansas resident veteran awarded special monthly compensation for loss/loss of use of a limb, total blindness in one or both eyes, or a service-connected 100% total and permanent disability rating.
    or service-connected 100% total and permanent disability rating
    How to apply
    Submit a current VA Summary of Benefits letter or Rating Decision to the county tax assessor/collector; ADVA veteran service officers can help obtain the certification.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating neededFor family or survivors

    Surviving Spouse and Minor Dependent Property Tax Exemption

    When a disabled veteran who qualified for the homestead/personal property tax exemption dies, the exemption extends to the unremarried surviving spouse and minor dependent children.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Surviving spouse must remain unmarried; minor dependent children of the deceased qualifying disabled veteran also qualify while minors.
    How to apply
    File the same VA certification documentation with the county tax assessor/collector to continue the exemption after the veteran's death.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Income tax, retirement pay and other taxes

  • Certain disabilities

    Blind Veteran Automobile Sales Tax Exemption

    A veteran who is blind due to a service-connected injury is exempt from the Arkansas gross receipts (sales) tax on the purchase of one automobile, limited to one vehicle every two years.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Certain serious disabilities (see who qualifies). Veteran must furnish DFA with a statement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs certifying blindness resulting from a service-connected injury.
    Blindness due to service-connected injury
    How to apply
    Provide the VA certification statement to DFA when applying for the vehicle license/registration to claim the exemption at titling.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • Any rating

    Disabled Veteran State Sales Tax Exemption

    Arkansas exempts qualifying disabled veterans, their spouses, and authorized household members from state sales tax on purchases at physical Arkansas store locations, up to an annual cap.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: Any VA service-connected rating, even 0%. Veteran must qualify as a 'disabled veteran' under the Ark. Code 26-3-306 standard and obtain a photo identification card with serial number from ADVA.
    How to apply
    Apply to ADVA for an identification card; present the card and serial number to the merchant at time of purchase.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Military Retirement Pay Income Tax Exemption

    Arkansas fully exempts military retirement pay from state income tax beginning tax year 2018 onward; this is separate from and does not reduce the general $6,000 retirement-income exemption for other pensions.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Applies to retirement benefits received by a member of the uniformed services; available to Arkansas resident taxpayers reporting military retirement income.
    How to apply
    Claim the exclusion on the Arkansas individual income tax return following DFA line instructions for military retirement (Line 17A).
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Vehicles, driver's licenses and plates

  • No rating needed

    Congressional Medal of Honor License Plate

    Arkansas issues a special license plate to residents who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, honoring the state's highest-decorated veterans.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Issued to Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who are Arkansas residents.
    How to apply
    Apply at a DFA revenue office with proof of Medal of Honor recipient status.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • 10%+

    Disabled Veteran License Plate (10%+ Service-Connected)

    A 2023 law expanded Arkansas's free Disabled Veteran license plate to any veteran with a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%, lowered from the prior 30% threshold.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: VA rating of 10% or higher. Any veteran determined by the VA to be at least 10% disabled due to military service qualifies to register for the plate.
    How to apply
    Apply at a DFA revenue office with VA disability certification; the plate is free with a $1 annual renewal fee.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • 100%+

    Disabled Veteran License Plate (100% Non-Service-Connected)

    Arkansas issues a free specialty Disabled Veteran license plate to veterans certified 100% disabled on a non-service-connected basis under Act 7 of 1949 or Act 30 of 1979.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: 100% VA rating. Veteran must be certified by the VA as 100% Non-Service Connected Disabled; a surviving spouse who is not already joint owner may have the plate reissued.
    How to apply
    Submit a VA eligibility letter under Act 7 of 1949 or Act 30 of 1979 to a DFA revenue office; surviving spouse must also present marriage license and death certificate.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Ex-Prisoner of War License Plate

    Arkansas provides a no-charge specialty license plate for residents who were prisoners of war while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, limited to two plates per eligible veteran.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Any Arkansas resident who was a prisoner of war while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, or their surviving spouse.
    How to apply
    Apply at a DFA revenue office with documentation of POW status; a surviving spouse may have a plate reissued at the regular registration fee.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Purple Heart - Combat Wounded License Plate

    Arkansas offers a specialty license plate for residents awarded the Purple Heart Medal while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, with reissue available to a surviving spouse.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Must be an Arkansas resident certified by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been awarded the Purple Heart Medal.
    How to apply
    Submit Department of Defense certification of the Purple Heart award to a DFA revenue office; surviving spouse reissue requires marriage license and death certificate.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Veteran Designation on Driver's License or ID Card

    Arkansas lets honorably discharged veterans add a 'Veteran' designation to their driver's license or state ID card, created under the Nick Bacon Remembrance Act.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Applicant must provide a military discharge document showing an 'honorable' or 'general under honorable conditions' discharge, such as a DD-214, NGB Form 22, or VA Veteran ID Card.
    How to apply
    Apply through the Office of Driver Services at a DFA revenue office with qualifying discharge documentation.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating neededFor family or survivors

    Gold Star Family License Plate

    DFA issues a Gold Star Family specialty plate to close relatives of a service member who died in the honorable performance of duty within one year of a service-connected injury or illness.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Applicant must be the spouse, parent, sibling, or child of a deceased service member recognized as such by the U.S. Department of Defense.
    How to apply
    Submit a completed request form with a copy of DD Form 1300 Report of Casualty to the DFA Office of Motor Vehicle.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Hunting, fishing and parks

  • 50%+

    Resident Disabled Veteran Lifetime Hunting/Fishing Licenses

    AGFC offers lifetime hunting, fishing, and combination licenses to disabled resident veterans at deeply reduced one-time fees, including a combination license bundling trout and duck stamps.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: VA rating of 50% or higher. The $1.50 lifetime fishing or hunting license requires 100% total and permanent VA disability; the $52.50 combination license covers veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected rating, or 50% or higher with a Purple Heart. One year of Arkansas residency is required.
    What you get at each level
    • $52.50 combination license (with Purple Heart)
    • $52.50 combination license
    • $1.50 lifetime fishing or hunting license (requires P&T)
    How to apply
    Apply by mail or in person at the AGFC Little Rock office with proof of Arkansas residency and VA disability documentation.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • 100% P&T

    State Park Camping Discount for 100% Disabled Citizens

    Arkansas State Parks admit U.S. citizens with 100% total and permanent disability, including disabled veterans, to campgrounds at half the regular campsite fee year-round; the discount excludes rental cabins/yurts.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: 100% VA rating that is Permanent and Total (P&T). Requires current written proof of 100% total and permanent disability, such as a VA award letter or a DV/DAV license plate.
    How to apply
    Present proof of disability at park check-in to receive the discounted camping rate.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

School and tuition

  • No rating needed

    Arkansas Heroes Scholarship

    The Heroes Scholarship pays the unpaid balance of tuition, housing, and mandatory fees at eligible Arkansas colleges for spouses and children of veterans and other Arkansas heroes killed, missing, or permanently disabled in service, after federal DEA benefits are applied.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Dependent children must be under 26 years old at the start of the term; spouse loses eligibility upon remarriage; student must be an Arkansas resident of at least one year, enrolled full-time, for up to eight semesters or a degree.
    How to apply
    Apply through the ADHE Scholarship Application Management System (SAMS) with required documentation of the qualifying service member's status.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver

    Arkansas waives tuition (and available mandatory fees) for Arkansas National Guard soldiers and airmen attending a state-supported public college toward a first bachelor's degree.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Guardsman must be in good standing, have completed Initial Active Duty Training, not already hold a bachelor's degree, and be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program; the waiver is capped at a maximum number of credit hours.
    How to apply
    Apply through the unit Education Services Officer and complete FAFSA and the state SAMS scholarship application before the institution submits the waiver to ADHE for payment.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Jobs and hiring preference

  • No rating needed

    Veterans' Preference in State Employment

    Arkansas law requires state agencies and public colleges/universities to give hiring, promotion, and retention preference to qualified veterans, disabled veterans, and certain spouses or unmarried surviving spouses of veterans.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Applies to honorably discharged veterans of active duty (other than training only) or those with at least six years of honorable National Guard/Reserve service, their spouses, or unremarried surviving spouses who are Arkansas citizens/residents.
    How to apply
    Indicate veteran (or spouse/surviving spouse) status on the state job application; preference is considered in hiring, promotion, and retention decisions.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Homes, Veterans homes and cemeteries

  • No rating needed

    Arkansas State Veterans Cemeteries

    ADVA operates two state veterans cemeteries, at North Little Rock and Birdeye, providing burial for honorably discharged veterans and eligible spouses/dependents at no cost to the family for the veteran's interment.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Open to veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dies on active duty; eligible spouses and dependents may also be interred.
    How to apply
    Submit the veteran's discharge papers (DD-214 or equivalent), a signed pre-eligibility application, and marriage license if applicable, to the cemetery office.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Arkansas State Veterans Homes

    ADVA operates two state veterans homes, in Fayetteville and North Little Rock, providing 24-hour skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and hospice/respite care for eligible veterans and certain family members.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans, veterans' spouses, and Gold Star parents may apply for admission to the Medicare/Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facilities.
    How to apply
    Contact the specific home directly to begin the application and medical-history review/admissions committee process.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

  • No rating needed

    Military Funeral Honors Stipend

    Arkansas provides reimbursement to Veterans Service Organizations Honor Guard Teams that augment Active Duty Military Branch Honor Guard Teams for military funeral honors services through the Department of Veterans Affairs Authorized Provider Partnership Program.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Veterans Service Organizations providing honor guard teams that augment active duty military branch honor guard teams in delivering military funeral honors.
    How to apply
    Veteran Service Organizations submit Military Funeral Honors Stipend Request Form after providing augmented honor guard services.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Other help

  • No rating needed

    ADVA Veteran Service Officer Network

    ADVA's statewide network of accredited Veteran Service Officers helps Arkansas veterans and their dependents identify, apply for, and appeal both state and federal benefits at no charge.

    Who qualifies
    Rating: No disability rating needed. Available to Arkansas veterans, service members, and their eligible dependents seeking help navigating benefit claims.
    How to apply
    Contact the nearest county or district Veteran Service Officer through the ADVA directory to schedule assistance.
    Official page

    Last checked September 28, 2026.

Also check

Education only. Helping The Brave is not a government agency. Confirm details with the agency before you apply.