Tennessee Disabled Veteran Benefits

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If you are a disabled veteran living in Tennessee, or thinking about moving here, this page puts every state-level benefit tied to your VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) disability rating in one place: property tax relief, the state's no-income-tax picture, vehicle and plate breaks, parks and hunting/fishing, education for you and your family, state veterans' homes, hiring preference, and burial. Every dollar figure, deadline, and form name below comes from an official Tennessee source, and I link that source so you can check it yourself. Where the state's own pages leave a number unsettled, I tell you to confirm it rather than guess.

Plain-language promise: I keep the how-to steps here so you can act. The only thing I route out is filing or increasing a VA claim, because that is free claims work best handled by an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO), never a paid company. In Tennessee your free VSO help runs through the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services (TDVS).

A higher property tax relief cap did not pass. A bill (SB1798/HB1687) would have raised the maximum home value used to calculate disabled-veteran property tax relief from $175,000 to $200,000, but it stalled in committee and died when the 114th General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 23, 2026 without a floor vote — it is not law. The current state law and the Comptroller's 2026 program brochure both use $175,000. Watch for it to be refiled when the 115th General Assembly convenes in January 2027. Confirm the cap for your tax year with your county trustee.
Sources the bill's status

Property tax exemption

What it is: Tennessee runs its disabled-veteran benefit as property tax relief (a reimbursement program), not a true exemption. You still get and pay your full tax bill, then the state reimburses the tax on the first slice of your home's value through your county trustee (or your city collecting official if the home is inside city limits). For the disabled-veteran category there is no income limit, only a home-value cap. The relief is calculated on the first $175,000 of your home's full market value (see the note above — a bill to raise this to $200,000 died in committee).

Who qualifies (you must own the home and use it as your primary residence, and meet any ONE of these disability tests, all verified by the VA):

• Route 1 — specific catastrophic service-connected conditions. You acquired, from any service-connected cause, a disability from paraplegia or permanent paralysis of both legs and the lower body (from traumatic injury or disease to the spinal cord or brain), or legal blindness, or the loss or loss of use of two or more limbs.
• Route 2 — service-connected Permanent and Total (P&T) disability. The VA has determined you have a service-connected permanent and total disability. This is the broadest route and is the one most 100% P&T veterans use.
• Route 3 — former prisoner of war (POW) at 100%. You have a 100% permanent and total disability as determined by the VA, and that disability resulted from having served as a prisoner of war.

Surviving spouse (widow or widower): relief continues for the surviving spouse if you were married to the veteran at the time of death, have not remarried, own the home, and use it as your primary residence. You qualify if the veteran met one of the three disability routes above, or the veteran's death resulted from a service-connected, combat-related cause (VA-determined), or the service member died while deployed away from any home base of training in support of combat or peace operations. The surviving spouse files Form F-16S instead of the veteran's Form F-16.

Do this in order:

1. Find your county trustee (or city collecting official) using the statewide Assessors and Trustees directory (in Sources below). They administer this, not the state or the VA.
2. Wait for your 2026 property tax bill, then apply. The deadline is 35 days after the tax delinquency date, and your taxes must be paid by that date too (it is a reimbursement).
3. Complete Form F-16 (the VA consent form that lets the trustee verify your disability); the state does not post a blank F-16 for download, so you sign it at the trustee's or city collecting official's office. A surviving spouse completes Form F-16S and brings the veteran's death certificate and a photo ID.
4. Bring your VA award/rating documentation showing the qualifying disability (P&T status, the specific catastrophic condition, or POW status).
5. Confirm it posted by checking your reimbursement or your next bill, or call the trustee. Program questions: TN Comptroller Property Tax Relief, 615-747-8871.

Sources TDVS property tax relief · Comptroller program brochure · TDVS surviving-spouse relief · Assessors and Trustees directory · Comptroller Property Tax Relief office

State income tax

What it is: the simplest section on this page. Tennessee has no personal income tax at all, so nothing you receive as a veteran is taxed by the state.

• No tax on wages, salary, or retirement income, including military retirement pay. Tennessee never had a broad wage tax, and its only individual tax (the Hall income tax on interest and dividends) was fully repealed for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2021.
• VA disability compensation is federally tax-free, and with no state income tax there is nothing for Tennessee to add on top. There is no state veteran income-tax form to file, because there is no state income-tax return to file.

1. You do not file a Tennessee individual income-tax return. If you moved from a state that taxed income, just stop filing that state's resident return once you establish Tennessee residency.
2. Keep your VA award letter for federal purposes; VA disability compensation stays off your federal return as well.

Sources State Dept of Revenue (Hall tax) · State Dept of Revenue taxes

Vehicles, plates & tolls

What it is: Tennessee waives the county motor-vehicle privilege tax for the most seriously disabled veterans, gives a free disabled-driver decal, and offers disabled-veteran and POW specialty plates. Tennessee has no state toll roads, so there is no toll benefit to claim.

• County Motor Vehicle Privilege Tax exemption: a veteran with a 100% permanent, total service-connected disability (VA-determined), or any former prisoner of war (VA-determined), is exempt from the county motor-vehicle privilege tax (the local "wheel tax").
• Free disabled-driver decal: a veteran who meets Tennessee's disabled-driver definition may add a free disabled-driver decal to an existing specialty plate.
• Specialty plates: Tennessee issues veteran plates including Handicapped (Disabled) Veteran, Former Prisoner of War, Purple Heart, and many campaign/era plates. Exact eligibility and any fees are set by the TN Department of Revenue, so confirm the plate you want and its fee there.

1. If you are 100% P&T service-connected or a former POW, take your VA documentation to your county clerk (or the county official who collects the wheel tax) and request the privilege-tax exemption.
2. Ask the county clerk / Department of Revenue about the disabled-veteran or POW specialty plate and the free disabled-driver decal, and confirm any plate fee before you pay.

Sources TDVS motor services · County privilege-tax exemption · Free disabled decal · Veteran specialty plates

Recreation: parks, hunting & fishing

What it is: a nearly free lifetime hunting-and-fishing license for disabled veterans, plus veteran discounts and free days at Tennessee State Parks.

• Veteran lifetime hunting & fishing license, one-time $10: a Tennessee resident who is either 100% permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected cause, or 30% or more disabled by reason of service in any war, qualifies for a combination sport-fishing-and-hunting license for a one-time $10 fee (effectively a lifetime license). Apply on the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) miscellaneous-licenses form: TWRA Miscellaneous Licenses Application (PDF).
• Tennessee State Parks veteran benefits: Tennessee resident veterans get benefits including a free night of camping and a free round of golf around Veterans Day, an off-season camping discount, and a year-round discount for 100% service-connected disabled veterans on campsites and cabins. Exact percentages, dates, and proof rules change season to season, so confirm the current offer before you book.

1. For the $10 lifetime license, confirm your rating (100% P&T service-connected, or 30%+ from wartime service), fill out the TWRA Miscellaneous Licenses Application, and submit it with your VA documentation.
2. For parks, check the current TDVS State Parks page (in Sources) for this year's free-day dates and discount amounts, and bring proof of service (and, for the 100% discount, your VA rating) when you book or check in.

Sources TDVS hunting & fishing · TDVS State Parks

Education for you & your family

What it is: a tuition waiver for the families of veterans killed or captured in service, and a state grant that helps post-9/11 veterans pay for college. Both are separate from and on top of your federal GI Bill and VR&E benefits.

• Dependents' Tuition Waiver: waives tuition, maintenance fees, student activity fees, and registration fees at Tennessee state-supported colleges and universities for the dependent child (generally under age 23) or spouse of a veteran who was killed or died as a result of service-connected injuries, or is officially a prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA), during a qualifying period of armed conflict. The veteran must have been a Tennessee resident at the time of death or POW/MIA determination, and the applicant cannot be receiving equivalent federal benefits for the same purpose.
• Helping Heroes Grant: a state lottery-funded grant of $1,000 per semester if you enroll in 12 or more semester hours, or $500 per semester for 6 to 11 hours (up to 8 full semesters). You must be an honorably discharged veteran (or a reserve/Tennessee National Guard member called to active service), a Tennessee resident, and have been awarded a qualifying medal: the Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal on or after September 11, 2001 (or another medal approved by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, TSAC). Awards are first-come, subject to funding; deadlines are September 1 (fall), February 1 (spring), and May 1 (summer).

1. Decide which fits: the Dependents' Tuition Waiver for your child or spouse if you died, or are POW/MIA, from qualifying service, or the Helping Heroes Grant for you as a post-9/11 veteran.
2. For the waiver, contact TDVS for the certificate/eligibility packet and give it to your school; for Helping Heroes, apply through TSAC before the term's deadline with your DD-214 and proof of the qualifying medal.
3. Coordinate with your school's financial aid office so the award or waiver applies against actual tuition owed, and confirm current-year rules at the linked pages.

Sources TDVS scholarships & waivers · Dependents tuition waiver · Helping Heroes Grant (TSAC) · TDVS

State Veterans' Homes & long-term care

What it is: Tennessee operates five State Veterans' Homes (skilled-nursing / long-term care), run by the Tennessee State Veterans Homes Board.

• Humboldt (W.D. "Bill" Manning Home), 2865 Main Street, Humboldt, TN 38343, (731) 784-8405
• Murfreesboro, 345 Compton Road, Murfreesboro, TN 37130, (615) 895-8850
• Clarksville (Brig. Gen. Wendell H. Gilbert Home), 250 Arrowood Drive, Clarksville, TN 37042, (931) 245-4700
• Knoxville (Ben Atchley Home), 1 Veterans Way, Knoxville, TN 37931, (865) 862-8100
• Cleveland, 1940 Westland Dr. SW, Cleveland, TN 37311, (423) 813-3600

Admission criteria (service-connection level, level-of-care need) and cost/copay structure are set by each home and the Board, and are not spelled out on the state summary page. For higher-rated veterans, the VA often pays the home a large share of skilled-nursing cost, but confirm your specific situation directly with the home.

1. Pick the nearest home from the list above.
2. Call that home's admissions office, ask for the application and physician's-statement packet, and confirm your cost given your VA rating.
3. Have your discharge document (DD Form 214) and VA rating letter ready to submit.

Sources TDVS state veterans homes

State hiring & civil service

What it is: Tennessee gives qualified veterans a guaranteed first-round interview for state "preferred service" jobs, a tie-breaker preference, and extra seniority if layoffs happen. The rules are set by the state's veterans' preference personnel policy.

• Guaranteed first-round interview: when a hiring list of eligibles includes an honorably discharged veteran (Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or the reserve components) who meets the minimum qualifications, that veteran must be invited to the first-round interview.
• Tie-breaker preference: if a veteran and another candidate are equal on minimum qualifications and skills, preference goes to the veteran. An appointing authority who passes over an eligible veteran to pick a non-veteran must file written reasons with the Commissioner within 30 days.
• Spouse / surviving-spouse preference: the first-round-interview preference also extends to the spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran who is 100% service-connected disabled, is permanently and totally disabled, or died in the line of duty (surviving spouse must not have remarried), if the spouse is a Tennessee voter or two-year resident.
• Layoff (reduction-in-force) credit: a person with veteran status gets an extra 60 months of service credit added to total state service when computing layoff order.

1. When you apply for a Tennessee state job, claim veteran status and submit your DD-214 (or Statement of Service) at the time of application; the preference is not applied retroactively.
2. A qualifying spouse or surviving spouse submits VA/service documentation showing the veteran's disability and its percentage (or line-of-duty death) with the application.
3. For help finding openings, use the TDVS Veteran Employment page (in Sources).

Sources State veterans' preference policy · TDVS veteran employment

Other: burial & more

What it is: Tennessee runs a network of state veterans' cemeteries and buries eligible veterans at no charge.

• State Veterans' Cemeteries: Tennessee maintains five state veterans' cemeteries (two in Knoxville, one in Nashville, one in Memphis, and one in Parkers Crossroads), all meeting National Cemetery Administration standards. Eligible veterans are buried at no charge, and eligible dependents at no cost to the family. Confirm current eligibility and any dependent charge with the cemetery, since fees can change.
• Statewide resource hub: Tennessee has a single portal, Tennessee Veterans Connect, that helps you find and apply for state and federal benefits, employment, and services in one place.

1. For burial, contact TDVS or the specific state veterans' cemetery, and have the veteran's DD Form 214 ready.
2. To scan everything you may be eligible for, start at Tennessee Veterans Connect (in Sources) or call TDVS below.

Sources TDVS burial benefits · Tennessee Veterans Connect

Who to call

The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services (TDVS) is your single front door for the state programs above and for a free accredited VSO to help with a VA claim, a rating, or applying for any of these benefits.

• Website: tn.gov/veteran
• Phone: 615-741-2345  |  Email: [email protected]
• Mail: 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Nashville, TN 37243
• Free VSO help: TDVS has field offices statewide with Veterans Service Officers who file VA claims and appeals at no cost. Find one through TDVS or an accredited officer at VA.gov.
• Property tax questions: your county trustee (they administer the relief) and the TN Comptroller Property Tax Relief office, 615-747-8871.
• Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1 (free, 24/7).

1. Anything tied to your actual VA rating, filing a new claim, appealing, or arguing for a higher percentage, goes to a free accredited VSO through TDVS or VA.gov. Never pay a private company for basic claims help.
2. State-program questions (property tax, plates, parks, education, homes, hiring, burial) go to the specific office linked in that section, or start at tn.gov/veteran.

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