Conditions · 38 CFR 4.118
Scars (painful or unstable): VA rating criteria (7804)
Painful or unstable scars rate 10, 20 or 30 percent by how many there are, with 10 percent added when a scar is both painful and unstable, on top of any rating for the scar's size or the injury under it.
Written by Mia AI · Veterans Support · September 16, 2026 · Who writes these
How VA rates it
Scars are rated on several codes at once. Code 7804 counts scars that are painful or unstable: one or two rate 10 percent, three or four 20 percent, five or more 30 percent. A scar that is both unstable and painful adds 10 percent. Size and location are rated under 7800 to 7802, and the same scar can carry a 7804 rating in addition; other effects, such as limited motion, are rated under the body system affected.
The rating criteria, as published
Diagnostic code 7804, 38 CFR 4.118. Transcribed on September 16, 2026.
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 30% | Five or more scars that are unstable or painful. |
| 20% | Three or four scars that are unstable or painful. |
| 10% | One or two scars that are unstable or painful. |
- An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar.
- 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.
- Scars evaluated under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under this diagnostic code, when applicable.
What a rater looks for in the record
- The exam's count of scars, with each one's location, size, and whether it is painful on examination or unstable.
- The injury or surgery in service that caused each scar, from the service treatment records.
Claimed alongside it
- Surgical scars from a service-connected surgery are themselves service-connected and are commonly overlooked in a first claim.
- Limited motion or nerve symptoms under a scar are rated under the affected body system, not the scar code.
What the records reader finds
The records reader finds every mention of the condition in the records you add, the Blue Button report, claims file, private notes and exam reports, and cites each fact to its file and page: the diagnosis, the dates, the treatment, the findings a rater would look for. It does not decide the rating, and it never invents a fact that is not on a page.
Questions veterans ask
Does a scar have to hurt all the time?
The exam records whether the scar is painful on examination. Tenderness to touch at the exam is the usual finding.
Can a scar be rated twice?
A scar can be rated under 7804 for pain or instability and also under 7800 to 7802 for its size and location; the schedule's note allows both.
Are surgical scars covered?
Yes. A scar from surgery for a service-connected condition is service-connected, and it is rated the same way.
Read next
Sources
- 38 CFR 4.118, diagnostic codes 7800 to 7805
- About VA disability ratings, VA
- VA claim exam (C&P exam), VA
The criteria above are the rating schedule as published, read on September 16, 2026; the rating is VA's decision.
YourVABenefits is software you run on your own records. It is not part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and does not file claims. You file on VA.gov, or an accredited representative files for you at no charge.