Veteran Benefits for New Hampshire

New Hampshire Veteran Financial Benefits

Income Taxes: New Hampshire does not levy an individual income tax, and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) distributions are tax-free.

Property Tax Credits & Exemptions: The state offers multiple property tax credits for veterans, their spouses, and surviving spouses. While state law establishes a base credit, local municipalities may choose to increase the amount. All property taxes are handled by municipal tax collectors, so residents should check locally to confirm eligibility and available credits.

Veterans Organization Tax Exemption: Properties owned and operated by national veterans’ organizations are exempt from property taxes.

Standard & Optional Wartime Veteran Tax Credit:

• Base credit: $50
• Local option: $51–$750
• Available to:
  • Veterans with 90+ days of wartime service and an honorable discharge (plus spouse/surviving spouse)
  • Veterans discharged due to a service-connected disability (plus spouse/surviving spouse)
  • Surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty

Surviving Spouse of Wartime Casualty Credit:

• Base credit: $700
• Local option: $701–$2,000
• For surviving spouses of veterans killed in a designated combat zone while on active duty

Permanent & Total Disabled Veteran Credit:

• Base credit: $700
• Local option: $701–$4,000
• For veterans with a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability

Full Property Tax Exemption for Certain Disabled Veterans:

• Applies to homes acquired or adapted with VA assistance
• Eligible if:
  • Rated 100% permanent and total service-connected disabled or individually unemployable
  • Service-connected blindness
  • Paraplegic or double amputee due to military service
  • Surviving spouse of an eligible veteran

Sales & Excise Taxes:

• No general sales tax
• Prepared meals, short-term room rentals (<185 days), motor vehicle rentals: 9%
• Telecommunications services: 7%
• Electricity: $0.00055 per megawatt-hour
• Gasoline tax: 42.23¢/gallon (includes all taxes)
• Diesel tax: 48.23¢/gallon (includes all taxes)
• Cigarette tax: $1.78 per pack (20)

Recreation

New Hampshire Outdoor & Recreation Benefits for Veterans and Service Members

• Lifetime Hunting & Fishing Licenses for Disabled Veterans:
  The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department offers free or reduced-fee lifetime licenses to eligible disabled veterans.
• Special Hunting & Fishing License for Active Duty Residents:
  New Hampshire residents serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces stationed outside the state can receive a free special license to hunt and fish while on leave.
• Free Admission to State Parks:
  • Disabled Veterans with any VA-rated service-connected disability receive free day-use admission to New Hampshire state parks.
    • Proof required: New Hampshire Disabled Veteran license plates or a VA letter confirming disability status
    • Additional fees still apply for amenities like ski lifts, camping, or special events
  • Active & Reserve Service Members (E-1 through E-6) and retired New Hampshire National Guard members in the same pay grades also receive free day-use park admission.

New Hampshire Military & Veteran Miscellaneous Benefits

Free Public Records for Veterans:
Veterans and their dependents can receive free copies of New Hampshire public records when the documents are needed to establish eligibility for VA benefits.

Vietnam War Bonus – $100:
Awarded to Service members who:

• Served on active duty for 90+ days between Aug. 5, 1964 – Aug. 15, 1973, or
• Served in Vietnam between July 1, 1958 – Aug. 5, 1964
• Must have earned the Vietnam Service Medal or Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Must have been a New Hampshire resident at enlistment and received an honorable discharge
• Late claims (after Aug. 22, 1977) require approval by the Adjutant General, Governor, and Executive Council

Persian Gulf War Service Bonus – $100:

• For Service between Aug. 2, 1990 – Nov. 15, 1995 with the Southwest Asia Service Medal
• Must have been a New Hampshire resident at enlistment and received an honorable discharge
• Program ended Aug. 31, 2002, but certain exceptions may allow late applications
• Not available to Veterans who already received a similar bonus from another state

Global War on Terrorism Service Bonus – $100:

• For Service on or after Sept. 11, 2001 (end date TBD by Secretary of Defense)
• Must have earned one of the following:
  • Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
  • Iraqi Campaign Medal
  • Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Must have been a New Hampshire resident at enlistment and received an honorable discharge, or still be serving

Veterans & Dependent Families Relief:
Honorably discharged wartime Veterans and their families who are unable to support themselves may be eligible for assistance from their local town or city.

Education Programs

New Hampshire Education Benefits for Service Members, Veterans & Families

• NH National Guard Tuition Assistance:
  • Tuition-free courses at state-supported postsecondary schools on a space-available basis
  • Eligibility requires:
    • Active NH National Guard status and completion of Advanced Individual Training or commissioning as an officer
    • Enrollment in a state-supported vocational, technical school, college, or university
    • Use of all federal educational assistance (excluding VA benefits & NG scholarships)
  • Guard members may transfer tuition benefits to a spouse after completing 6 years of mandatory service; spouses may use the waiver at a NH Community College
  • Additional service obligation applies once benefits are transferred
• Free Tuition for Children of NH Resident MIA/POW Service Members:
  • Applies to children of Service members missing in action or held as a POW in Southeast Asia after Feb. 28, 1961
  • Available at NH Community College System schools
  • Benefit lasts as long as the parent remains listed as MIA or captured
• Free Tuition for Children of Disabled Veterans:
  • Available to children of resident disabled Veterans at NH Community College System schools
• Scholarships for Children of Service Members Killed in Action or Died from Service-Connected Disabilities:
  • Up to $2,500/year for 4 years
  • Usable at NH state-supported postsecondary institutions
  • Applies to wartime deaths or deaths from service-connected disabilities linked to wartime service
• Military Interstate Children’s Compact (MIC3):
  Designed to remove educational barriers for children of military families by:
  • Ensuring prompt enrollment despite transfer record delays or differing requirements
  • Supporting consistent placement, grading, course content, and extracurricular eligibility
  • Helping students graduate on time
  • Promoting coordination between schools, states, and military families
  • Encouraging flexibility and cooperation to foster student success
• NH Purple Star School Program:
  • Recognizes schools that show strong support for military-connected students
  • Requirements include:
    • A trained school liaison to address military family needs
    • Teacher awareness training for working with military children
    • A dedicated webpage with military family resources

Housing – New Hampshire Veterans Homes

The New Hampshire Veterans Home (NHVH) in Tilton, NH provides intermediate and long-term care for eligible Veterans of the state. In addition to skilled nursing services, the facility offers hospice and palliative care. NHVH is a 250-bed residence, with 100 beds dedicated to Veterans living with dementia or cognitive impairment, ensuring specialized support for those with memory-related conditions.

New Hampshire State Veterans Home at Tilton

Services Provided by the New Hampshire Veterans Home (NHVH)

The NHVH offers a range of services to support Veterans’ health and quality of life, including:

• Skilled nursing care
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Dietary and nutrition services
• Social work support
• Spiritual care
• Recreational and therapeutic activities

Eligibility Requirements

To be admitted to NHVH, Veterans must meet the following criteria:

• Have an honorable discharge from an active or reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces (no combat service or service-connected disability required)
• Be a New Hampshire resident for at least one year prior to applying, or have New Hampshire listed as their “home of record” on discharge papers
• No minimum age requirement
• NHVH must be able to meet the Veteran’s care needs
• Must not pose a risk of harm to themselves or others

Financial Considerations

A Veteran’s assets are reviewed to determine their financial contribution toward room and board, with a one-year financial look-back period. A home is not counted as an asset if it is occupied by the Veteran’s spouse.

Employment & Job Training Benefits for Veterans in New Hampshire

State Employee Military Leave

• New Hampshire state employees in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces receive 15 days of paid military leave each year for drills, training, or temporary duties.
• After using the 15 paid days, they can receive up to 30 additional days with partial pay.

Veterans’ Preference in State Hiring

• Hiring preference is offered to Veterans, Disabled Veterans, their spouses, and un-remarried surviving spouses for certain positions, including:
  • State Liquor Commission employees (honorably discharged after at least 90 days active duty)
  • New Hampshire Veterans Home staff (honorably discharged Veterans)
  • State & local government employees (honorably discharged after 90+ days active duty; includes un-remarried surviving spouses of wartime Veterans and spouses of totally disabled resident wartime Veterans)

Private Employer Veterans’ Preference

• Private businesses in New Hampshire may establish a written Veterans’ preference policy for hiring and promotions, applied consistently to all candidates.

Veteran Reemployment in State Jobs

• State employees called to active duty are placed on inactive status and must be reinstated to their same or a similar position within 90 days of discharge (other than dishonorable).

Peddler’s License Fee Exemption

• Disabled Veterans and un-remarried surviving spouses of disabled Veterans are exempt from peddler’s license fees.

Priority of Service in Employment & Training

• Veterans and eligible spouses get priority access to all New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES) workforce programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
  • Priority means earlier access or first access when resources are limited.
• Eligible Veterans: Served on active duty (other than training) and discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Eligible Spouses:
  • Surviving spouse of a Service member who died from a service-connected disability
  • Spouse of a Service member who is MIA or a POW
  • Spouse of a Service member with a permanent, total VA-rated service-connected disability
  • Surviving spouse of a Veteran with a service-connected disability

Training Opportunities

• Qualified Veterans receive priority for state and federally funded training programs.

Federal Veterans’ Hiring Preference

• Veterans, especially those with disabilities or who served during certain periods or campaigns, receive extra points in federal hiring:
  • 5-point preference: Awarded for qualifying wartime or campaign service (e.g., Gulf War, OIF/OEF, certain expeditionary medals).
  • 10-point Compensable Disability (CP): For Veterans with a service-connected disability of 10–29%.
  • 10-point 30% Compensable Disability (CPS): For Veterans with a disability rating of 30%+.
  • 10-point Disability (XP): For Veterans with a service-connected disability or Purple Heart who don’t meet CP/CPS criteria.
  • 10-point Derived Preference: For certain spouses, surviving spouses, or mothers of eligible Veterans.

USERRA – Employment & Reemployment Rights

• Protects job rights for Veterans and reserve component members.
• Allows up to 5 years cumulative absence for military duty (with certain exceptions).
• Ensures reemployment with same seniority, status, and pay as if no absence occurred.
• Requires reasonable accommodations for disabled Veterans and up to 2 years recovery time for service-related injuries.
• Allows continuation of health coverage up to 24 months for service over 30 days (may require up to 102% premium payment).
• Pension benefits are protected during military service.

Eligibility

• Applies to Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members who leave civilian jobs for training or active service.
• The Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) assists with USERRA claims, including for federal and postal employees.

Burials and Memorials

It’s important to ensure your wishes regarding burial in a national cemetery and the use of a VA-provided headstone are clearly documented and kept with your personal and medical records.

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) honors eligible Veterans and their families by providing a dignified final resting place and a lasting tribute to the Veteran’s service to the nation.

VA burial benefits may include a gravesite in any open national cemetery with available space, the opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-issued headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate — all provided at no cost to the family. Some Veterans may also qualify for a burial allowance. Cremated remains receive the same honors as casketed remains, with interment or inurnment in a national cemetery.

These benefits also extend to eligible spouses and dependents, allowing for burial alongside the Veteran and ongoing care of the site. The spouse’s or dependent’s name, along with their dates of birth and death, will be engraved on the Veteran’s headstone at no charge. Notably, spouses and qualifying dependents may be buried in a national cemetery even if they pass away before the Veteran, and they are not required to be buried in the same cemetery as the Veteran.

National Cemeteries include:

Boscawen: New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery

New Hampshire VA Benefit Resources

Veterans in New Hampshire have access to a Regional Benefits Office and VA Medical Centers, offering support and services to meet their needs.

New Hampshire VA Regional Benefits Office

• Manchester: Manchester Regional Office

New Hampshire VA Medical Centers

• Manchester: Manchester VA Medical Center

Key Details on New Hampshire Veteran Benefits

If you’re applying for VA benefits for the first time, you’ll need to provide a copy of your DD 214 discharge document. This record confirms your discharge status, full name, Social Security number, branch of service, and service dates. Most VA benefits are available to Veterans with an honorable or general discharge.

Always store your discharge paperwork and medical records securely, in a place that’s safe from damage or tampering—such as a locked safe—where both you and your family can easily access them.

Eligibility for most VA benefits requires separation from active military service under conditions other than dishonorable. Active service includes full-time duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, as well as commissioned service in the Public Health Service, Environmental Services Administration, or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A dishonorable discharge issued by a general court-martial may result in loss of VA benefits. However, certain benefits may still be available to Veterans in prison or on parole. For clarification—especially for those with multiple discharges under different conditions—contact your VA regional office.

Information current as of November 2023.

New Hampshire Veteran Benefits

Disabled Veterans in New Hampshire with a VA disability rating of 90% or lower may be entitled to extra benefits. Vital Veterans Consultants offers free, no-obligation consultations to review your claim and determine if you qualify for additional assistance.