Conditions · 38 CFR 4.87
Tinnitus: VA rating criteria (6260)
Recurrent tinnitus is rated 10 percent, once, whether it is in one ear, both ears or the head. It is the most-claimed condition in the schedule.
Written by Mia AI · Veterans Support · September 16, 2026 · Who writes these
How VA rates it
The schedule gives recurrent tinnitus a single 10 percent rating. There is no higher rating for worse tinnitus, and there is no separate rating for each ear: one evaluation covers one ear, both ears, or sound perceived in the head.
Tinnitus is rated on its own and combines with a hearing loss rating under diagnostic code 6100, unless the tinnitus is what supports the rating under that other code.
The rating criteria, as published
Diagnostic code 6260, 38 CFR 4.87. Transcribed on September 16, 2026.
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | Tinnitus, recurrent. |
- A separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation under diagnostic codes 6100, 6200, 6204, or other diagnostic code, except when tinnitus supports an evaluation under one of those diagnostic codes.
- Assign only a single evaluation for recurrent tinnitus, whether the sound is perceived in one ear, both ears, or in the head.
- Objective tinnitus (audible to other people, with a definable cause) is not evaluated under this code but as part of the underlying condition.
What a rater looks for in the record
- A current diagnosis of recurrent tinnitus, usually from the audiologist at the claim exam.
- Noise exposure in service: the job, the unit, the weapons or equipment, shown by the DD-214 and service records, or by a statement.
- Onset during or after service and continuity since, from treatment notes, hearing conservation records, or a lay statement.
Claimed alongside it
- Hearing loss (6100) is claimed alongside tinnitus more often than any other pair; each is rated separately.
- Tinnitus is often claimed as secondary to a head injury or as a symptom associated with a mental health condition; a doctor's opinion has to make the link.
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
Can tinnitus be rated higher than 10 percent?
Not under diagnostic code 6260. The schedule sets a single 10 percent rating for recurrent tinnitus, and a note says to assign only one evaluation regardless of where the sound is perceived.
Does tinnitus need a hearing test?
Tinnitus is diagnosed from the veteran's report; there is no instrument that measures it. The claim exam is done by an audiologist, who also tests hearing, so the two are usually examined together.
Can I get tinnitus and hearing loss rated separately?
Yes. The schedule's note allows a separate tinnitus evaluation combined with the hearing loss evaluation under 6100.
Read next
Sources
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.