Reference: 38 CFR 4.87

Tinnitus: Rating Criteria

The published percentage tiers and what separates them

[ RATING SCOPE // ACTIVE RULEMAKING WATCH ]

Pending Federal Rulemaking Notice (RIN 2900-AQ83)

Proposed: Proposed to eliminate standalone 10% rating for tinnitus, evaluating it as a symptom of underlying hearing loss.

Current: Current rule (in effect today): Recurrent tinnitus is evaluated as a standalone 10% disability.

Current criteria shown below remain binding law. Claims decided before the final rule publication are protected under 38 CFR § 3.951 grandfathering rules.

Read Official Docket (FederalRegister.gov) ↗

Percentage Guides

Understanding Your Percentage

Select a pathway to see what the published criteria ask about, what records may clarify it, and what should not be assumed.

10%

Highest listed pathway

Recurrent tinnitus - persistent or recurring ringing, buzzing, hissing, or similar head noise with no identifiable external physical cause - is rated at a single flat 10 percent. This is the only compensable level DC 6260 provides; there is no 20%, 30%, or higher tier based on loudness, frequency, or how disruptive the tinnitus is.

What separates the next level: There is no higher percentage tier under DC 6260 itself. Tinnitus that is objective - meaning it has an identifiable, definable physical cause an examiner can find - is not evaluated under this code at all; it is evaluated as part of the underlying condition causing it.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence

Official CFR language: DC 6260 lists tinnitus, recurrent, at 10 percent.
Qualification explanation: The record needs to document that tinnitus is recurrent (persistent or recurring, not a one-time or resolved episode) and subjective (no definable external physical cause). Severity, loudness, or how much it interferes with daily life does not change the percentage under this code.
Examples: Persistent ringing in one ear, both ears, or perceived generally in the head, with no identifiable external cause.; Recurring buzzing or hissing that comes and goes but is a documented, ongoing pattern rather than a single isolated incident.
Medical evidence: Audiology or ENT notes documenting recurrent tinnitus; Onset and duration history; Notes ruling out or identifying an objective physical cause
Functional impact examples: Difficulty concentrating, sleeping, or being in quiet environments because of persistent head noise.; The degree of functional impact does not change the percentage under this flat-rate code, but it may still be worth documenting for the overall record.
Common misconceptions: Louder, more frequent, or more disruptive tinnitus does not qualify for a higher percentage - DC 6260 has only one compensable level.; Tinnitus in both ears is not rated as two separate 10 percent evaluations - see the single-evaluation rule.; Objective tinnitus with a known physical cause is not rated under this code.
Related topics: recurrent tinnitus; single evaluation rule; objective tinnitus
Source context: 38 CFR 4.87; 6260; Current as of access date 2026-07-21. Last substantive amendment to 38 CFR 4.87 was 2017-07-21; most recent reissue (non-substantive) 2024-06-10; no Federal Register amendments found since.