VA rates PTSD under Diagnostic Code 9411 and the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (38 CFR 4.130) — a rating of 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, or 100% based on how much your symptoms impair you occupationally and socially. The key thing most veterans miss: it's rated on impairment, not on how many boxes you check.
If you're in crisis, you don't have to wait. The Veterans Crisis Line is free and confidential, 24/7 — dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255.
Straight talk first
PTSD ratings confuse people because the formula lists scary-sounding symptoms at each level — and veterans assume they need those exact symptoms. They don't. VA is supposed to rate the overall occupational and social impairment your condition causes; the listed symptoms are just examples of what that level of impairment can look like. So the question isn't "do I have these specific symptoms" — it's "how much do my symptoms keep me from working and functioning." Aim your evidence at that.
This is the PTSD-rating cut of how VA rates conditions.
The PTSD rating levels (38 CFR 4.130)
| Rating | Level of impairment |
|---|---|
| 100% | Total occupational and social impairment |
| 70% | Deficiencies in most areas — work, school, family, judgment, thinking, or mood |
| 50% | Reduced reliability and productivity |
| 30% | Occasional decrease in work efficiency |
| 10% | Mild or transient symptoms, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication |
| 0% | Formally diagnosed, but symptoms not severe enough to impair functioning or need medication |
The same General Rating Formula rates depression and anxiety and other mental disorders — only the diagnostic code changes.
A note on what's coming
VA has proposed replacing this formula with a new system based on five functional domains (and removing the 0% level). As of mid-2026 that rule was not finalized and has no effective date, so the General Rating Formula above still controls. We'll update this page if it takes effect.
How PTSD gets service-connected (38 CFR 3.304(f))
Three pieces:
- A PTSD diagnosis (per VA's diagnostic criteria).
- An in-service stressor — the event behind it.
- A medical link between the stressor and your symptoms.
The stressor rules are relaxed in several situations:
- Combat stressors — if you engaged in combat and the stressor relates to it, your own testimony alone can establish it, when consistent with the circumstances of your service.
- Fear of hostile military or terrorist activity — a VA mental health examiner's opinion can support the stressor if it's consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of your service.
- Military sexual trauma / personal assault — can be corroborated with markers like behavioral changes, or records outside your service file. (The OTH + PTSD/MST path covers the discharge-related angle.)
The general mechanics of filing and evidence are in how to file your own claim; if PTSD is denied or under-rated, the decision-review lanes apply.
PTSD vs. secondaries to PTSD
Don't confuse two different claims:
- This page — rating PTSD itself (DC 9411).
- Secondary conditions to PTSD — conditions PTSD causes or aggravates (sleep apnea, hypertension, GERD), claimed under 38 CFR 3.310.
Most veterans should pursue both, then see how the combined picture moves with the VA Combined Rating Calculator.
Key takeaways
- PTSD (DC 9411) is rated 0–100% under the General Rating Formula (38 CFR 4.130) by occupational and social impairment.
- The listed symptoms are examples, not a checklist — evidence should show impairment.
- Service connection runs through 38 CFR 3.304(f), with relaxed stressor rules for combat, fear of hostile activity, and MST.
- Rating PTSD is separate from claiming its secondaries — pursue both.
Frequently asked questions
- How does VA rate PTSD?
- PTSD is rated under Diagnostic Code 9411 using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (38 CFR 4.130). VA assigns 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, or 100% based on the degree of occupational and social impairment your symptoms cause — not on how many symptoms you have.
- What are the PTSD rating levels?
- 0% (diagnosed but minimal impairment), 10% (mild/transient symptoms or controlled by medication), 30% (occasional reduction in work efficiency), 50% (reduced reliability and productivity), 70% (deficiencies in most areas like work, family, mood), and 100% (total occupational and social impairment). The symptoms listed at each level are examples of that severity, not a required checklist.
- How do I prove PTSD is service-connected?
- Under 38 CFR 3.304(f) you need a PTSD diagnosis, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between them. The stressor rules are relaxed in some cases: combat stressors can be established by your own testimony if consistent with your service; 'fear of hostile military or terrorist activity' can be supported by a VA examiner's opinion; and military sexual trauma can be corroborated with markers like behavioral changes.
- Is this the same as claiming conditions secondary to PTSD?
- No. This page is about rating PTSD itself. Conditions caused or aggravated by PTSD — like sleep apnea or hypertension — are separate secondary claims under 38 CFR 3.310. Many veterans pursue both: the PTSD rating and the secondaries it drives.
Sources
- 38 CFR 4.130 — General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (DC 9411, PTSD): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.130
- 38 CFR 3.304(f) — service connection for PTSD (stressor standards): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/3.304
- VA — PTSD and VA disability compensation: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/ptsd/
- Veterans Crisis Line — dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
