Rating Criteria by Level
Under 38 CFR § 4.118, scars are rated across five codes: DC 7800 for the head, face, and neck; DC 7801 for deep nonlinear scars elsewhere; DC 7802 for superficial nonlinear scars; DC 7804 for unstable or painful scars anywhere; and DC 7805 for any other disabling effect, such as restricted joint motion. A single burn injury can be rated under several of these codes at once.
Criteria: One or two scars that are unstable (frequent loss of skin covering) or painful on examination under DC 7804. Alternatively, a deep nonlinear scar covering at least 6 square inches (39 sq cm) under DC 7801, or superficial nonlinear scars covering 144 square inches (929 sq cm) or more under DC 7802.
This is the most common burn scar rating and the easiest to document. Under DC 7804 the size of the scar is irrelevant: what matters is that the examiner records pain on palpation or a history of the scar breaking down. A scar that is both unstable and painful gets an extra 10% added to the level that would otherwise apply, so one scar that is both rates 20%.
Most common rating: one painful scar on exam qualifies
Criteria: Three or four scars that are unstable or painful under DC 7804, or a deep nonlinear scar area of at least 12 square inches (77 sq cm) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq cm) under DC 7801.
Burn injuries frequently produce several distinct scars from a single event, including donor sites from skin grafts. Each qualifying scar counts toward the DC 7804 tally, so it is worth having every painful or unstable scar identified and numbered in the exam report rather than described collectively as one burn area.
Criteria: Five or more scars that are unstable or painful under DC 7804, or a deep nonlinear scar area of at least 72 square inches (465 sq cm) but less than 144 square inches (929 sq cm) under DC 7801.
Five is the ceiling for the DC 7804 count, so once a veteran documents five painful scars there is no further schedular benefit from documenting more under that code. At that point the strategy shifts to claiming the same burns separately under DC 7801 for area and DC 7805 for functional loss.
Criteria: Deep and nonlinear scars not of the head, face, or neck covering an area of 144 square inches (929 sq cm) or greater under DC 7801. A deep scar is one associated with underlying soft tissue damage.
This is the maximum schedular rating for scars of the trunk and extremities under DC 7801. The 144 square inch threshold is roughly a 12 inch by 12 inch area, and areas on different body regions are added together. Third degree burns requiring grafting almost always qualify as deep, since the burn destroys tissue below the dermis.
Criteria: Under DC 7800, visible or palpable tissue loss with gross distortion or asymmetry of two or more features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes, ears, cheeks, lips), or scarring with six or more characteristics of disfigurement.
DC 7800 is the only scar code that reaches 80%. The eight characteristics of disfigurement include a scar 5 or more inches long, a scar at least one quarter inch wide at its widest point, surface contour elevated or depressed on palpation, adherence to underlying tissue, hypo or hyper pigmented skin over an area exceeding 6 square inches, abnormal skin texture over 6 square inches, missing underlying soft tissue over 6 square inches, and indurated or inflexible skin over 6 square inches. Facial burn claims should include color photographs.
How to Service-Connect Burn Scars
Service connection requires a current scar, an in-service injury or exposure, and a medical nexus linking the two. Burn scars are usually among the easiest claims to establish because the underlying event is documented. Three common paths:
Direct Service Connection
The burn occurred during service and appears in your service treatment records, a line-of-duty determination, or a casualty report. Vehicle fires, IED blasts, flight line and engine room accidents, and chemical burns are all documented events. The scar visible today is the current disability.
Secondary to Surgery or Treatment
Scars from surgery to treat an already service-connected condition are themselves service-connected. Skin graft donor sites, debridement scars, and reconstructive surgery scars all count, and each can carry its own DC 7804 rating if painful or unstable.
Secondary Mental Health Claims
Disfiguring burns commonly support a secondary PTSD or depression claim, both from the traumatic burn event and from the ongoing effect of visible scarring on social and occupational functioning. These are rated separately on the mental disorders schedule.
What Happens at Your C&P Exam
The VA will schedule a compensation and pension exam using the Scars and Disfigurement Disability Benefits Questionnaire. For burn scars, the examiner will typically:
- Measure each scar in length and width, then calculate total area in square inches and square centimeters
- Classify each scar as deep or superficial, and linear or nonlinear
- Palpate each scar and record whether it is painful on examination
- Note whether any scar is unstable, meaning there is frequent loss of skin covering
- For head, face, or neck scars, check each of the eight characteristics of disfigurement
- Test range of motion in any joint crossed by contracture scarring, for a separate DC 7805 rating
- Take or request color photographs, which are required for DC 7800 claims
Count your scars before the exam and be able to point to each one individually. Say plainly which scars hurt when touched, since DC 7804 depends on the examiner recording pain. If a scar restricts how far a joint bends, demonstrate it rather than describing it.
Secondary Conditions to Burn Scars
Once burn scars are service-connected, related conditions can be claimed separately. Each carries its own rating and combines into your total under VA math.
PTSDThe burn event itself is frequently a qualifying stressor, and visible disfigurement is an ongoing one. Rated 0 to 100% on the mental disorders scale.
Limitation of MotionContracture scarring across a joint is rated under DC 7805 using the musculoskeletal code for that joint. Common with burns over the knee, elbow, or shoulder.
Eczema / DermatitisGrafted and healed burn skin is prone to chronic irritation and breakdown. Rated 0 to 60% on skin involvement and systemic therapy.
Peripheral Nerve DamageDeep burns can destroy sensory nerves, producing numbness or burning pain in the affected area. Rated per nerve group.
Skin CancerChronically scarred skin carries elevated risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Active malignancy is rated 100% during treatment, then re-evaluated on residuals.
DepressionChronic pain and altered appearance both drive depressive symptoms. Rated on the same mental disorders schedule and often filed alongside PTSD.
SourcesLast reviewed: August 2026
Burn Scars VA Rating FAQ
What is the VA rating for a painful burn scar?
One or two scars that are painful or unstable rate 10% under DC 7804, paying $180.42/month (veteran alone, 2026 rates). Three or four rate 20%, and five or more rate 30%. Scar size is irrelevant under this code: documented pain on examination is the criterion.
How does the VA measure burn scar size for a rating?
Deep nonlinear scars are rated on total area under DC 7801: at least 6 square inches rates 10%, at least 12 square inches rates 20%, at least 72 square inches rates 30%, and 144 square inches or more rates 40%. Superficial nonlinear scars under DC 7802 need 144 square inches for a single 10% rating.
Can you get multiple VA ratings for burn scars?
Yes. The scar codes measure different things, so stacking them is not pyramiding. A veteran can hold a DC 7801 area rating, a DC 7804 painful scar rating, and a DC 7805 rating for limitation of motion from the same burn, then combine all three under VA math.
What is the highest VA rating for burn scars?
The highest single scar rating is 80% under DC 7800 for head, face, or neck scars with visible tissue loss plus gross distortion of two or more features, or six or more characteristics of disfigurement. Scars elsewhere on the body cap at 40% under DC 7801.
Are burn scars a presumptive VA condition?
No. Burn scars require direct service connection with a documented in-service burn, a current scar, and a nexus. In practice this is usually simple, because the burn event is recorded in service treatment records or a line-of-duty determination.
Can I get a separate rating for limited movement caused by a burn scar?
Yes, under DC 7805. Contracture scarring across a joint that restricts range of motion is rated using the applicable musculoskeletal diagnostic code for that joint, separately from the scar itself. Burns across the knee, elbow, or shoulder are common examples.
Can I claim PTSD from the burn injury?
Yes. A burn event severe enough to leave permanent scarring frequently qualifies as a stressor for PTSD, and visible disfigurement is itself an ongoing psychological stressor. PTSD is rated separately on the mental disorders scale and does not conflict with the scar rating.
Will my burn scar rating be reduced over time?
Scars generally stabilize and are less likely to be reduced than conditions that fluctuate. However, if a scar was rated as unstable and later heals fully, the VA can propose a reduction at a routine future examination. Ratings held for 20 years or more are protected from reduction absent fraud.