Tennessee
Tennessee offers a Property Tax Relief for Disabled Veterans program that reimburses property tax on the first $175,000 of property value for veterans rated 100 percent service connected or with specific service connected conditions. A one-time $10 lifetime hunting and fishing license for residents rated 100 percent permanent and total (or 30 percent war-service disabled); in state tuition at Tennessee public colleges; free state park entry for everyone plus 50 percent off camping for residents rated 100 percent.
Tennessee Department of Veterans AffairsProperty tax exemption
State reimburses property taxes on the first $175,000 of property value of the primary residence. Income limit applies.
State income tax
Tennessee has no state personal income tax, so neither your VA disability compensation nor your military retirement pay is taxed by the state.
Disabled veteran plates & registration
Tennessee issues the first Disabled Veteran plate free to veterans rated 100% permanent and total; additional plates carry standard fees, and a free decal is available for an existing military plate.
Public employment preference
Tennessee adds preference points on state civil-service exams and, under the TEAM Act, guarantees an interview to veterans who meet the minimum qualifications for an open position.
In state tuition
Under 38 USC 3679(c) (originally Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act), every public college that accepts Post-9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill students must charge in state tuition to covered students using their GI Bill, regardless of state residency. The old requirement to enroll within 3 years of separation was removed by the Isakson and Roe Act effective August 1, 2021, so there is no longer a time limit after discharge. State specific extensions to this rule are noted below where applicable.
Dependent / survivor education
Tennessee waives full tuition at state colleges for the children and spouses of veterans killed in action, and the Helping Heroes Grant provides up to $1,000 per semester to veterans and family members.
Hunting and fishing license
Free Disabled Veteran annual hunting and fishing license.
State park entrance
Tennessee State Parks charge no entrance fee - day use is free for everyone. Tennessee-resident veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating get 50% off camping and cabin fees year-round.
Camping & recreation
Tennessee sells a one-time $10 lifetime hunting and fishing license to resident veterans certified 100 percent permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected cause or 30 percent or more disabled by reason of war service (application-only through TWRA; WMA and special permits extra). Resident veterans rated 100 percent also get 50% off camping and cabins at Tennessee State Parks.
State veterans cemetery
Tennessee operates state veterans cemeteries (in Memphis, Knoxville, and the Nashville area) offering free burial for eligible veterans and their spouses.
Tennessee ranks 15 of 51 for rural veterans' access to accredited help: 9.99 accredited representatives per 10,000 veterans, with 38.4 percent of its veterans living rural.
Email me the Tennessee benefit checklist
A clean, printable checklist of every Tennessee benefit on this page - with the eligibility threshold and official source for each - sent straight to your inbox.
State legislatures revise thresholds and dollar amounts every session. The figures above are sourced from the state agency that administers each program, but the latest year is the state's word, not ours. Before you file an application, click the source link in each section and verify the current threshold.
Writing about Tennessee veteran benefits? You are welcome to reference this guide. Copy the citation below and link back so your readers can verify each program against the state source, or download the benefits table.
Developers: this record is available as structured data VBD:STATE:TN