Rating criteria · 38 CFR §4.118
Scars & Disfigurement: VA Rating Criteria
The exact rating criteria below are quoted from the Code of Federal Regulations as currently in force, not paraphrased. Compensation amounts come from the current VA rate tables.
By Mario Bailey, U.S. Air Force veteran · current Air National Guard member. Data updated 2026-07-24.
Plain-language guide
What this rating actually turns on
Scars are rated with three different measuring sticks, and which one applies depends on where the scar is and what it does. Scars of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800) are rated on disfigurement: tissue loss, distortion of features, and a fixed list of eight “characteristics of disfigurement” quoted in Note (1) below, counted like a score from one characteristic (10 percent) to six or more (80 percent). Scars anywhere else are rated on area in square inches, on two tracks: deep scars associated with underlying soft tissue damage (DC 7801, 10 to 40 percent) and superficial scars (DC 7802, a single 10 percent tier at 144 square inches). And any scar that is unstable or painful is counted per scar under DC 7804: one or two scars, 10 percent; three or four, 20 percent; five or more, 30 percent.
The quiet power in this section is that these codes stack. Note (3) to DC 7804 says scars evaluated under 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive a 7804 evaluation, and the separate ratings then combine under 38 CFR 4.25.
A worked example
A veteran carries three scars from a vehicle fire: two on his forearm and one across his shoulder. All three are tender to palpation, and the shoulder scar repeatedly breaks down and loses its skin covering, which is how Note (1) defines unstable. Under DC 7804, three painful scars is the 20 percent row. Then Note (2) applies its own arithmetic: “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.” That makes 30 percent, and the current monthly amount for it is in the pay table on this page. He is not done: the shoulder scar is deep, with underlying tissue damage, and measures about 14 square inches. That meets DC 7801’s “at least 12 square inches” row for a separate 20 percent, which combines with, not adds to, the 7804 rating. Run that math in the combined-rating calculator rather than adding percentages on paper.
If the decision came back lower
Scar decisions go wrong by measurement and by count: an exam that never measured area, never tested each scar for pain, or rated only one code when two applied. If the findings are in the exam report and the rating ignores them, that is a Higher-Level Review argument. If the exam itself never captured a measurement or a painful-scar count, a Supplemental Claim with new examination evidence is the lane that fixes the record.
Rating criteria from the CFR
| Rating criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| With one characteristic of disfigurement |
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.
| Rating criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater | |
| 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 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.) | |
| Area or areas of at least 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.) but less than 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) |
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
| Rating criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater |
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
| Rating criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Five or more scars that are unstable or painful | |
| Three or four scars that are unstable or painful | |
| One or two scars that are unstable or painful |
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
| Rating criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Evaluate any disabling effect(s) not considered in a rating provided under diagnostic codes 7800-04 under an appropriate diagnostic code |
SOURCE: eCFR, 38 CFR Part 4 (issue date 2026-07-13, current through 2026-07-24) · retrieved 2026-07-28
Regulation text
38 CFR §4.118, Schedule of ratings—skin.
(a) For the purposes of this section, systemic therapy is treatment that is administered through any route (orally, injection, suppository, intranasally) other than the skin, and topical therapy is treatment that is administered through the skin.
(b) 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.
Monthly compensation at each rating level
Veteran-alone amounts, effective 2025-12-01. Dependents increase these amounts at 30% and above, use the combined rating calculator for your exact situation, especially if this isn't your only rated condition.
| Rating | Monthly (veteran alone) |
|---|---|
| $2,102.15 | |
| $1,132.90 | |
| $795.84 | |
| $552.47 | |
| $356.66 | |
| $180.42 |
SOURCE: VA compensation rate tables, va.gov · retrieved 2026-07-28 · effective 2025-12-01
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest VA rating for scars & disfigurement?
Under 38 CFR §4.118, the highest schedular rating for scars & disfigurement is 80%, which pays $2,102.15 a month for a veteran with no dependents on the current rate tables (effective 2025-12-01). Reaching it means the exam and records actually meet the 80% criteria quoted above, the diagnosis by itself does not set the rating.
What rating levels are possible for scars & disfigurement?
VA can assign 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% or 80%, depending on the severity your evidence documents. Every one of those steps has its own test in 38 CFR §4.118, quoted in full on this page, so two veterans with the same diagnosis can land at very different levels based on what the exam and records show.
If your rating came back lower than this
A decision that ignores the criteria above is a frequent reason veterans are underpaid. Line your decision up against the levels on this page. If the evidence supports a higher level than VA assigned, you have three ways to challenge it, and the right one depends on why it went wrong:
- Something was missing from the record (an exam finding, a prescription, a flare-up statement, a nexus letter): add it with a Supplemental Claim.
- The evidence was already there and VA misread it: ask for a Higher-Level Review by a more senior rater, with no new evidence needed.
- A legal or judgment error: take it to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
Line your decision up against the criteria on this page. Which review lane fits depends on why the rating is wrong: new evidence that was missing, a misread of evidence already in the file, or a legal error. All three are laid out in the decision reviews and appeals guide.
Before you file, recombine this rating with your others (VA math does not add ratings), check how long each lane is taking right now, and remember a VA-accredited representative or VSO will help you for free. You can also browse every other condition's criteria to make sure you are claiming everything you are owed.