Arizona offers tax breaks on vehicle licensing for survivors of military personnel and first responders killed in the line of duty. Arizona also offers a special military exemption to members of the armed forces who are deployed overseas.

Arizona Survivor Vehicle Benefit 

Arizona law provides a vehicle license tax and registration benefit for the surviving spouse or a surviving dependent of a U.S. service member killed in the line of duty. A similar benefit exists for the surviving spouse or dependent of an Arizona first responder.

Qualifications and details about receiving the benefit include:

• A surviving spouse must be an Arizona resident.
• The exemption applies to one vehicle owned by the spouse, and it remains in effect until the surviving spouse either remarries or dies.
• If the surviving spouse has children who are dependents of the deceased military member, the family must elect between the spouse’s vehicle or the dependent child’s vehicle for the benefit.

The law defines “dependent” as an unmarried child of a deceased member of the U.S. armed forces or of a first responder who is:

• Under the age of eighteen years.
• Is between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three and a full-time student.
• Is under a disability that began before the child reached the age of twenty-three and who remains a dependent of a surviving spouse or of a guardian.

The forms that must be filled out and submitted to the Motor Vehicle Division of the Arizona Department of Transportation can be found below:

• Survivor of Fallen Military Member Exemption, form 48-7703.
• Survivor of Fallen Responder Exemption, form 48-7702.

Special Military Exemption 

This exemption applies to active-duty military who are deployed outside the U.S. Arizona law says that the Special Military Exemption is a one-year exemption from vehicle license tax and registration fees. Service members are allowed one exemption per deployment. The one-year time period can run from any time after the date of deployment up until one year after the deployment ends or the member is released from the service.

To qualify for the exemption, the service member must:

• Be an Arizona resident,
• Be a member of the U.S. Armed Forces regular forces, reservist called to active duty or National Guard on active duty,
• Be deployed in support of a worldwide contingency operation of the U.S. Armed Forces, and
• Either own or lease the vehicle.

A service member may exempt no more than two vehicles. A “special military exemption form” must be filled out for each vehicle subject to exemption.

You can also get the special military exemption form by calling ADOT at (888) 713-3031, or you can request a form by mail. Write to:

Arizona Motor Vehicle Division, P.O. Box 29035, Phoenix, AZ 85038