YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) under diagnostic code 7802, in 38 CFR § 4.118 (skin conditions), and the schedule provides a single evaluation under it: 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
DC 7802 covers burn scars, and scars from any other cause, that are not on the head, face, or neck and that are not associated with underlying soft tissue damage. It is the counterpart to DC 7801, and the difference between the two codes is that association — not the burn origin, and not how superficial the scar looks. This code offers one evaluation only: 10 percent, and only where the scar or scars cover an area of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.
DC 7802 has a single criteria row: 10 percent for an "area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater." There is no higher tier and no smaller compensable area, so everything turns on measured area. Note (1) defines six zones of the body — each extremity, the anterior trunk, and the posterior trunk, with the midaxillary line dividing anterior from posterior — and Note (2) permits a separate evaluation for each affected zone, combined under § 4.25, or alternatively a single evaluation adding the areas from multiple zones where that yields the higher result. Two other codes can reach the same scars: DC 7804 evaluates scars that are unstable or painful by count, and its Note (3) allows that evaluation in addition to one under this code, while DC 7805 directs any disabling effect not considered under DCs 7800-7804 to an appropriate diagnostic code.
- Diagnostic code
- 7802
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.118
- Schedule levels
- 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
There is no higher or lower step inside this code: a rating decision either finds its criteria met or it does not. Where they are not met, 38 CFR § 4.31 assigns a 0% evaluation: service connection granted, at a level that does not pay.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) VA rating criteria (DC 7802)
This condition has one published rating level. Read the criteria, then explore the details and monthly pay.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note (1): For the purposes of DCs 7801 and 7802, the six (6) zones of the body are defined as each extremity, anterior trunk, and posterior trunk. The midaxillary line divides the anterior trunk from the posterior trunk”DC 7802
- “Note (2): A separate evaluation may be assigned for each affected zone of the body under this diagnostic code if there are multiple scars, or a single scar, affecting multiple zones of the body. Combine the separate evaluations under § 4.25. Alternatively, if a higher evaluation would result from adding the areas affected from multiple zones of the body, a single evaluation may also be assigned under this diagnostic code”DC 7802
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim4 tips
- 01
Have the total area measured rather than estimated. 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) is the only threshold this code states, and an area below it does not meet it no matter how the scar looks.
- 02
Record which zone each scar falls in. Under Note (2) the choice between separate evaluations per zone combined under § 4.25 and one evaluation adding areas across zones can change the outcome, and the per-zone option is unavailable without zone-by-zone measurements.
- 03
If a scar here is painful, or unstable — Note (1) to DC 7804 defines an unstable scar as one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar — DC 7804 carries its own evaluation, and its Note (3) allows it alongside this code's.
- 04
Where the scar is on the head, face, or neck, this is the wrong code. DC 7800 covers those, and its tiers turn on characteristics of disfigurement — and, at the higher levels, on visible or palpable tissue loss with gross distortion or asymmetry of features — rather than on area.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
An exam that describes the scars without measuring them. The single criterion here is an area of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater, and it cannot be applied to a description.
- 02
Scars measured as one body-wide total with no zone breakdown. That total still answers Note (2)'s alternative of adding the areas from multiple zones, but the separate-evaluation-per-zone option, combined under § 4.25, cannot be reached without knowing which zones are affected.
- 03
An exam that stops at appearance and never records whether any scar is unstable or painful, which is what DC 7804 evaluates separately by count.
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Treating this as the burn-scar code. Its title covers scars "due to other causes" as well, and the burn origin is not what the criterion measures.
- 02
Claiming disfigurement under this code. Disfigurement of the head, face, or neck is DC 7800's subject; DC 7802 applies only to scars that are not on the head, face, or neck, and its criterion is area.
- 03
Leaving unstable or painful scars out of the claim, since DC 7804 counts those and its Note (3) allows an evaluation there in addition to this one.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
This code's title reaches burn scars and scars due to other causes alike, so the scar dates from the burn, wound, or incision that caused it. What places it here rather than under DC 7801 is that the healed scar is not associated with damage to the soft tissue beneath it.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
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THE BROADER PICTURE
Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) by the numbers
- Service-connected disabilities (VBA count)
- 1,323,340 disabilities
Count of service-connected disabilities from the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), as of September 30, 2025; the report counts disabilities, not veterans. Approval outlook and typical rating are Vetrify editorial estimates, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
Is Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) under VASRD diagnostic code 7802 (Skin Conditions). DC 7802 covers burn scars, and scars from any other cause, that are not on the head, face, or neck and that are not associated with underlying soft tissue damage. It is the counterpart to DC 7801, and the difference between the two codes is that association — not the burn origin, and not how superficial the scar looks. This code offers one evaluation only: 10 percent, and only where the scar or scars cover an area of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.
What VA disability rating can I get for Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
Possible VA ratings for Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) are 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 10%: Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.
What evidence helps prove Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) claim includes: A measured area for each scar, in square inches or square centimeters, from the exam or a dermatology note; A statement in the record that the scar is not associated with underlying soft tissue damage, which is the finding that assigns it to DC 7802 rather than DC 7801; Photographs showing each scar and where it sits on the body, so the affected zones under Note (1) can be identified; Treatment records from the original burn or wound.
Which DBQ is used for Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
VA's Scars Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Scars Without Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck): Treating this as the burn-scar code. Its title covers scars "due to other causes" as well, and the burn origin is not what the criterion measures; Claiming disfigurement under this code. Disfigurement of the head, face, or neck is DC 7800's subject; DC 7802 applies only to scars that are not on the head, face, or neck, and its criterion is area; Leaving unstable or painful scars out of the claim, since DC 7804 counts those and its Note (3) allows an evaluation there in addition to this one.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.118, Schedule of ratings, skin conditions (Diagnostic Code 7802)
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), service-connected disabilities count, as of September 30, 2025
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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