VA Rating for Scars: DC 7800 to 7805, 10% to 80% Criteria and 2026 Pay
VA rates scars under diagnostic codes (DC) 7800, 7801, 7802, 7804 and 7805 in 38 CFR § 4.118. The first table below, disfigurement of the head, face, or neck, DC 7800, has 4 levels: 10%, 30%, 50% and 80%; 3 more tables follow, one for each of the other codes. Each table quotes its levels word for word from the current CFR text and adds a one-line summary; the 2026 monthly compensation figures are VA's published rates for every rating in these tables.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Criteria checked against the eCFR and Federal Register October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Scars rating criteria in 38 CFR § 4.118
Diagnostic codes: DC 7800 Burn scar(s) of the head, face, or neck; scar(s) of the head, face, or neck due to other causes; or other disfigurement of the head, face, or neck; DC 7801 Burn scar(s) or scar(s) due to other causes, not of the head, face, or neck, that are associated with underlying soft tissue damage; DC 7802 Burn scar(s) or scar(s) due to other causes, not of the head, face, or neck, that are not associated with underlying soft tissue damage; DC 7804 Scar(s), unstable or painful; DC 7805 Scars, other; and other effects of scars evaluated under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7804. Criteria are quoted from the current CFR; the plain-English column is our summary and is not part of the regulation.
| Rating | Criteria as printed in 38 CFR (quotation) | In plain English (our summary) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | With one characteristic of disfigurement | One characteristic of disfigurement. |
| 30% | With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of one feature or paired set of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with two or three characteristics of disfigurement | Visible or palpable tissue loss with gross distortion or asymmetry of one feature or paired set of features, or two or three characteristics of disfigurement. |
| 50% | With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of two features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with four or five characteristics of disfigurement | Visible or palpable tissue loss with gross distortion or asymmetry of two features or paired sets of features, or four or five characteristics of disfigurement. |
| 80% | With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of three or more features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with six or more characteristics of disfigurement | Visible or palpable tissue loss with gross distortion or asymmetry of three or more features or paired sets of features, or six or more characteristics of disfigurement. |
All 5 notes printed with these criteria (quotation):
Note (1): The 8 characteristics of disfigurement, for purposes of evaluation under § 4.118, are:
- Scar 5 or more inches (13 or more cm.) in length.
- Scar at least one-quarter inch (0.6 cm.) wide at widest part.
- Surface contour of scar elevated or depressed on palpation.
- Scar adherent to underlying tissue.
- Skin hypo-or hyper-pigmented in an area exceeding six square inches (39 sq. cm.).
- Skin texture abnormal (irregular, atrophic, shiny, scaly, etc.) in an area exceeding six square inches (39 sq. cm.).
- Underlying soft tissue missing in an area exceeding six square inches (39 sq. cm.).
- Skin indurated and inflexible in an area exceeding six square inches (39 sq. cm.).
Note (2): Rate tissue loss of the auricle under DC 6207 (loss of auricle) and anatomical loss of the eye under DC 6061 (anatomical loss of both eyes) or DC 6063 (anatomical loss of one eye), as appropriate.
Note (3): Take into consideration unretouched color photographs when evaluating under these criteria.
Note (4): Separately evaluate disabling effects other than disfigurement that are associated with individual scar(s) of the head, face, or neck, such as pain, instability, and residuals of associated muscle or nerve injury, under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) and apply § 4.25 to combine the evaluation(s) with the evaluation assigned under this diagnostic code.
Note (5): The characteristic(s) of disfigurement may be caused by one scar or by multiple scars; the characteristic(s) required to assign a particular evaluation need not be caused by a single scar in order to assign that evaluation.
7801 Burn scar(s) or scar(s) due to other causes, not of the head, face, or neck, that are associated with underlying soft tissue damage:
Another rating table of 38 CFR § 4.118 that this page covers. Quoted from the current CFR; the plain-English column is our summary.
| Rating | Criteria as printed in 38 CFR (quotation) | In plain English (our summary) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | Area or areas of at least 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.) but less than 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) | Area or areas of at least 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.) but less than 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.). |
| 20% | Area or areas of at least 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.) | Area or areas of at least 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.). |
| 30% | Area or areas of at least 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.) but less than 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) | Area or areas of at least 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.) but less than 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.). |
| 40% | Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater | Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater. |
All 2 notes printed with these criteria (quotation):
Note (1): For the purposes of DCs 7801 and 7802, the six (6) zones of the body are defined as each extremity, anterior trunk, and posterior trunk. The midaxillary line divides the anterior trunk from the posterior trunk
Note (2): A separate evaluation may be assigned for each affected zone of the body under this diagnostic code if there are multiple scars, or a single scar, affecting multiple zones of the body. Combine the separate evaluations under § 4.25. Alternatively, if a higher evaluation would result from adding the areas affected from multiple zones of the body, a single evaluation may also be assigned under this diagnostic code
7802 Burn scar(s) or scar(s) due to other causes, not of the head, face, or neck, that are not associated with underlying soft tissue damage:
Another rating table of 38 CFR § 4.118 that this page covers. Quoted from the current CFR; the plain-English column is our summary.
| Rating | Criteria as printed in 38 CFR (quotation) | In plain English (our summary) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater | Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater. |
All 2 notes printed with these criteria (quotation):
Note (1): For the purposes of DCs 7801 and 7802, the six (6) zones of the body are defined as each extremity, anterior trunk, and posterior trunk. The midaxillary line divides the anterior trunk from the posterior trunk
Note (2): A separate evaluation may be assigned for each affected zone of the body under this diagnostic code if there are multiple scars, or a single scar, affecting multiple zones of the body. Combine the separate evaluations under § 4.25. Alternatively, if a higher evaluation would result from adding the areas affected from multiple zones of the body, a single evaluation may also be assigned under this diagnostic code
7804 Scar(s), unstable or painful:
Another rating table of 38 CFR § 4.118 that this page covers. Quoted from the current CFR; the plain-English column is our summary.
| Rating | Criteria as printed in 38 CFR (quotation) | In plain English (our summary) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | One or two scars that are unstable or painful | One or two scars that are unstable or painful. |
| 20% | Three or four scars that are unstable or painful | Three or four scars that are unstable or painful. |
| 30% | Five or more scars that are unstable or painful | Five or more scars that are unstable or painful. |
All 3 notes printed with these criteria (quotation):
Note (1): An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar.
Note (2): If one or more scars are both unstable and painful, add 10 percent to the evaluation that is based on the total number of unstable or painful scars
Note (3): Scars evaluated under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under this diagnostic code, when applicable
2026 VA monthly pay at each scars rating
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | Same as alone; spouse amounts start at 30% |
| 20% | $356.66 | Same as alone; spouse amounts start at 30% |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 |
VA does not add ratings together. When a veteran has more than one rated condition, VA combines them with its combined ratings table (38 CFR § 4.25), so the amounts above apply to a combined rating, not to this condition alone. Work out a combined rating with the VA disability calculator at /va-disability-calculator/.
VA disability calculator · Full VA disability pay chart with children and parents
How the criteria are written
The skin section has several scar codes, each with its own table. DC 7800 rates disfigurement of the head, face or neck by the number of "characteristics of disfigurement" and by tissue loss with distortion or asymmetry of features. DC 7801 and DC 7802 rate scars not of the head, face or neck by area. DC 7804 rates unstable or painful scars by their number. This page prints these four tables and all of their notes.
DC 7805 has no rating levels of its own. The CFR line reads: "Evaluate any disabling effect(s) not considered in a rating provided under diagnostic codes 7800-04 under an appropriate diagnostic code".
Note (1) of DC 7800 lists the 8 characteristics of disfigurement; they are printed under the note above. Note (4) says to separately evaluate disabling effects other than disfigurement that are associated with individual scar(s) of the head, face, or neck, such as pain, instability, and residuals of associated muscle or nerve injury, under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) and to apply § 4.25 to combine the evaluation(s).
Section 4.118(b) governs combining skin ratings: two or more skin conditions may be combined under § 4.25 only if separate areas of skin are involved.
VA publishes Disability Benefits Questionnaires for this area (benefits.va.gov): Scars DBQ.
Is this the current rule?
Source text. § 4.118 Schedule of ratings—skin. from the eCFR (38 CFR Part 4), text up to date as of October 22, 2026, retrieved October 26, 2026. Read the section on eCFR.
Latest final rule affecting the section. 83 FR 38663 (final rule), Schedule for Rating Disabilities: Skin; Correction, published August 7, 2018, effective August 13, 2018. Latest entry in the section's amendment history in the eCFR. It corrects the skin final rule of July 13, 2018 (83 FR 32592, effective August 13, 2018).
Rule that changed some of these entries. 83 FR 32592, effective August 13, 2018. The 2018 skin final rule changed the title, note 1 and note 2 of DC 7801 and DC 7802 and the title of DC 7805; CFR Appendix A dates those changes August 13, 2018. For DC 7800 and DC 7804 it dates the criteria October 23, 2008, which matches the 73 FR 54710 entry (October 23, 2008) in the section history, so the 2018 rule did not set those criteria.
- DC 7800: Evaluation August 30, 2002; criterion October 23, 2008.
- DC 7801: Criterion July 6, 1950; criterion August 30, 2002; criterion October 23, 2008; title, note 1, note 2 August 13, 2018.
- DC 7802: Criterion September 22, 1978; criterion August 30, 2002; criterion October 23, 2008; title, note 1, note 2 August 13, 2018.
- DC 7804: Criterion July 6, 1950; criterion September 22, 1978; criterion and evaluation October 23, 2008.
- DC 7805: Criterion October 23, 2008; title August 13, 2018.
Upcoming changes. Our Federal Register search on October 26, 2026 found no final rule for this section with an effective date after that day.
Proposed rule (not law). VA proposed on September 29, 2025 (90 FR 46542) to add a note to DC 7804 stating that objective evidence of pain is still required to rate a scar as painful. It is only a proposal: it has not been finalized, so the CFR text above is the rule that applies and no proposed text is shown here. 90 FR 46542
Related conditions
- Eczema: DC 7806 is rated under the General Rating Formula for the Skin, which ends by sending the rating to DC 7800 or the scar codes when that is the predominant disability.
- Knee: DC 7805 sends other disabling effects of a scar to an appropriate diagnostic code; the knee page shows another body-system table (§ 4.71a).
- All VA disability ratings by condition
Questions about the Scars rating
What diagnostic code does VA use for scars?
Scars are rated under diagnostic codes (DC) 7800, 7801, 7802, 7804 and 7805 in 38 CFR § 4.118, the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The code lists are quoted from the eCFR text current as of October 22, 2026.
What are the VA rating levels for scars?
The first table on this page, disfigurement of the head, face, or neck, DC 7800, has 4 levels: 10%, 30%, 50% and 80%. The other diagnostic codes of scars have their own tables on this page with their own levels. VA decides which code and level applies to a claim.
How much is VA disability pay for a scar rating in 2026?
VA's 2026 monthly rates for a veteran alone, with the with-spouse amount for 30% and higher, are 10%: $180.42; 20%: $356.66; 30%: $552.47 ($617.47 with a spouse); 40%: $795.84 ($882.84 with a spouse); 50%: $1,132.90 ($1,241.90 with a spouse); 80%: $2,102.15 ($2,277.15 with a spouse). Rates took effect December 1, 2025. The amount you are paid depends on your combined rating, not on this condition alone.
Are ratings for scars added to my other ratings?
No. VA does not add ratings together; it combines them using the combined ratings table in 38 CFR § 4.25. Use the VA disability calculator on this site at /va-disability-calculator/ to see how ratings combine.
Can more than one scar rating be combined?
Section 4.118(b) says: "Two or more skin conditions may be combined in accordance with § 4.25 only if separate areas of skin are involved. If two or more skin conditions involve the same area of skin, then only the highest evaluation shall be used." Note (2) under DC 7801 and DC 7802 describes how separate evaluations may be assigned for each affected zone of the body. Note (3) under DC 7804 says scars evaluated under DC 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under DC 7804, when applicable.
What is a painful or unstable scar under DC 7804?
Note (1) under DC 7804 says: "An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar." The levels are 10% for one or two scars that are unstable or painful, 20% for three or four, and 30% for five or more; Note (2) says to add 10 percent when one or more scars are both unstable and painful.
Is there a pending change to the painful scar criteria?
VA proposed on September 29, 2025 (90 FR 46542) to add a note to DC 7804 about objective evidence of pain. It is a proposed rule only. It has not been finalized, so the criteria above are the rule that applies, and this page does not show the proposed text.
Does this page decide my VA rating?
No. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This page quotes the rating schedule and VA's published rates for information only; it is not legal or medical advice. VA decides the rating and the payment.