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VA Benefits for Veterans in Arizona

va benefits for Arizona military veterans

Welcome back to our series about VA benefits for veterans in each of America’s 50 states! This week, we’re delving into Arizona and looking into some of the ways our veterans can benefit from residency there. Read on to learn more about VA benefits in The Grand Canyon State.

Veterans Homes

Arizona provides state veterans homes in four different locations:

Each home, while maintained under state guidelines, offers a varying number of beds. For the most up-to-date information on each location, please visit the websites above.

Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemeteries

Veterans can be interred at one of three Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemeteries:

At all three locations, any veteran with a discharge other than dishonorable is eligible for interment. Spouses and dependents are also eligible, though a small fee will be charged.

Tax Benefits for Veterans​

The State of Arizona offers several financial benefits to veterans and their families:

  • Income Tax 404
    Under this benefit, all pay received by active-duty service members is tax-free, as are all federal civil service and military retirement payments.
  • Native American Settlement Fund
    This benefit provides a refund of Arizona income tax that was erroneously collected from Native Americans who served in the military while also claiming tribal lands as their homestead.
  • Vehicle Registration Fees & License Taxes
    Any veteran who has a disability rating of 100% will have their vehicle registration fees and license tax waived on their personal vehicle. Vehicles purchased through VA financial aid are also exempt from those fees and taxes, and the benefit extends to spouses, should the veteran pass away.
  • Arizona Military Family Relief Fund
    This fund provides financial assistance to the families of service members who are currently deployed, as well as military and veteran families who are suffering hardships due to their military service. Emergency assistance up to $3,000 is available for all applicants, but it should be noted that there is a lifetime limit of $20,000.
  • Property Tax 404
    Disabled veterans and their families may have their property tax waived under certain circumstances. To find out if you are eligible, contact your local County Assessor’s office.

Education Benefits for Veterans

Veterans may take advantage of two education benefits in Arizona:

  • Arizona Veterans Tuition Waiver Program
    Under this program, eligible veterans and surviving dependents receive a tuition-free education up to the undergraduate level at any public state university or community college throughout Arizona. Eligibility rules do apply to the program, and those rules can be found at the link above.
  • Arizona Purple Heart Tuition Waiver
    This benefit is available to post-9/11 veterans with a disability rating of at least 50%, who received a Purple Heart medal, and who lived in Arizona during their time in service. Dependent children younger than 30 and spouses of a veteran who was killed in active duty on or after 9/11 also may qualify. Lastly, any post-9/11 Arizona National Guard members who received a medical discharge or received a Purple Heart are eligible as well.

Employment Benefits for Veterans

Arizona provides four main employment benefits for its veterans:

  • CDL Skills Test Waiver
    Active-duty personnel and veterans may be eligible to have the Commercial Driver License (CDL) skills test waived when applying for their CDL. Applicants must be within one year of discharge and need to have operated a commercial motor vehicle or its equivalent for at least two years prior to being discharged.
  • Hiring Preference
    Any veteran who passes an exam for employment by the state, county, or city will be given a 5-point boost to their certification score. To be eligible, applicants need to have served for longer than six months and possess an honorable discharge. Those with honorable discharges who are also receiving disability compensation will receive a 10-point boost to their score. Spouses or surviving spouses may also be eligible for a 5-point boost if their veteran passed away due to a service-connected disability.
  • Real Estate Licensing
    Veterans, active-duty service members, and their spouses may benefit from reduced licensing requirements from the Arizona Department of Real Estate.
  • Veteran Tool Kit
    Created to support unemployed veterans in getting the items they need to start working, from boots and bicycles to tools and more. To qualify, veterans must live in Arizona, be enrolled in an Arizona Job Connection through ARIZONA@WORK and will need to identify the job they require tools for.

Recreation Benefits for Veterans

The State of Arizona provides recreation benefits for veterans as well:

  • Arizona State Parks
    Veterans can benefit from a few different discounts to any state park in the state. These include a 50% day-use discount for active-duty service members, reservists, and guardsmen, as well as three family members. The same discount is available for all military retirees, and any veteran who has a disability rating of 100% will receive admission at no charge.
  • Hunting & Fishing Licenses
    Any active-duty service member who is stationed in Arizona is eligible for hunting and fishing licenses at the resident rate. Any veteran who has a 100% disability rating can get both licenses at no charge, and veterans with a disability rating of 50% or lower will receive a discounted rate.

6 Responses

    1. Hi James! Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your disability clam. We offer free consultations for all of our services and would be happy to try and assist you with your denial and any additional questions you have. Please complete this form to be contacted by one of our benefit consultants for further assistance. We look forward to hopefully working with you!

  1. Need information regarding survival spouses benefits Applied in April, 2021. Our oldest daughter took all the paperwork from me when I went into assisted living. We are in different states. The last letter she received said it should be resolved by September, October 2023. Nothing. Can u give me a number to call where I can get information? Thank u.

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