North Carolina offers a wide range of benefits for veterans, service members, and their families, including support with education, employment, housing, and more. The information provided here is only a general overview to help you explore additional resources that may be available in your state.
Each program listed includes a brief description and a direct link to the official source for more information and how to apply. Please note that we are not experts on these individual programs — this guide is intended to help point you in the right direction.
For the most accurate and up-to-date details, we recommend visiting the official program websites or contacting the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs directly.
Military pay for resident Service members is generally taxed in North Carolina. However, pay earned in a combat zone or hazardous duty location that is excluded from federal income tax is also excluded from North Carolina state tax. Service members have a 180-day extension to file state taxes after leaving the combat zone or being released from a hospital for related injuries.
Military retired pay for 20 or more years of service, or for those medically retired from the U.S. Armed Forces, can be deducted from North Carolina adjusted gross income. Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) distributions, however, are subject to North Carolina state taxes. While TSP does not withhold state or local taxes, distributions are reported on IRS Form 1099-R, and early withdrawals may result in higher tax liabilities.
Military disability retirement pay received for personal injury or sickness from active service in the U.S. Armed Forces is not taxable. This includes disability compensation and pension payments to Veterans or their Families, grants for wheelchair-accessible homes or specially equipped vehicles, and benefits from dependent-care assistance programs.
Any North Carolina state taxes owed by a resident Service member who was killed in a combat zone, or as a result of wounds, disease, or injury incurred there, will be forgiven.
The first $45,000 of the appraised value of a disabled Veteran’s permanent residence may be exempt from North Carolina property taxes. Eligible Veterans must be honorably discharged and have a total and permanent service-connected disability rating from the VA or receive specially adapted housing benefits. The exemption also applies to non-remarried Surviving Spouses.
Contact your County Tax Office to apply.
North Carolina residents can deduct any Social Security benefits that were taxed on their federal income tax return from their state income tax return.
Survivor annuities can be deducted from a taxpayer’s North Carolina adjusted gross income.
North Carolina provides employment preference to eligible Veterans, current and former North Carolina National Guard Service members, and their Spouses for state job opportunities. Applicants must meet the job’s minimum qualifications and be capable of performing its duties. Veterans may qualify based on service during wartime, peacetime disability, or as eligible Spouses or dependents. National Guard preference is available to current members in good standing, former members with at least six years of honorable service, and eligible Surviving Spouses or dependents. Preference is applied through added experience credit or 10 points on numerically scored exams.
The N.C. Division of Workforce Solutions offers employment assistance to Veterans, transitioning Service members, and eligible Spouses through NCWorks Career Centers. Services include career assessments, resume help, interview prep, training opportunities, and priority access to federal job programs. Veterans with significant barriers, such as disability, homelessness, long-term unemployment, criminal history, lack of a diploma, low income, or being age 18–24, may qualify for specialized one-on-one support, coaching, and referrals to services like vocational rehab, housing help, and transportation.
North Carolina State employees serving in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible for up to 120 hours of military leave for training each federal fiscal year. If called to involuntary active duty, they receive up to 30 days of paid leave and may be eligible for differential pay for the remainder of their active service.
North Carolina provides differential pay to state employees serving in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces who are called to active duty for more than 30 days. If their military base pay is less than their state salary, the state will pay the difference. Service members must submit their Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) to the payroll office to determine eligibility and amount.
North Carolina National Guard Service members may qualify for a state pension of $105 per month after 20 years of creditable military service, with an additional $10.50 per month for each year beyond 20, up to $210. To qualify, they must be at least 60 years old, have 20 years of creditable service (15 in the NC National Guard), be eligible for military retired pay, and have received an honorable discharge.
This program provides hotel accommodations for required employment-related travel, including verifiable job interviews, training for a job or certification, and pre-employment testing like physicals or drug tests. Eligible participants can receive up to 100,000 Hilton Honors points for these activities and must have a Hilton Honors account to get the points.
Participants in the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System (LGERS) may be eligible for retirement credit for qualifying military service. Those who left LGERS-covered employment to serve on active duty, received an other than dishonorable discharge, and returned to LGERS may qualify for no-cost Military Service Credit for their first period of service. Those not eligible for no-cost credit may be able to purchase credit by making a lump-sum payment after contributing to LGERS for at least five years. Military service already credited in another retirement system generally cannot be applied to LGERS.
North Carolina’s Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security, provides Unemployment Insurance (UI) as temporary financial assistance for workers unemployed through no fault of their own. UI partially replaces lost wages short-term while workers seek new jobs and is not based on financial need. Employers fund the program. To be eligible, applicants must have lost their job through no fault of their own, earned sufficient wages in the past 15 months, be able and available for work, and actively seek new employment.
The North Carolina Tuition Assistance Program (NCTAP) offers tuition reimbursement for actively drilling North Carolina National Guard members attending approved in-state educational institutions. It can be used for associate, bachelor’s, graduate degrees, certificates, or vocational training—even before initial active duty training. To qualify, Service members must be in good standing, enrolled in an approved program, maintain academic progress, and have at least two years remaining on their Guard contract after receiving their final tuition assistance. Funding is limited and varies by semester.
The North Carolina Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans provides eight academic semesters of tuition assistance at North Carolina schools, to be used within eight years. Eligible students must be under age 25 at the time of application and be the child of a Veteran who was killed, disabled, or declared a prisoner of war or missing in action during a wartime period listed in state law. The Veteran must have been a North Carolina resident when they entered military service, or the child must have been born in and continuously resided in North Carolina (this may be waived in some cases).
The NCVVI Scholarship Program offers scholarships for undergraduate study at accredited colleges, community colleges, or trade schools. Eligible applicants must be North Carolina residents (or the family of a current NCVVI member residing in NC) and either have served in the Vietnam theater of operations or be the spouse or descendant of a Vietnam Veteran.
Students using VA education benefits may be eligible for in-state tuition rates at North Carolina public colleges and universities, regardless of their residency status.
Nonresident Service members on active duty and assigned to a military installation in North Carolina, along with their dependents, may qualify for in-state tuition. Additionally, all North Carolina National Guard Service members receive in-state tuition regardless of residency. If a Service member is reassigned out of state, they and their dependents can maintain in-state tuition status as long as they stay continuously enrolled in their current program.
North Carolina has four skilled nursing facilities for Veterans and eligible family members that provide high-quality care to improve residents’ quality of life. Each facility has a professional staff including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants who work under licensed physicians to deliver exceptional care and enriching activities.
Location: 601 Brenner Ave. Building #10 Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone Number: (704) 639-2320
Location: 62 Lake Eden Road Black Mountain, NC 28711
Phone Number: (828) 257-6801
Location: 1795 Kernersville Medical Pkwy Kernersville, NC 27284
Phone Number: (743) 209-3042
North Carolina has four state Veterans cemeteries that offer a dignified final resting place for North Carolina Veterans and their eligible Family members. They provide free burial plots, grave opening and closing, markers, and care for eligible veterans. Spouses and dependents pay a burial fee. Other specific eligibility requirements apply.
Location: 601 Brenner Ave. Building #10 Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone Number: (704) 639-2320
Location: 62 Lake Eden Road Black Mountain, NC 28711
Phone Number: (828) 257-6801
Location: 1795 Kernersville Medical Pkwy Kernersville, NC 27284
Phone Number: (743) 209-3042
North Carolina National Guard Service members and their dependents may qualify for health insurance through the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees. To be eligible, the Service member must not have had any other comprehensive group health coverage for the past six consecutive months and must not be eligible for any other group health benefits. For full details and how to apply, contact the North Carolina State Health Plan.
North Carolina National Guard Service members who are injured, become ill, disabled, or die while serving on state active duty are covered under the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act. This provides medical coverage and compensation for those incidents. Only Service members on state active duty are eligible for this coverage.
Honorably discharged North Carolina Veterans can request a free “VETERAN” designation on their driver license or ID card at any NC DMV Driver License Office. Veterans must provide proof of honorable discharge; standard renewal or duplicate fees still apply.
North Carolina offers 31 military and veteran license plates to honor eligible Service members, Veterans, retirees, and qualifying Family members. Plates can be ordered online through myNCDMV, by submitting Form MVR-33A, or at any DMV Plate & Vehicle Office. Documentation is required, and personalization is available for an additional cost.
Active and reserve service members and their family members may renew their North Carolina driver license up to one year before the expiration date if preparing for deployment. Those stationed outside North Carolina for more than 30 days may renew by mail. Licenses renewed this way will expire 60 days after returning to the state.
North Carolina offers two CDL testing waivers for Service members and Veterans based on their military driving experience. The Even Exchange Waiver lets those with certain Military Occupational Specialties skip both the written and driving tests if they served in that role within the past year. The Skills Waiver is for those without one of these specialties but who have at least two years of military driving experience; they can skip the driving test only. Both options have specific eligibility requirements that must be met.
Georgia offers a free One-Time Veterans Hunting and Fishing License for Georgia resident Veterans who served at least 90 days of federal active duty and were discharged on or after July 1, 2005. This one-year license covers hunting, big game, migratory bird stamp, alligator, mountain trout, and salt and freshwater fishing. Veterans must not have received this license before.
Georgia offers a reduced rate Lifetime Sportsman License for eligible service members and honorably discharged resident Veterans for $603 (including a $3 fee). This license covers hunting, big game, WMA access, quota alligator harvest (if drawn), waterfowl and migratory bird stamp, salt and freshwater fishing, and mountain trout.
Georgia offers discounted Disability Hunting and Fishing Licenses for disabled resident veterans with a 100% VA disability rating. The Resident Disability Sportsman’s License is $18 for 3 years or $8 annually, while individual hunting or fishing licenses cost $12 for 3 years or $6 annually. Active duty residents can also choose an All-Water Fishing Package (fishing license plus freshwater and saltwater endorsements with tags) or a Hunting Package (hunting license plus archery, upland game bird, and migratory game bird endorsements).
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources offers disabled Veterans a 25% discount on accommodations, recreation fees like mini-golf and boat rentals, golf fees, and historic site admission.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources offers disabled Veterans a 25% discount on accommodations, recreation fees like mini-golf and boat rentals, golf fees, and historic site admission.
SAAF is a nonprofit that helps North Carolina National Guard Service members with grants when no other resources are available. Grants can cover eviction or foreclosure prevention, utility payments, food assistance, medical emergencies, losses from fire or disasters, job loss, military pay issues (up to $500), and short-term housing. Eligible applicants must be current NC National Guard members with specific requirements. Spouses may request help if the Service member is deployed. To apply, Service members should contact their chain of command, Family Assistance Center, or the SAAF office.
The North Carolina Veterans’ Guardianship Act allows appointing guardians for incompetent Veterans, their incompetent dependents, and minor dependents. Guardians manage finances, property, and benefits.
For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at 844-624-8387 or online.
The Register of Deeds in any North Carolina county must record official discharges for resident Veterans and provide free certified copies upon request.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections makes it easy for service members, their spouses, and dependents to register and vote in local, state, and federal elections. They can register to vote or request an absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. the day before Election Day, and submit their ballot through the voter portal until 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
