Vision Loss — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Vision Loss
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960N-2 (Eye Conditions) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Vision Loss — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Vision Loss, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Vision Loss
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.79, DC 6061-6066 (impairment of central visual acuity), with 38 CFR 4.75-4.78. Anchor points only; not an exhaustive ladder.. Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Corrected distance visual acuity of 20/50 in one eye with 20/40 or better in the other eye (from the visual-acuity table, DC 6066).
Corrected distance visual acuity of 20/100 in one eye with 20/40 in the other eye (illustrative point on the visual-acuity table).
Corrected distance visual acuity of 20/200 (5/200 to 20/200 range) in one eye with 20/40 in the other eye (illustrative point on the visual-acuity table).
Anatomical loss of one eye with the other eye at 10/200 (DC 6063).
Anatomical loss of both eyes, or no more than light perception in both eyes (DC 6061/6062); or anatomical loss of one eye with the other eye at 5/200 or worse (DC 6063).
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Vision Loss raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Vision Loss claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Optometry and Vision Science, 2022 · nexus to traumatic brain injury (TBI) · PMID 34882609
Finding: Among 2,458 OEF/OIF veterans treated at VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (2008-2017), TBI-related ocular injury and vision dysfunction were common, and the need for vision rehabilitation extended as long as 2 years after the TBI; veterans with decreased visual field, reading difficulty, or double vision had 45-59% greater odds of following up.
Why it helps: Documents in a large veteran cohort that vision dysfunction frequently follows service-related TBI and persists for years, supporting an association for vision-loss claims secondary to a service-connected TBI.
Experimental Eye Research, 2024 · PMID 38677709
Finding: This review reports that about 25% of veterans exposed to blasts report corneal injury, and that combat blast exposure can produce corneal edema, opacity, abrasions, and binocular/visual-field impairment; delayed care may lead to progressive vision loss and blindness.
Why it helps: Supports a direct association between combat blast exposure and ocular injury/vision loss in military personnel and veterans, relevant to claims tied to in-service blast events.
- The injured eyeDirect
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2011 · PMID 21149360
Finding: A military-surgery review describes how ocular blast injuries (primary blast wave, secondary fragments, tertiary structural collapse, quaternary burns) cause eye trauma in combat, and that ballistic eye protection significantly reduces eye-injury incidence; a poor initial visual acuity does not guarantee a poor final outcome.
Why it helps: Establishes the mechanisms by which combat/blast exposure causes eye injury and vision loss, supporting a direct service-connection narrative for traumatic vision loss.
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 2014 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea · PMID 24859387
Finding: This review finds increasing evidence that glaucoma prevalence is higher in OSAHS patients, especially with severe disease (apnea-hypopnea index >30), with raised intraocular pressure, retinal nerve fiber layer thinning, and visual field defects reported; the authors recommend ophthalmic evaluation in patients with severe OSAHS.
Why it helps: Supports an association between obstructive sleep apnea (a commonly service-connected condition) and glaucomatous optic nerve damage and vision loss, relevant to a secondary claim.
Archives of Ophthalmology, 2006 · PMID 16832023
Finding: In 681 elderly male twins from the World War II Veteran Twin Registry, past smokers had about a 1.7-fold increased risk of AMD (95% CI 1.2-2.6) and the attributable risk for smoking was 32%, while higher omega-3 intake was protective (OR 0.55).
Why it helps: A veteran-cohort study supporting an association between cigarette smoking and age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss; useful context where in-service tobacco use is at issue.
Ophthalmology, 2022 · PMID 35718050
Finding: Using 5,830 primary open-angle glaucoma cases (445 with invasive glaucoma surgery) and 64,476 controls in the VA Million Veteran Program, genetic risk scores were significantly associated with glaucoma (P < 5x10-5), and the study highlights a substantially higher glaucoma burden among veterans of African ancestry.
Why it helps: Documents the scale of glaucoma (a leading cause of irreversible vision loss) within the U.S. veteran population, useful background context for vision-loss claims.
Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications, 2019 · nexus to diabetes mellitus · PMID 31669065
Finding: This review (with a Cleveland VA Medical Center co-author) notes that as diabetes prevalence worsens so does diabetic retinopathy, and that progression to proliferative diabetic retinopathy is associated with vision loss that is often irreparable and a rapid decline in health-related quality of life.
Why it helps: Supports an association between diabetes and diabetic-retinopathy vision loss, relevant to claims for vision loss secondary to service-connected diabetes (including diabetes presumptively linked to herbicide/Agent Orange exposure).
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Vision Loss
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Vision Loss. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Vision Loss as a Secondary Condition
Vision Loss is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Vision Lossclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Vision Loss should also be looking at:
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Home buying
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Draft your Vision Loss personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Vision Loss VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Vision Loss evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Vision Loss.
Vision Loss Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
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Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.