New Hampshire Veteran Benefits

New Hampshire offers 17 state-level veteran benefits in 2026, spanning 4 tax programs, 3 education programs, 0 housing programs, 1 healthcare program, 3 recreation programs, and 2 employment programs. 10 are available to any honorably discharged veteran regardless of rating; 6 are reserved for veterans rated 100% disabled by the VA. These stack with federal VA benefits.

New Hampshire offers 6 state benefits specifically for veterans rated 100% disabled by the VA, including: Disabled Veterans' Property Tax Credit, Specially Adapted Homestead Full Property Tax Exemption, Tuition Waiver for Children of 100% Disabled Veterans, and 3 more. These typically include enhanced property tax exemptions, free hunting/fishing licenses, free state park access, and registration fee waivers. 100% disabled New Hampshire veterans also qualify for the 11 broader benefits available at lower rating thresholds — 17 total.

Veterans rated 50% or higher qualify for 11 New Hampshire state benefits — every benefit available to any veteran (10) plus benefits gated at 10-49% (0) plus 1 additional benefit gated at the 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% threshold. These typically include partial property tax credits, hunting/fishing license discounts, and tuition assistance. A 100% rating unlocks 6 additional benefits on top.

Yes. New Hampshire offers 4 tax-related benefits for veterans. The headline program is No State Income Tax on Earned Income or Military Pay: New Hampshire does not impose a state income tax on earned income, military pay, or military retirement pay. Estimated value: Varies (no state income tax on earnings). Whether New Hampshire also exempts military retirement pay and VA disability compensation from state income tax varies by program — see the Tax Benefits section above for the full list.

New Hampshire offers 3 state education benefits: National Guard Tuition Waiver; Free Tuition for Children of POW/MIA or Service Deceased; Tuition Waiver for Children of 100% Disabled Veterans. Some are tuition waivers at state public universities; others are scholarships for surviving spouses and children of veterans who died in service or were rated permanently and totally disabled. These supplement (and in many cases stack with) the federal Post-9/11 GI Bill.

New Hampshire's veteran license plate / registration benefit: Free Disabled Veteran License Plate and Registration Exemption. Free initial Disabled Veteran license plate for P&T disabled veterans (per RSA 261:86); separate registration fee exemptions apply to amputee/paraplegic/blind veterans receiving a VA vehicle. Apply through your local DMV / county tax assessor with your VA disability rating letter and DD-214.

Yes — New Hampshire offers 3 recreation-related veteran benefits, including: Free State Park Day-Use Admission for Disabled Veterans; Half-Price Lifetime Hunting, Fishing, and Archery License (80-99%), and 1 more. Most state park, hunting, and fishing license discounts are tied to a minimum VA disability rating (typically 50% or 100%) and require New Hampshire residency.

Each New Hampshire state benefit has its own application — there is no single application that covers them all. Most require: (1) DD-214 or equivalent discharge document, (2) proof of New Hampshire residency, and (3) VA disability rating letter if the benefit is rating-gated. Use the application URL listed on each benefit's detail page on this site. For complex cases (claims appeals, dependent benefits), contact your county Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for free assistance.

Yes. New Hampshire state benefits are administered separately from federal VA benefits and the two are designed to stack. A New Hampshire veteran can simultaneously receive federal VA disability compensation, VA healthcare, GI Bill education benefits, AND any New Hampshire state programs they qualify for. Some specific overlaps (e.g., state tuition assistance) may require exhausting federal GI Bill benefits first; check each benefit's eligibility notes.

Yes. NH State Veterans Cemetery. Free burial plot and government headstone for veterans at the state cemetery in Boscawen. Eligibility generally requires honorable discharge and New Hampshire residency; some sites accept any veteran meeting federal VA national cemetery criteria. This is in addition to (not a substitute for) burial at a federal VA National Cemetery.

New Hampshire benefits unlock at every VA rating tier. 10 benefits require no disability rating (available to any honorably discharged veteran). 0 are gated at 10-40%. 1 are gated at 50-90%. 6 require a 100% rating. Veterans rated 100% qualify for ALL 17 New Hampshire state benefits.