If you are an Alaska resident Veteran with a VA disability rating of 50% or higher, the state will hand you a permanent identification card that covers hunting, trapping, and sport fishing for free, for as long as you live in Alaska. Buying that same coverage over the counter runs about $105 every year once you add the stamps, and unlike a regular license, this card never needs to be renewed.
What it is
Under Alaska Statute 16.05.400(b), the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issues qualifying resident disabled Veterans a complimentary permanent identification card, often called the DV card. Per ADF&G, the card lets you hunt, sport fish, and trap without buying the annual resident licenses everyone else purchases each year.
The card also waives two add-on stamps that regular license holders have to buy:
- You are not required to purchase a king salmon stamp to fish for king salmon.
- You are not required to purchase an Alaska state waterfowl (conservation) stamp to hunt waterfowl.
This used to be structured as a free license. Today it is a one-time permanent card. Once issued, it stays valid for life unless you stop being an Alaska resident, at which point it is immediately void.
The card replaces the license itself, not hunt-specific or fishery-specific paperwork. Per the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs, if you fish in a sport fishery with an annual harvest limit, you still need to obtain and carry a free Sport Fishing Harvest Record Card to log your catch. Confirm any harvest tickets, draw permits, or tags your specific hunt requires with ADF&G before you go.
What it's worth
Here is what the coverage retails for on the ADF&G pricing list for residents:
| License or stamp | Resident price |
|---|---|
| Annual sport fishing license | $20 |
| Annual hunting license | $45 |
| Annual trapping license | $25 |
| Sport fishing + hunting + trapping combo | $85 |
| Annual king salmon stamp | $10 |
| Annual state waterfowl stamp | $10 |
The worked example: a Veteran who hunts, traps, fishes for kings, and shoots ducks would otherwise buy the $85 combination license plus a $10 king salmon stamp and a $10 waterfowl stamp. That is $105 every single year the DV card makes free.
Because the card is permanent, the value compounds. Ten years of hunting and fishing on the card is roughly $1,050 you never spend, and that is before any future fee increases, which you are also permanently insulated from.
The quiet bonus. A regular license lapses every year and gets forgotten in a drawer. The DV card is one application, once, and you are covered for life in Alaska.
Who qualifies (and who doesn't)
Per ADF&G, you must meet all of the following:
- A 50% or greater disability rating. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs must certify that you incurred a 50 percent or greater disability during military service.
- Discharge under honorable conditions. AS 16.05.400(b)(2) requires that your discharge from military service was under honorable conditions, and that you be eligible for a loan under AS 18.56.101.
- Alaska residency. You must meet ADF&G's residency definition. Common disqualifiers ADF&G calls out: holding a resident hunting or fishing license in another state, being registered to vote in another state, or claiming a resident property tax break in another state.
- Physical presence. You must be physically present in the State of Alaska at the time you apply.
The same statute also covers a resident who served in the Alaska Territorial Guard and incurred a 50 percent or greater disability while serving in it.
Who doesn't qualify: Veterans rated below 50%, nonresidents, and anyone claiming residency benefits in another state. If you later move out of Alaska, the card becomes void immediately.
Not a disabled Veteran but still serving? Alaska residents currently serving in the Alaska National Guard or U.S. military reserves qualify for a separate fee-waived annual hunting, trapping, and sport fishing license under a different statute, AS 16.05.341. Details are on the ADF&G military licensing page.
How to claim it
- Apply online. ADF&G takes DV card applications through its online store at the ADF&G licensing page. Remember, you must be physically in Alaska when you apply.
- Send your proof of rating. Submit your VA disability certification letter showing the 50% or greater rating. ADF&G accepts it by email to adfg.license@alaska.gov, by fax to (907) 465-2440, or by mail to Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Licensing Section, P.O. Box 115525, Juneau, AK 99811-5525.
- Carry the card. Once issued, the permanent card is your license in the field. No renewals, no annual fee.
- Pick up the free extras. If you fish a species with an annual limit, get the free Sport Fishing Harvest Record Card before you fish, and check whether your hunt needs harvest tickets or permits.
If anything about your documentation is unusual, for example your rating letter is old or your residency situation is complicated, contact the ADF&G Licensing Section through the official page before you apply.
Related benefits
A 50% rating unlocks more than free licenses, in Alaska and federally:
- VA disability pay rates for 2026 shows the monthly compensation attached to your rating.
- Rating protection under the 5, 10, and 20 year rules explains when the VA can and cannot reduce the rating this card depends on.
- The state benefits scan surfaces every Alaska benefit tied to your rating, not just this one.
What to do next
The DV card is one line item in what Alaska offers Veterans at 50% and up. Run the state benefits scan to see the full Alaska list at your rating. Or start your free benefits scan and we will check you against every federal and state benefit in our catalog, over 6,000 of them, each with an official source.