Arizona exempts military retirement pay and offers tuition assistance and state hiring preference. Veterans with qualifying disabilities can receive property tax and hunting or fishing benefits, with further property tax changes scheduled for 2027.
Checked against official state sources on October 2, 2026.
Free help in Arizona
Arizona Department of Veterans' Services
Helps veterans and their families establish claims for federal, state, and local benefits.
The state veterans department assists with benefit claims, and VA-accredited veterans service organization representatives provide free VA claims help.
Full disabled veteran primary-residence exemption for 2026
Who qualifies
Arizona resident veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of 100% and discharge, separation, or release under honorable conditions. The 2026 household income test still applies to the claimant, spouse, and children who lived with the claimant during the preceding year. The indexed income limits must be checked with the assessor.
What you get
Fully exempts the qualifying primary residence from property tax for tax year 2026.
How to apply
File the initial eligibility affidavit with the county assessor between the first Monday in January and March 1. Recalculate qualifying income annually and report disqualifying changes.
U.S. armed forces members or former members who received a Purple Heart, were Arizona residents or stationed in Arizona when the qualifying injury occurred, and have a VA disability rating of at least 50%. Applicants must meet admission requirements. A class 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 felony conviction disqualifies an applicant.
What you get
Tuition waiver scholarships at Arizona public universities and community colleges.
How to apply
Obtain eligibility verification from the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services for the university or community college.
Unremarried spouses and children age 30 or younger of Arizona National Guard or U.S. armed forces members who were Arizona residents or stationed in Arizona and were killed in the line of duty or died from line-of-duty injuries while traveling to or from duty. The applicant must meet admission requirements.
What you get
Tuition waiver scholarship at Arizona public universities or community colleges. Covers no more than 64 community-college credit hours and the total credits needed for the initially declared bachelor's course of study, including transferred Arizona community-college credits.
How to apply
Obtain eligibility verification through the state veterans department or the Guard adjutant general.
Arizona National Guard tuition and fees reimbursement
Who qualifies
This entry covers Arizona Army or Air National Guard members who served throughout the semester, completed initial active duty service, satisfactorily performed duty with at least 90% attendance at drills and annual training, and earned a C average or better. Members cannot be eligible for Veterans' Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 benefits for the same period. Eligible study is at Arizona public or private postsecondary institutions or certificated vocational technical schools.
What you get
Reimburses qualifying tuition and fees, subject to available legislative appropriations and the adjutant general's allocation policies.
How to apply
Apply to the adjutant general within 21 days after the semester or term begins. Submit enrollment certification, tuition and fee receipts, and the required notarized statement. Submit official grades within 25 days after the semester ends.
Veterans separated under honorable conditions after more than six months of active duty who pass the examination without preference. A separate 10-point branch covers honorably separated veterans with active-duty service at any time and a service-connected disability or qualifying military or VA compensation or disability retirement benefits.
What you get
Five added examination points for the general veteran branch and 10 for the qualifying disabled-veteran branch. When scores are not used, qualified applicants receive applicable preference codes. No more than 10 points may be awarded.
How to apply
Claim the applicable preference when applying for merit-system state employment.
Complimentary disabled veteran hunting and fishing license
Who qualifies
U.S. armed forces veterans who lived in Arizona for at least one year immediately before applying and receive federal compensation for a permanent service-connected disability rated 100%.
What you get
A complimentary license with the privileges of a Hunt/Fish Combination License.
How to apply
Bring a VA benefits letter to a local Arizona Game and Fish Department office.
We could not confirm this from an official source yet. Ask Arizona Department of Veterans' Services or a free veterans service officer what applies to you.
State veterans homes
We could not confirm this from an official source yet. Ask Arizona Department of Veterans' Services or a free veterans service officer what applies to you.
Changes on the way
Takes effect January 1, 2027: For tax years beginning January 1, 2027, the disabled-veteran primary-residence exemption expands to total disability based on individual unemployability. The amended law also limits the household income test to the general widow, widower, and total-disability category, removing it from the veteran categories. Survivor eligibility and exemption transfers also change; those details require separate implementation review. Sources (2)
This page summarizes state law and agency guidance as checked on October 2, 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Eligibility depends on your records, and laws change, so confirm the details on the official page linked with each benefit, or ask a free accredited representative. This page covers the main state programs. Your county veterans service officer can tell you about smaller or local benefits.
