Updated August 2026

Wyoming Veteran Benefits 2026

The Cowboy State — wide open spaces, and room made for its veterans.

Wyoming keeps taxes low for everyone and adds free plates, licenses, and lifetime parks passes for disabled veterans. Every claim below is verified against Wyoming statutes and agencies.

Wyoming Highlights

No state income tax
$6,000 assessed-value property tax exemption — usable against county vehicle registration fees instead
Free registration & Disabled Veteran plate for one vehicle at 50%+ disability
Lifetime state parks pass (free day use & camping) at 50%+ disability
Free lifetime bird, small game & fish license at 100% disability; lifetime fishing license at 50%+
Free tuition — 8 semesters at UW & community colleges for overseas combat veterans
Wyoming Veterans Commission services

Mount Moran and the Teton Range at sunrise reflected in the Snake River at Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming — Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park. NPS / Grand Teton National Park

Income Tax Treatment

Wyoming has no state income tax. Wyoming has no state income tax, so military retirement pay is not taxed.

This means military retirement pay, active duty pay, and all other income sources are free from state income tax. VA disability compensation is also tax-free at the federal level.

Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans in Wyoming

Type: Fixed-dollar reduction

Wyoming offers a flat $6,000-of-assessed-value veterans property tax exemption on the primary residence (about $400/year saved). Two qualification paths — wartime service, or any VA compensable service-connected disability (which waives the wartime requirement). The amount does not scale with rating.

VA disability rating / category	What you get
Wartime veteran (no disability required)	$6,000 of assessed value exempt.Honorably discharged; served WWI/WWII/Korea/Vietnam OR awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal/authorized campaign medal; 3-year WY residency.
Any VA compensable service-connected disability (≥10%)	$6,000 of assessed value exempt.VA-certified compensable service-connected disability; qualifies regardless of period of service (wartime requirement waived); 3-year WY residency.
Unremarried surviving spouse	$6,000 of assessed value exempt.Veteran would have qualified; both WY residents at death; spouse 3-year residency; ends on remarriage.

Income limit: None.
Age requirement: None.
Surviving spouse: Unremarried surviving spouse may claim/continue during widow(er)hood; terminates on remarriage.
Counts being paid at 100% via unemployability (TDIU)? Yes — being paid at the 100% rate via Individual Unemployability (TDIU) qualifies

Recent change: SF0089 (2024 session, Ch. 101) doubled the exemption from $3,000 to $6,000 of assessed value, effective Jan 1, 2025 (2025 tax year).

Source: W.S. § 39-13-105 and a second official source. Verified June 2026 against primary sources.

To apply, contact your county assessor's office or the Wyoming Department of Veterans Affairs. You will typically need your VA disability rating letter (and often your DD‑214) and proof that the home is your primary residence.

Real estate vs. personal property: this benefit applies to real-estate (home/homestead) property tax. Personal-property taxes — such as the annual tax some states levy on vehicles — are separate and generally still apply, even at a 100% rating, unless your state specifically exempts them.

Check your exemption by rating & state →

Vehicle & Registration Benefits

Free registration & Disabled Veteran plates (50%+ compensation): Under W.S. 31-2-215, a Wyoming resident veteran who receives 50 percent or more service-connected disability compensation from the VA may register a passenger car, pickup truck, motorcycle, or multipurpose vehicle (owned or leased) with distinctive Disabled Veteran plates. The county treasurer issues one pair of DV plates per year exempt from registration fees under W.S. 31-3-101(b)(xv). Apply annually through your county treasurer at least 30 days before the last day of your registration month using form MV-100B with your VA letter showing 50%+ service-connected disability compensation. A second DV plate may be purchased only for a motorcycle or multipurpose vehicle at regular registration fees; optional embossed plates cost $50. Note: Wyoming DV plates do not authorize handicapped parking — a separate placard is required. Details: WYDOT Disabled Veteran plate page.

Pick your plate: Under W.S. 31-2-215(e), a qualifying disabled veteran may take any military-related distinctive plate as the free plate instead of the standard DV design. The MV-100B application lists branch veteran plates (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines — DD-214 required), Gold Star Family Member, Former Prisoner of War, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Purple Heart Recipient, and Air or Army National Guard plates. Only the standard plate says “Disabled Veteran” on it.

Property-tax exemption applied to vehicle fees: The $6,000-of-assessed-value veterans exemption (wartime, campaign-medal, or compensable-disability veterans with three years of Wyoming residency — see the property-tax section above) does not have to be used on your home. Under W.S. 31-3-101(b)(iii), qualifying veterans “may claim unused exemptions” against the county portion of vehicle registration fees at the county treasurer, and the Wyoming Department of Revenue confirms the exemption may be applied to the property tax of the primary residence or to motor vehicle registration. Under W.S. 39-13-105(g), a claim filed after the fourth-Monday-in-May property deadline can still be used that year, but only against vehicle registration fees.

Former prisoners of war: A veteran who was a POW while serving in the U.S. armed forces is exempt from registration fees for one vehicle under W.S. 31-3-101(b)(vi) — file a sworn claim with the county treasurer at registration. Special POW plates are separately authorized under W.S. 31-2-216.

Recreation: Parks, Hunting & Fishing

Lifetime state parks pass (50%+ disabled): Wyoming State Parks issues a Lifetime Veteran’s Pass to any Wyoming resident veteran who is 50% or more service-connected disabled. It allows free day use and camping for life; the pass is a hangtag that can be used in any vehicle, as long as the veteran pass holder is present. Apply online at Reserve.Wyoming.gov or by mail, email, or in person — see the Wyoming State Parks permits & fees page.

Free lifetime bird, small game & fish license (100% disabled): Under W.S. 23-1-705(d), Wyoming Game and Fish “shall issue without charge lifetime bird, small game and fish licenses” to any honorably discharged resident veteran who is 100% disabled as determined by the VA (based on the rating, not the compensation amount). The license stays valid as long as the licensee remains a Wyoming resident. Submit VA documentation of the 100% service-connected rating; licenses are issued at all WGFD offices. Purple Heart Medal recipients qualify for the same free lifetime license with proof of the medal.

Free lifetime fishing license (50%+ compensation): Under W.S. 23-2-201(f), any resident disabled veteran who receives 50% or more service-connected disability compensation from the VA may apply for a resident disabled veteran’s lifetime fishing license, issued free at all WGFD offices — and per WGFD, once issued it remains valid for a lifetime.

Big game: Elk, deer, and antelope are not included in the free licenses. However, under W.S. 23-1-705(k) the holder of any valid big game license may donate it to WGFD for free reissuance to a disabled veteran (50%+ service-connected disability compensation, resident or nonresident) sponsored by a qualifying nonprofit. Veterans rated 70%+ qualify for the Disabled Hunter Permit (hunt with a companion’s assistance and shoot from a stationary vehicle), and veterans rated 100% qualify for the Hunting Season Extension Permit (hunt antelope, deer, or elk up to five days before the season opens). Full details: WGFD Licensing for Veterans and the WGFD licenses & permits for disabled individuals guide.

Active duty home on leave: WGFD provides complimentary resident general elk, resident general deer, resident game bird/small game, and resident daily fishing licenses to Wyoming residents on active duty who are deployed to a combat zone, when home on military leave (valid military ID, leave orders, and an LES showing hostile-fire compensation required).

Education & Other Wyoming Benefits

Free tuition — 8 semesters at UW & community colleges: Under W.S. 19-14-106, Wyoming provides free tuition at the University of Wyoming and any Wyoming community college for overseas combat veterans — honorably discharged veterans who were Wyoming residents for at least one year before entering active service and were awarded the armed forces expeditionary medal or another authorized service or campaign medal for an armed conflict in a foreign country — as well as Vietnam veterans (Vietnam service medal earned Aug 5, 1964–May 7, 1975) and qualifying surviving spouses and dependents of combat veterans who died during active service (a child qualifies only if under 22 when the parent died in overseas combat) or of members whose death was service-connected or who are listed as POW/MIA. The benefit covers up to 8 semesters used within 8 academic years of first use, capped at the current UW undergraduate tuition rate per semester; per the Wyoming Community College Commission, students enrolling from summer 2018 onward receive tuition only (fees are no longer covered). To apply, contact the program manager or VA certifying official at UW or any Wyoming community college.

VA Healthcare in Wyoming

Wyoming has approximately 1 VA medical center along with community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) throughout the state. Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare can receive care at any VA facility nationwide.

To find the nearest VA facility, visit VA.gov Facility Locator.

Official Wyoming Veterans Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Wyoming tax military retirement pay?

Wyoming has no state income tax, so military retirement pay is not taxed.

Does Wyoming offer property tax exemptions for disabled veterans?

Does Wyoming have a state income tax?

Wyoming has no state income tax. All income sources are tax-free at the state level.

Do disabled veterans get free vehicle registration and license plates in Wyoming?

Yes. Under W.S. 31-2-215 and W.S. 31-3-101(b)(xv), a Wyoming resident veteran who receives 50 percent or more service-connected disability compensation from the VA can register one vehicle (passenger car, pickup truck, motorcycle, or multipurpose vehicle) with Disabled Veteran plates exempt from registration fees. Apply annually through your county treasurer with form MV-100B at least 30 days before the last day of your registration month. A second DV plate is allowed only for a motorcycle or multipurpose vehicle at regular fees, and qualifying veterans may choose another military plate (branch veteran, Purple Heart, Gold Star, POW, Pearl Harbor Survivor, or National Guard) as their free plate instead. DV plates do not authorize handicapped parking.

Can the Wyoming veterans property tax exemption be used on vehicle registration fees?

Yes. If the $6,000-of-assessed-value veterans exemption is not used against the primary residence's property tax, W.S. 31-3-101(b)(iii) lets qualifying veterans claim the unused exemption against the county portion of vehicle registration fees at the county treasurer. The Wyoming Department of Revenue confirms the exemption may be applied to the property tax of the primary residence or to motor vehicle registration, and W.S. 39-13-105(g) allows a claim filed after the fourth-Monday-in-May deadline to be used that year only against vehicle registration fees.

Do disabled veterans get free hunting and fishing licenses and state park access in Wyoming?

Yes. Under W.S. 23-1-705(d), Wyoming Game and Fish issues a free lifetime game bird, small game, and fish license to any honorably discharged resident veteran who is 100 percent disabled as determined by the VA (valid as long as the veteran remains a Wyoming resident); Purple Heart Medal recipients get the same free license. Resident veterans receiving 50 percent or more service-connected disability compensation get a free lifetime fishing license under W.S. 23-2-201(f). Big game is not included, but donated big game licenses are reissued free to nonprofit-sponsored disabled veterans (50 percent or more). Wyoming State Parks also issues a Lifetime Veteran's Pass, with free day use and camping for life, to any Wyoming resident veteran who is 50 percent or more service-connected disabled.