Can I get VA disability for tinnitus?

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Yes, you can get VA disability for tinnitus if you meet the service-connection requirements. What is tinnitus and how is it rated? Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, buzzing, or other sounds in your ear(s) or head. The VA rates tinnitus under diagnostic code 6260 at 10 percent — this is the only rating level available. You receive only one 10-percent rating for tinnitus, whether you perceive it in one ear, both ears, or in your head. How do you establish service connection for tinnitus? To get VA disability for tinnitus, you must show service connection. This means you must prove one of the following: Direct Service Connection - A current diagnosis of tinnitus — a medical professional (not a layperson) must diagnose it. Lay testimony alone (your own description of sounds you hear) is not enough to establish a medical diagnosis, though the VA will consider what you actually experience. - A link to service — medical evidence showing that tinnitus is related to something that happened or a condition you had during military service. Tinnitus as a Symptom of Service-Connected Hearing Loss - If you have service-connected hearing loss and a medical examiner states that tinnitus is a symptom of that hearing loss, the VA will award service connection for tinnitus on a direct basis (not secondary). In this case, the VA concedes that both conditions come from the same cause. Secondary Service Connection - If tinnitus is caused by or made worse by another service-connected condition (such as traumatic brain injury, head injury, or ear disease), you may qualify for secondary service connection. To do this, you must show: - A current diagnosis of tinnitus - A service-connected condition that already exists - Medical evidence linking the two — that the tinnitus would not have occurred or would not be as severe without the service-connected condition What evidence do you need? - Medical examination — The VA will likely order an audiological examination to evaluate your tinnitus and determine its cause. - Medical opinion on causation — An examiner's opinion linking your tinnitus to service or to a service-connected condition. - Lay evidence — Your own statements about when the tinnitus started, what triggered it, and how it affects you. This can support your claim but is not enough by itself. - Service records — Evidence of in-service events, injuries, or conditions that could have caused tinnitus. What if tinnitus started long after discharge? If you claim tinnitus years after leaving service, the VA will require stronger evidence. You must show either: - That tinnitus is chronic (long-lasting) and was present during service, or - Continuity of symptoms — evidence that the tinnitus has been continuous from service to now. Without this, the VA will order an examination and medical opinion. Special situations If an examiner says tinnitus is not related to hearing loss — The VA may order additional exams (such as ENT or general medical) if you claim tinnitus is caused by something else, like head injury or hypertension. If you have hearing loss in one ear and tinnitus in the other — The VA has a special rule: if you have service-connected hearing impairment in one ear rated at 10 percent or more, and nonservice-connected hearing impairment in the other ear, the VA may pay you as if both were service-connected. However, this rule does not directly address tinnitus alone. Rating and payment Once service connection is established, tinnitus is rated at 10 percent — the only available rating. This rating is combined with any other service-connected disabilities you have to determine your total disability rating and monthly payment. A note on proposed changes (not in effect): In 2022 the VA proposed deleting diagnostic code 6260 and rating tinnitus only as a symptom of an underlying condition. As of 2026 that rule has not been finalized and has no effective date — the flat 10% rating above is still current law, and veterans already rated for tinnitus would be protected if it ever changes.