How VA rates tinnitus
DC 6260 provides a single 10% evaluation for recurrent tinnitus, whether perceived in one ear, both ears, or the head. Severity and noise exposure do not create a higher schedular percentage under this code. Service connection is a separate determination.
Rating criteria from the tool data
| Rating | What VA looks for |
|---|---|
| 10% | Recurrent tinnitus; one evaluation whether perceived in one ear, both ears, or the head. |
DBQ and symptom topics to review
Review these topics against your own records and symptoms. Do not exaggerate or minimize; describe functional impact accurately.
- Recurrent tinnitus.10%Compare the complete criterion with documented findings; not a personal rating.
What may happen in the exam room
- History of perceived sounds, onset, recurrence, and relevant noise exposure.
- Audiological evaluation when appropriate to assess associated hearing concerns.
Measurements and findings to understand
- Whether tinnitus is recurrent.
- Reported location and functional effects.
- Whether a clinician identifies an underlying cause, including objective tinnitus.
Questions the examiner may cover
- When did you first notice the sound?
- Is it recurrent, and where do you perceive it?
- What noise exposure and hearing protection do your records document?
Functional-impact language to think through
Use plain, truthful wording that matches your records and daily limitations. These examples are prompts for accuracy, not scripts.
- Describe the sound, recurrence, and practical effect on concentration or sleep in your own words.
- Distinguish what you experienced from an assumed medical cause.
Evidence to organize before the exam
- Audiology records.
- Relevant service and occupational noise-exposure history.
- Statements about onset and persistence when available.
Preparation notes
- Noise exposure is evidence to review, not automatic service connection.
- Objective tinnitus audible to others is evaluated as part of its underlying condition, not under DC 6260.
Official rating source
38 CFR 4.87, DC 6260. Checked 2026-09-04. Educational preparation only; not a personal rating.
How secondary service connection works
A secondary condition is not automatic. The evidence must connect a current diagnosed disability to an already service-connected condition or its medically indicated treatment.
- Basic evidence: a current diagnosis, an already service-connected primary condition, and competent evidence linking the two.
- Two theories: the primary condition or its treatment caused the new disability under 38 CFR § 3.310(a), or aggravated a pre-existing non-service-connected disability under § 3.310(b). An opinion should address both when the record raises both; causation alone may be inadequate (El-Amin).
- Treatment pathway: service-connected condition → medically indicated medication or surgery → documented adverse effect → current diagnosis. Pharmacy records, start and stop dates, and a treating clinician’s reasoning matter; medication use alone does not establish the connection.
- Weight as an intermediate step: obesity or weight gain can be part of the causal chain under VAOPGCPREC 1-2017, but obesity itself is not a disability for a VA rating.
- Standard of proof: VA applies the “at least as likely as not” standard and reasonable-doubt rule under 38 CFR § 3.102. This guide identifies evidence questions; it does not tell you what to file.
- Avoid pyramiding: 38 CFR § 4.14 prohibits rating the same manifestation twice. Mental-health diagnoses generally use one § 4.130 evaluation for the same occupational and social impairment, and insomnia may be a symptom rather than a separate disability.
- Presumptives are different: qualifying service may make chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypertension associated with herbicide exposure, or type 2 diabetes presumptive. OSA is not a PACT Act presumptive. Check current eligibility before seeking nexus evidence for a condition the law may already presume.
- DBQ is not a nexus: a DBQ documents diagnosis and severity; it does not necessarily establish service connection. A VA-accredited VSO can help with filing strategy at no charge.
Other medically indicated treatments for a service-connected condition may support a secondary theory when a clinician documents the adverse effect in this veteran.
Sources: 38 CFR § 3.310 · 38 CFR § 4.14 · VA-accredited representatives
Possible secondary conditions to discuss with a qualified reviewer
These are educational issue-spotting notes, not medical nexus opinions. VA decides service connection.
Document functional impact and seek clinical evaluation if symptoms persist. A separate diagnosis and medical nexus are required.
Document sleep impact as part of the tinnitus history. Insomnia is not a separately rated secondary disability by default, and the same impairment cannot be rated twice.
Review only if migraines are diagnosed and a clinician supports causation or aggravation in this veteran.
Tinnitus and hearing loss are usually evaluated as two direct conditions from the same noise event, not as secondaries of each other. Review whether both are documented; tinnitus has one 10% schedular evaluation under DC 6260.