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Arkansas gives disabled veterans a full property tax exemption on the homestead and personal property at a 100% total and permanent rating, a free Disabled Veteran license plate from a 30% rating upward, $1.50 lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, a 50% campsite discount at every state park, and a scholarship covering tuition, mandatory fees and on-campus housing for the families of veterans rated 100% permanent and total.

Military retirement pay and VA disability compensation are both fully exempt from Arkansas income tax. The state also runs two veterans homes offering skilled nursing care and two veterans cemeteries where burial for the veteran costs nothing.

Arkansas is home to an estimated 196,712 veterans, and about 34.7% of them receive VA disability compensation, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. But many other benefits are available. If you haven’t yet accessed everything you’re entitled to, this guide is for you.

Hill & Ponton helps disabled veterans and their families learn about Arkansas-specific programs, resources, and legal assistance available to them. It explains the requirements for each benefit and how to access them.

Tax Exemptions and Financial Assistance

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Property Taxes in Arkansas?

No, not if they are rated 100% total and permanent for a service-connected disability. Those veterans owe nothing on their homestead or their personal property. The veteran has to be an Arkansas citizen and resident, and has to live in the home as a principal residence.

The exemption also applies to veterans awarded special monthly compensation by the VA for the loss, or loss of use, of one or more limbs, or for total blindness in one or both eyes.

When the veteran dies, the exemption passes to the surviving spouse and minor dependent children. A surviving spouse keeps it only while unmarried, and it is reinstated if a later marriage ends. Children hold it through their minority. Survivors have to own the property and occupy it as a principal residence, and the VA must confirm the veteran was entitled to the qualifying rating or compensation at the time of death.

A second route exists for families whose veteran never held a 100% rating. The surviving spouse and minor dependent children of a service member declared missing in action, killed within the scope of military duties, or who died of service-connected causes can claim the same exemption. That path also takes VA confirmation that the spouse is entitled, or would be entitled, to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

To claim the exemption, bring a copy of the VA Summary of Benefits letter to the county collector. If that letter does not show the date the disability became total and permanent, bring the Rating Decision that does. Survivors add a signed affidavit of relationship. This is not a one-time filing: Arkansas counties generally want the paperwork again every year, with an October 15 deadline.

Act 880 of 2025 opens the exemption to homes held in a trust or a limited liability company, beginning with the 2026 assessment year. A revocable trust qualifies only if the veteran created it, an irrevocable trust only if the veteran is a beneficiary, and an LLC only when its sole members are the veteran, or the veteran and spouse. The veteran still has to occupy the home. Irrevocable trust claimants file a signed, notarized, file-marked copy of the trust with the collector, and LLC claimants supply the same proof of eligibility the homestead credit requires. That act also narrows the personal property side to items registered in the veteran’s own name, so a vehicle titled only to a spouse no longer counts.

A veteran claiming this exemption cannot also claim the Amendment 79 homestead property tax credit, currently $500 and rising to $600 on 2026 tax bills. The exemption is worth far more, so the choice is usually easy, but a surviving spouse who loses the exemption by remarrying should claim the credit instead.

Income Tax Exemptions

Arkansas stopped taxing military retirement pay for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, under Act 141 of 2017. That same act exempts survivor benefits funded by a service member’s retired pay, which matters to a surviving spouse drawing a Survivor Benefit Plan annuity. VA disability compensation and active duty pay are also exempt from Arkansas income tax.

Military disability retirement pay works differently. DFA treats it as excludable only when it qualifies under Internal Revenue Code section 104, which is not automatic. Disability retirement failing that test falls under the general $6,000 retirement income exemption instead. A veteran claiming more than $6,000 under the military exemption cannot also take the $6,000 exemption on other retirement income.

Transportation Benefits

Are Disabled Veteran License Plates Free in Arkansas?

The first Disabled Veteran license plate is free for an Arkansas citizen and resident whom the VA has determined to be service-connected disabled and who is either totally and permanently disabled or rated at least 30% and owns the vehicle. Renewal is capped at $1 a year, and DFA charges $4 for a second plate. The Disabled Veteran plate provides accessible parking rights on its own while the veteran is being transported, with no separate placard needed.

A surviving spouse can have the plate reissued, presenting a marriage license and death certificate if they were not already a joint owner of the vehicle. Nothing in the statute ends the plate on remarriage, though a surviving spouse does not gain accessible parking rights unless personally disabled. Learn more from the DFA.

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Sales Tax on Vehicles in Arkansas?

Arkansas offers sales tax relief on vehicle purchases in two specific situations. Veterans who buy specially adapted vehicles or equipment with financial help from the VA owe no sales tax on the purchase. An official VA letter confirming the assisted purchase serves as proof.

Separately, a veteran blinded by a service-connected injury owes no Arkansas Gross Receipts Tax on one new automobile every two years. This one covers new vehicles only, and Arkansas defines automobile here as a passenger car or pickup, leaving out trucks over three-quarters of a ton and all trailers. DFA asks for a VA statement certifying both veteran status and service-connected blindness.

Education Benefits

Does Arkansas Offer College Benefits to Disabled Veterans?

Arkansas has no state tuition waiver aimed at disabled veterans themselves, but it supports veteran education in other ways. The Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver covers tuition and mandatory fees for Guard members in good standing working toward an undergraduate degree at a state-supported public two-year or four-year school in Arkansas.

Veterans can also qualify for in-state tuition no matter where they live. Arkansas law requires state-supported colleges, trade schools and vocational schools to charge resident rates to a veteran honorably discharged from at least 90 days of active duty within three years before enrolling, and to that veteran’s dependents. Federal law reaches further: any public institution must charge the resident rate to a veteran or dependent using VA education benefits with no time limit after discharge.

Federal education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) are widely accepted at Arkansas institutions, and many schools participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover costs beyond GI Bill limits. 

Do Spouses and Children of Disabled Veterans Get Free Tuition in Arkansas?

The Arkansas Heroes Scholarship covers in-state tuition, mandatory fees and on-campus housing for the spouse or dependent child of a qualifying Arkansan, at public and private institutions across the state. It is available for the families of Arkansans killed in action, declared missing in action, held as prisoners of war, killed on ordnance delivery, awarded the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart, or rated 100% total and permanent as a result of service. A separate track covers dependents of law enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional officers, game wardens, EMTs and teachers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.

The scholarship works as a reimbursement to the school rather than a waiver, and it does not cover meals, books, parking permits, dorm damage or utilities. It pays the unpaid balance of tuition, on-campus housing and mandatory fees left after three months of Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance is deducted from each semester’s cost. If no balance remains after that deduction, nothing is paid.Funding runs for eight semesters or until the student earns a degree, whichever comes first.

A surviving spouse loses eligibility on remarriage. Dependent children must be under 26 both to qualify and to keep the funding, and a student who turns 26 on or before the first day of a term loses it for that term. Applicants need one year of Arkansas residency before applying, a 2.0 GPA, and 24 semester hours each academic year, with reimbursement tied to full-time enrollment of 12 hours or more.

The scholarship deadline is July 1, and the Chapter 35 application has to be in by June 15. Applicants must supply a DD-214 along with VA documentation of the qualifying status. Learn more about the Arkansas Heroes Scholarship.

Employment Benefits

Arkansas State Veterans Hiring Preference

Arkansas adds preference points to a veteran’s passing examination score. The preference covers state agencies, institutions of higher education under the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act, and school districts.

  • 10 points: Veterans with a VA-established service-connected disability, veterans over 55 who are disabled and entitled to a pension or compensation, and the spouse of a veteran whose service-connected disability keeps that veteran from being selected. No minimum rating applies, so a 10% rating earns the full ten points.
  • 5 points: Veterans honorably discharged from active duty, Reserve or Guard members with at least six years of honorable service, and the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran who is unmarried when applying and stays unmarried until the hiring decision is made.

Ten-point applicants go to the head of the register among candidates with equal eligibility points. Applicants must be Arkansas citizens and residents whose qualifications are substantially equal to other candidates, and a veteran who is passed over can request the reason in writing. Private and local government employers in Arkansas may also adopt a written veterans preference policy of their own.

Occupational Licensing and Job Search Help

Arkansas grants automatic occupational licensure to service members stationed in the state, veterans who live here or move here, and their spouses, when they already hold a license in good standing with a similar scope of practice from another state. Deployment also pushes a license expiration back 180 days past the return date and pauses continuing education requirements for the same stretch. This is licensure by reciprocity rather than a fee waiver, so the initial licensure fee still applies.

The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services has Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialists, who work one-on-one with disabled veterans facing employment barriers, and Local Veterans Employment Representatives, who work the employer side. Identify yourself as a veteran at any workforce center to receive priority of service.

Recreation Benefits

Entry to Arkansas state parks costs nothing at almost every park, and hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, boat launching and most interpretive programs are free. Crater of Diamonds is the exception, charging admission because entry includes access to the diamond search field. Campsites do carry fees, but those fees are discounted for veterans with a 100% permanent and total disability.

Camping Discounts for Disabled Veterans

Permanently and totally disabled veterans get 50% off standard campsite fees at every Arkansas State Park, year round. Arkansas writes the rule around the disability rather than the service, so the same discount is open to any U.S. citizen with a 100% permanent and total disability and to visitors aged 62 and over. It does not apply to cabins, yurts or other rental lodging.

Veterans can prove eligibility with a VA award letter dated within the last two years, or by showing an Arkansas license plate carrying the DV or DAV designation. The America the Beautiful Access Pass and the older Golden Access Passport both work as proof as well.

Disabled Veteran Hunting and Fishing Licenses

Arkansas sells veterans rated 100% totally and permanently disabled a Resident Disabled Military Veteran Lifetime Hunting License and a matching Lifetime Fishing License for a one-time $1.50 each. A lifetime combination license covering both costs $3.

Lifetime waterfowl permits cost $7 and lifetime trout permits $10. These licenses are sold at the AGFC office in Little Rock, at any AGFC regional office, and by mail.

Eligibility requires VA certification of a 100% total and permanent disability plus at least one year of Arkansas residency.

Veterans who fall short of a 100% rating still have an option. AGFC sells a Resident Disabled Military Veteran Lifetime Combination License and Permit for $52.50 to any resident veteran rated 70% or higher, or 50% or higher with a Purple Heart. Find out more from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

AGFC also issues a free Mobility-Impaired Access Permit to anyone with a qualifying permanent mobility impairment, allowing vehicle and ATV access on designated wildlife management area roads and trails during deer season, plus access to accessible fishing piers. These lifetime licenses belong to the veteran personally and do not pass to a surviving spouse.

Healthcare Benefits

Arkansas veterans get care through two VA health care systems backed by clinics spread across the state. The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System covers the central and southern counties from Little Rock, and the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks covers the northwest from Fayetteville. Veterans in the northeast corner of the state are served by clinics run under the Memphis VA system.

VA Medical Centers

  • John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans’ Hospital: 4300 West Seventh Street, Little Rock, AR 72205 
  • Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center: 2200 Fort Roots Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72114 
  • Fayetteville VA Medical Center: 1100 North College Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72703 

Community Based Outpatient Clinics

  • Conway VA Clinic: 1520 East Dave Ward Drive, Conway, AR 72032 
  • El Dorado VA Clinic: 1702 North West Avenue, El Dorado, AR 71730 
  • Fort Smith VA Clinic: 5700 Phoenix Place, Fort Smith, AR 72903 
  • Harrison VA Clinic: 814 US Highway 62-65 North, Suite 8, Harrison, AR 72601 
  • Hot Springs VA Clinic: 177 Sawtooth Oak Street, Hot Springs, AR 71901 
  • Little Rock VA Clinic: 1000 Main Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 
  • Mena VA Clinic: 300 Morrow Street South, Mena, AR 71953 
  • Mountain Home VA Clinic: 759 Highway 62 E, Twin Lakes Plaza, Suite 331, Mountain Home, AR 72653 
  • Ozark VA Clinic: 2713 West Commercial Street, Ozark, AR 72949 
  • Pine Bluff VA Clinic: 2906 Market Street, Pine Bluff, AR 71601 
  • Russellville VA Clinic: 3106 West 2nd Court, Russellville, AR 72801 
  • Searcy VA Clinic: 1120 South Main Street, Searcy, AR 72143 
  • Sunbridge VA Clinic: 180 East Sunbridge Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72703 
  • Township VA Clinic: 216 East Township Street, Fayetteville, AR 72703 
  • Jonesboro VA Clinic: 1843 East Highland Drive, Suite B, Jonesboro, AR 72401
  • West Helena VA Clinic: 125 Quarles Lane, West Helena, AR 72390

Arkansas State Veterans Homes

In addition to federal VA medical facilities, Arkansas operates two state veterans homes that provide long-term skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, hospice, and respite care for eligible veterans and their spouses.

  • Arkansas State Veterans Home at Fayetteville: 1179 North College Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701 | Phone: (479) 444-7001
  • Arkansas State Veterans Home at North Little Rock: 2401 John Ashley Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72114 | Phone: (501) 683-1406

Both homes are certified by Medicare and Medicaid and provide around-the-clock skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work and recreation. Veterans are eligible if they served at least 180 days with a discharge other than dishonorable, were discharged for a service-connected disability regardless of length of service, are activated reservists who served during wartime, or are Guard or Reserve members with 20 or more years.

Applicants must be at least 18 and need long-term care, and veterans rated 70% or higher receive admission priority. Spouses of veterans and Gold Star parents may also apply. For applications, submit an inquiry to ADVA Veteran Homes or contact the department at (501) 683-2382 or adva.public@arkansas.gov. 

Burial and Survivor Benefits

Arkansas has two state veterans cemeteries providing burial space for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children. Interment costs the veteran nothing and includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a vault, and a government headstone or niche cover. Arkansas residency is not required. Find out more.

  • Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at North Little Rock: 1501 West Maryland Avenue, North Little Rock, AR 72120 | Phone: (501) 683-2259
  • Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at Birdeye: 3600 Highway 163, Birdeye, AR 72324 | Phone: (870) 588-4608

Veterans qualify if they were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. A spouse, an unmarried child under 21 (or under 23 while still enrolled in school), and a verifiable life-long dependent of the veteran may also be interred, at a cost of about $807. Veterans can pre-register for burial eligibility at no charge (ADVA asks for the $807 payment with the paperwork when a spouse or dependent is included). Families also have the option of burial in a VA national cemetery.

National VA Cemeteries in Arkansas

  • Fayetteville National Cemetery (open to new interments): 1000 South Lt. Col. Leroy Pond Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
  • Fort Smith National Cemetery (open to new interments): 522 Garland Avenue, Fort Smith, AR 72901
  • Little Rock National Cemetery (closed to new interments, apart from burials in existing gravesites): 2523 Springer Boulevard, Little Rock, AR 72206

Survivor Benefits

The Arkansas property tax exemption transfers to a surviving spouse who stays unmarried and keeps occupying the home, and dependents may qualify for the Arkansas Heroes Scholarship. Several federal benefits also open up to a veteran’s family after death.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation pays a monthly tax-free benefit to surviving spouses, children and some parents when the death was service-connected, while accrued benefits cover compensation the VA owed the veteran but had not paid out at death. Learn more about getting survivor benefits.

Federal Benefits Available to Arkansas Veterans

In addition to Arkansas’s specific benefits, disabled veterans also get a wide range of federal VA disability benefits, including: 

  • Monthly tax-free compensation payments based on disability rating (calculate it here) 
  • Medical care, including mental health services and counseling 
  • Special compensation, Aid & Attendance and other financial benefits 
  • Home loans and housing benefits 
  • Vocational rehabilitation and employment services 
  • Education benefits through the GI Bill 
  • Survivor benefits 
  • Federal hiring preference 

Eligibility for some of these benefits depends on the disability rating percentage. Use the links below to see what federal benefits Arkansas veterans can get with a rating of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, etc. 

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits

Veterans with a 100% disability rating receive the highest level of federal VA benefits, including: 

  • Full monthly VA compensation
  • Full VA healthcare coverage
  • Dental care
  • Adaptive equipment grants

See all federal benefits for a 100% disabled Arkansas veteran →

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouse and Dependents

Spouses and family members of 100% disabled veterans may also be able to get several benefits: 

  • CHAMPVA healthcare  
  • DIC eligibility  
  • Education benefits  
  • Survivors’ Pension for eligible low-income surviving spouses and children
  • Access to Arkansas state resources  

Benefits for Toxic Exposure

Veterans who served at a military base with toxic exposure, in Arkansas or elsewhere, and later developed a related condition may qualify for VA compensation.

Contamination documented at Arkansas installations includes PFAS from firefighting foam, chemical warfare agent residue, heavy metals such as lead and mercury, PCBs, and herbicide manufacturing waste including dioxin. Sites in and around the state with a government environmental record include:

  • Eaker Air Force Base (Blytheville, AR): PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, traced to decades of firefighting foam use. Tracked by the EPA and referred for cleanup under RCRA rather than the Superfund national priorities list.
  • Little Rock Air Force Base (Jacksonville, AR): An EPA-tracked federal facility. The agency reviewed the site and concluded it did not warrant national priorities list status.
  • Pine Bluff Arsenal (Pine Bluff, AR): Lead, mercury, chlorine, residue from munitions washing, the chemical warfare agent lewisite, and PCB-bearing rocket components. Covered by an Arkansas consent administrative order.
  • Fort Chaffee (Fort Smith, AR): Soil and groundwater contamination serious enough that the EPA issued a formal Record of Decision in 2000, followed by a joint federal and state finding in 2004 that the property was ready for reuse.
  • VERTAC, Inc. (Jacksonville, AR): A former herbicide plant that produced Agent Orange components in the 1960s, added to the EPA national priorities list in 1983. Documented contamination includes 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T and dioxin in soil, sediment and groundwater.
  • Camp Joseph T. Robinson (North Little Rock, AR): PFAS contamination in soil and groundwater from a firefighting foam release, accepted into the Defense Environmental Restoration Program in 2022.

If you served at a base in a different state, you can check its history of toxic contamination and potential health effects using the Military Base Toxic Exposure Map.

Getting VA Disability in Arkansas

Getting through the VA disability claims process can be tricky, but there are local and national resources to help guide you. These resources include local veteran groups, state-supported VA services, and experienced disability attorneys. 

Free Guide to Claiming and Winning VA Benefits

Attorney Matthew Hill has written THE book on how to file for and win VA disability compensation and benefits, which you can receive by mail free of charge.

Get the free book

Legal Resources for Disabled Veterans

For veterans who need to appeal a VA decision or are seeking to increase their disability rating, dedicated legal resources can ensure they receive the full compensation they deserve. 

Help from Experienced Lawyers

Our VA-accredited lawyers proudly represent Arkansas veterans who were denied or underrated by the VA, with no upfront costs. Contact us for a free evaluation – even if we don’t take your case, we’ll point you in the right direction!