VA Disability Rating for Sleep Apnea: 0% to 100% Criteria
VA rates sleep apnea under diagnostic code (DC) 6847 in 38 CFR § 4.97. The schedule has 4 levels: 0%, 30%, 50% and 100%. The table below quotes each level word for word from the current CFR text and adds a one-line summary; the 2026 monthly compensation figures that follow are VA's published rates.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Criteria checked against the eCFR and Federal Register October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Sleep apnea rating criteria in 38 CFR § 4.97
Diagnostic code: DC 6847 Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed). 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing | Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing. |
| 30% | Persistent day-time hypersomnolence | Persistent day-time hypersomnolence. |
| 50% | Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine | Requires use of a breathing assistance device such as a continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine. |
| 100% | Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or; requires tracheostomy | Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or requires tracheostomy. |
2026 VA monthly pay at each sleep apnea rating
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0.00 | VA's rate table starts at 10%, so a 0% rating has no monthly compensation rate |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 |
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 four levels are 0%, 30%, 50% and 100%. The 50% level is written as "Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine"; the 30% level is persistent day-time hypersomnolence.
VA publishes Disability Benefits Questionnaires for this area (benefits.va.gov): Sleep Apnea DBQ.
Is this the current rule?
Source text. § 4.97 Schedule of ratings—respiratory system. 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. 71 FR 28585 (final rule), Adjudication; Fiduciary Activities-Nomenclature Changes, published May 17, 2006, effective May 17, 2006. Latest entry in the section's amendment history in the eCFR. A nomenclature change; the criteria below date from the 1996 respiratory rule.
Rule that set these criteria. 61 FR 46720, effective October 7, 1996. The 1996 respiratory final rule set these criteria; CFR Appendix A dates the change October 7, 1996.
- DC 6822-6847: Added October 7, 1996.
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 revisions to the nose, throat and respiratory rating criteria on February 15, 2022 (87 FR 8474), with a supplemental proposal on September 12, 2024 (89 FR 74162). They are only proposals: they have not been finalized, so the CFR text above is the rule that applies and no proposed criteria are shown here. 87 FR 8474
Related conditions
- Asthma: Another condition rated in § 4.97, the respiratory system (DC 6602).
- Sinusitis: Another condition rated in § 4.97, the respiratory system (DC 6510 to 6514).
- All VA disability ratings by condition
Questions about the Sleep apnea rating
What diagnostic code does VA use for sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is rated under diagnostic code (DC) 6847 in 38 CFR § 4.97, 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 sleep apnea?
The schedule has 4 levels for sleep apnea: 0%, 30%, 50% and 100%. Each level has its own criteria, quoted in the table on this page. VA decides which level applies to a claim.
How much is VA disability pay for a sleep apnea rating in 2026?
VA's 2026 monthly rates for a veteran alone, with the with-spouse amount for 30% and higher, are 30%: $552.47 ($617.47 with a spouse); 50%: $1,132.90 ($1,241.90 with a spouse); 100%: $3,938.58 ($4,158.17 with a spouse). A 0% rating is not in VA's rate table, which starts at 10%. Rates took effect December 1, 2025. The amount you are paid depends on your combined rating, not on this condition alone.
Are ratings for sleep apnea 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.
Does using a CPAP machine change the VA sleep apnea rating?
DC 6847 lists, at 50%, "Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine". Persistent day-time hypersomnolence is listed at 30%, and asymptomatic sleep apnea with documented sleep disorder breathing at 0%.
What does a 0% sleep apnea rating mean?
DC 6847 describes 0% as asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing. VA's monthly rate table starts at 10%, so a 0% rating carries no monthly rate in that table.
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.