A ringing in your ears may not feel like a matter of life and death, but it can be disorienting and uncomfortable. If you served in the U.S. military, you might wonder if years of close-range bangs and blasts are to blame for your tinnitus. If your tinnitus is caused by your service, you could be owed VA disability compensation.
Don’t fight the VA alone
In this article, we explain causes of tinnitus in veterans, how the VA rates the condition, the VA’s proposed change to tinnitus ratings, and more.
Key Takeaways
- Experiencing a head injury or being exposed to a bomb blast or heavy artillery fire can put service members at risk of developing tinnitus.
- The highest possible tinnitus VA rating is 10%.
- Tinnitus is the most commonly service-connected condition, with more than 3.5 million veterans receiving VA disability compensation for the ailment.
In this article about the tinnitus VA rating:
Veterans and tinnitus
Tinnitus causes a ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, hissing, or humming in the ears, almost always from a phantom source no one else can hear. In rare cases, a person may have objective tinnitus, which can also be heard by an examiner with the correct tools.
There are multiple possible causes of tinnitus, including certain medications, hearing loss, earwax blockages, and ear infections. For veterans, tinnitus risk factors may include:
- Head injuries
- Bomb blast shock waves
- Heavy artillery fire
- Loud machinery
- Firing MAAWS
These risk factors are heightened in veterans who don’t consistently wear proper ear protection. Although the military provides ear protection, there have been cases such as the 3M earplug lawsuit, where thousands of faulty earplugs caused hearing issues in service members.
Tinnitus is especially prevalent in veterans. In fact, it is currently the most commonly service-connected condition for VA disability compensation. 3.5 million veterans received VA benefits for tinnitus in 2025.
Tinnitus VA rating
The VA rates tinnitus using diagnostic code 6260. Under this code, veterans may only receive a 10% VA rating for the condition if it is recurrent, regardless of whether it is experienced in one ear, both, or the head.
Diagnostic code 6260 is also only intended for subjective tinnitus, where the veteran is the only person who can hear the ringing. Objective tinnitus should instead be evaluated as a symptom of the condition causing it.
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VA rating for tinnitus and hearing loss
Hearing loss and tinnitus are closely related. Many people with tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss. Research has found that cases of tinnitus become more common as hearing loss becomes more severe.
Both hearing loss and tinnitus are among the most commonly service-connected conditions in veterans seeking VA disability. In 2025, the VA reported that more than 1.6 million veterans received disability compensation for hearing loss, and more than 3 million veterans received compensation for tinnitus.
If you have both conditions, you may technically be eligible for both a tinnitus VA rating and a hearing loss VA rating.
However, your tinnitus may also be treated as a symptom of the hearing loss rather than a separate condition. This could increase your hearing loss compensation instead of awarding you a second rating for tinnitus. Remember, the VA pyramiding rule states veterans cannot get multiple ratings for the same symptom.
VA tinnitus C&P exam
C&P exams are medical examinations that assess your level of disability and whether your condition is service connected. The VA uses the information from the exam to help determine your disability rating.
Tinnitus exams often rely heavily on a veteran’s reporting of symptoms, because in almost all cases, there is no way to see or hear signs of the condition. They will likely ask questions about what your tinnitus sounds like, which ear it occurs in, and how frequently you experience it. A doctor may also ask you about your medical history and run labs or perform tests to try to determine if the tinnitus is caused by another condition like hearing loss.
Downloadable C&P Exam Preparation Checklist
Click the image to download or print your own copy of our exam checklist or read more here.
Will the VA tinnitus rating change soon?
The VA has proposed a change to the VA disability rating for tinnitus.
If the VA tinnitus rating change goes into effect, tinnitus would no longer have its own diagnostic code. Instead, veterans would only qualify for a rating if their tinnitus is linked to another service-connected condition, such as hearing loss. Tinnitus would be rated as a symptom of another illness or injury rather than as its own condition.
It is important to note that this change would not affect veterans already receiving a tinnitus rating at the time the rule change goes into effect.
It is also worth noting this rule has been pending without movement since 2022. It is not currently clear if or when the VA will proceed with this rule change.
How Woods & Woods can help
The VA-accredited attorneys at Woods & Woods have helped thousands of veterans nationwide get the disability benefits they deserve. Call us today for a free case evaluation. You won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.
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Frequently asked questions
The VA rates tinnitus using diagnostic code 6260. Under this code, veterans may only receive a 10% VA rating for the condition if it is recurrent and subjective (only heard by the patient). There are no possible higher tinnitus VA ratings.
The VA provides an ear conditions disability benefits questionnaire (DBQ) that can be used along with a tinnitus exam.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
