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VA Rating for PTSD: 0% to 100% Criteria Explained

The VA rates PTSD at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% or 100% under diagnostic code 9411, using one scale for all mental health conditions: the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (38 CFR 4.130). The rating turns on how much your symptoms hurt your work and your relationships, not on your diagnosis alone. Here is what each level means in plain English, how service connection works, and how to describe your worst days.

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TL;DR

PTSD is rated under diagnostic code 9411 using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The possible ratings are 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 100% (38 CFR 4.130).
The VA rates your level of occupational and social impairment over time, not just how you looked on exam day (38 CFR 4.126(a)).
The symptoms listed at each level are examples, not a checklist. You do not need every symptom, or any specific one (Mauerhan v. Principi).
Service connection needs a diagnosis, a medical link to an in-service stressor, and evidence the stressor happened. Combat, fear of hostile military activity and MST each have special rules (38 CFR 3.304(f)).
If you are in crisis right now, call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.

If you are thinking about suicide or hurting yourself, stop reading and reach out now. The Veterans Crisis Line is free and confidential, 24 hours a day: dial 988 then press 1, text 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

How does the VA rate PTSD?

The VA puts PTSD under diagnostic code 9411. It does not have its own separate scale. Every mental health condition from depression to anxiety to PTSD is rated with the same General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130.

That formula asks one core question: how much do your symptoms impair your ability to work and to function socially? The rater looks at how often your symptoms happen, how bad they get, how long they last, how long any good stretches last, and how well you adjust during those good stretches (38 CFR 4.126(a)).

The rating must be based on all the evidence in your file, "rather than solely on the examiner's assessment of the level of disability at the moment of the examination" (38 CFR 4.126(a)). One calm hour in a C&P exam room should not define your rating. Social impairment counts, but the VA cannot rate you on social impairment alone (38 CFR 4.126(b)).

What are the PTSD rating criteria at each level?

This table puts the regulation's language in plain English. The official wording is in 38 CFR 4.130, and the "symptoms such as" lists are shortened here.

Rating	Level of impairment (38 CFR 4.130)	Example symptoms named in the rule
0%	Diagnosed, but symptoms don't interfere with work or social life and don't need continuous medication	None required
10%	Mild or short-lived symptoms that cut into work only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication	Mild or transient symptoms
30%	Occasional drops in work efficiency and periods where you can't do work tasks, while generally functioning with normal routine, self-care and conversation	Depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks weekly or less, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss
50%	Reduced reliability and productivity at work and in relationships	Flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, trouble with complex commands, memory problems, impaired judgment, mood and motivation problems, trouble keeping work and social relationships
70%	Deficiencies in most areas: work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood	Suicidal ideation, near-continuous panic or depression, impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence), neglect of hygiene, trouble adapting to stressful circumstances including work, inability to establish and maintain effective relationships
100%	Total occupational and social impairment	Gross impairment in thinking or communication, persistent delusions or hallucinations, persistent danger of hurting self or others, intermittent inability to do basic daily activities including hygiene, disorientation to time or place, memory loss for your own name, job or close relatives

2026 monthly pay for a veteran with no dependents is $552.47 at 30%, $1,132.90 at 50%, $1,808.45 at 70% and $3,938.58 at 100%, per the VA's rates effective December 1, 2025. See the full VA disability pay chart for 2026.

Do I need every symptom on the list?

No. The words "such as" matter. In Mauerhan v. Principi, 16 Vet. App. 436 (2002), the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims held that the listed symptoms are examples of the kind and degree of symptoms at each level. They are not a checklist. Symptoms that are not on the list at all still count.

The Federal Circuit added a second rule in Vazquez-Claudio v. Shinseki, 713 F.3d 112 (Fed. Cir. 2013). Ratings are symptom-driven. Your symptoms must cause the level of impairment described for that rating, judged by frequency, severity and duration.

What this means for you: the strongest evidence ties each symptom to what it does to your life. "I have nightmares" is weak. "I wake up two or three times a night, most nights, and I have been written up twice this year for falling asleep on shift" shows impact.

How do you get PTSD service connected?

A rating only comes after service connection. Under 38 CFR 3.304(f), you need three things:

A current PTSD diagnosis made under the DSM-5 standard (38 CFR 4.125(a)).
A medical link between your current symptoms and an in-service stressor.
Credible supporting evidence that the stressor happened.

The third element is where many claims stall. The regulation eases it in several situations:

Combat. If you engaged in combat with the enemy and the stressor relates to that combat, your own statement can establish the stressor if it fits the circumstances of your service (38 CFR 3.304(f)(2)).
Fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. You do not have to prove you fired a weapon. If a VA or VA-contracted psychiatrist or psychologist confirms the stressor is adequate and your symptoms relate to it, your statement can establish it, as long as it is consistent with the places, types and circumstances of your service. The rule names examples such as IEDs, incoming artillery, rocket or mortar fire, small arms fire and suspected sniper fire (38 CFR 3.304(f)(3)).
Diagnosis in service and former prisoners of war have their own lay-evidence rules (38 CFR 3.304(f)(1) and (f)(4)).
Military sexual trauma and personal assault. Evidence can come from outside your service records (38 CFR 3.304(f)(5)).

How does the VA handle MST and personal assault claims?

Many assaults were never reported. The regulation accounts for that. Under 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5), evidence from sources other than service records can back up your account. Examples in the rule include records from law enforcement, rape crisis centers, counseling centers, hospitals or doctors, pregnancy or STD tests, and statements from family, roommates, fellow service members or clergy.

Behavior changes after the event can also count as evidence. These are often called markers. The rule lists examples: a request to transfer, a drop in work performance, substance abuse, depression, panic attacks or anxiety without a clear cause, and unexplained economic or social changes. The VA may not deny an MST-based PTSD claim without first telling you about this kind of evidence and giving you a chance to submit it.

VA Form 21-0781, Statement in Support of Claimed Mental Health Disorder(s) Due to an In-Service Traumatic Event(s), is where you describe the event and point the VA to records. The form is optional, but it helps the VA look in the right places.

How should I describe my worst days?

Most veterans undersell their symptoms. The VA rates the frequency, severity and duration of symptoms over time, so your bad days belong in the record.

Be specific. Give counts and time frames: panic attacks per week, hours of sleep, days of work missed in the last year.
Show the effect. Link each symptom to work, family, friends, driving, crowds, anger or self-care.
Describe a typical bad week and your worst days. Say how often the worst days come and how long they last.
Don't exaggerate. Every statement must match your real experience. Accuracy is what makes a statement credible.
Say what you've stopped doing. Quit a job, stopped seeing friends, sleep in a separate room.

Our Statement Template Pack ($97) walks you through writing a personal statement in your own words, organized around the rating criteria.

Do buddy statements help a PTSD claim?

Yes. People who live and work with you see things you may not notice or may not want to say. Lay witnesses can report what they see and hear. A spouse can describe night sweats, rages or isolation. A former supervisor can describe missed deadlines or blowups at work. A fellow soldier can confirm a stressor event.

The VA's form for this is VA Form 21-10210, Lay/Witness Statement. Each person should write only what they personally saw, with rough dates and examples.

What happens at the PTSD C&P exam?

The VA uses a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) for PTSD. The VA publishes its DBQs, so you can read the questions before your exam. The examiner asks about your stressor, symptoms, work and relationships.

Bring a short written list of your symptoms and how often they happen. Answer about your typical and worst days, not just today. If you have a hard time talking about the event, you can say so. Our C&P Exam Prep Kit ($47) covers what the mental health examiner is looking for and how to prepare without scripting your answers. You can also read our C&P exam tips.

Get the C&P Exam Prep Kit ($47)

Can I get 100% for PTSD without meeting the 100% criteria?

There are two other paths. If PTSD keeps you from holding a substantially gainful job, you may qualify for total disability based on individual unemployability. A single condition rated 60% or more, or a combined 70% with one condition at 40%, meets the threshold under 38 CFR 4.16(a). See our TDIU guide.

PTSD also leads to other conditions that can be rated separately. Sleep problems, stomach issues and alcohol use disorder are common examples. See PTSD secondary conditions. To see how a new rating would combine with what you have, use the VA disability calculator.

Is the VA changing the mental health rating rules?

The VA proposed a new mental health rating formula in February 2022. As of September 2026 it has not been finalized. The General Rating Formula in the current 38 CFR 4.130, described above, is the one in effect. If a new formula is adopted, a rating already in effect cannot be reduced solely because the schedule changed unless medical evidence shows actual improvement (38 CFR 3.951(a)).

We are an Army Ranger and a combat engineer from a family full of veterans. We built this site to explain the rules straight. We are not the VA, we are not VA-accredited, and we do not file claims for you. No one can promise a rating, and you should be wary of anyone who does.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be rated for PTSD and depression separately?

Usually not. All mental disorders use the same rating formula, and overlapping symptoms cannot be rated twice (38 CFR 4.14). The VA typically assigns one mental health rating that covers all diagnoses.

Does suicidal ideation mean an automatic 70%?

No rating is automatic. Suicidal ideation is listed as an example symptom at 70% in 38 CFR 4.130, and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has held it can support 70% even without a plan or intent. If you are having these thoughts now, dial 988 then press 1.

Do I need combat to get PTSD service connected?

No. Non-combat stressors qualify, including accidents, MST and fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. The evidence rules differ by stressor type under 38 CFR 3.304(f).

Will the VA lower my PTSD rating?

The VA can schedule a review exam and propose a reduction if evidence shows sustained improvement. It must follow notice rules before reducing. A rating in effect for 20 or more years is protected from reduction below that level except for fraud (38 CFR 3.951(b)).

Is taking medication a reason for a lower rating?

Symptoms controlled by continuous medication fit the 10% description in 38 CFR 4.130. If you still have significant symptoms while on medication, the rater should look at your actual level of impairment. Tell the examiner what your symptoms are like on medication and what they were like without it.