Organs of Special Sense (Eye)§ 4.79Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6080Visual field defects:

Rated from 10% to 100% under § 4.79. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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The ladder

What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 30%

    Homonymous hemianopsia

  2. 30%

    Loss of temporal half of visual field: Bilateral

  3. 10%

    Loss of temporal half of visual field: Unilateral

  4. 10%

    Loss of nasal half of visual field: Bilateral

  5. 10%

    Loss of nasal half of visual field: Unilateral

  6. 30%

    Loss of inferior half of visual field: Bilateral

  7. 10%

    Loss of inferior half of visual field: Unilateral

  8. 10%

    Loss of superior half of visual field: Bilateral

  9. 10%

    Loss of superior half of visual field: Unilateral

  10. 100%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 5 degrees: Bilateral

  11. 30%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 5 degrees: Unilateral

  12. 70%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 6 to 15 degrees: Bilateral

  13. 20%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 6 to 15 degrees: Unilateral

  14. 50%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 16 to 30 degrees: Bilateral

  15. 10%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 16 to 30 degrees: Unilateral

  16. 30%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 31 to 45 degrees: Bilateral

  17. 10%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 31 to 45 degrees: Unilateral

  18. 10%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 46 to 60 degrees: Bilateral

  19. 10%

    Concentric contraction of visual field: With remaining field of 46 to 60 degrees: Unilateral

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Review for entitlement to special monthly compensation under 38 CFR 3.350.

VA Disability Ratings for Visual Field Defects (Diagnostic Code 6080)

Organs of Special Sense (Eye) · 38 CFR § 4.79

Understanding Visual Field Defects

Your visual field is the total area you can see when your eyes are focused on a single point — including everything in your side (peripheral) vision. A visual field defect means that part of this area is lost or reduced. Under Diagnostic Code 6080, the VA rates these defects based on which part of the visual field is affected and how much of the field remains.

Ratings for visual field defects fall under the eye body system and are evaluated according to the schedule in 38 CFR § 4.79.

Available Rating Levels

The VA recognizes several categories of visual field loss under this diagnostic code. Ratings vary depending on the type of defect and whether it affects one eye (unilateral) or both eyes (bilateral).

Half-Field Losses

CriteriaUnilateralBilateral
Loss of temporal half of visual field10%30%
Loss of nasal half of visual field10%10%
Loss of inferior half of visual field10%30%
Loss of superior half of visual field10%10%

Homonymous hemianopsia (loss of the same half of the visual field in both eyes) is rated at 30%.

Concentric Contraction of the Visual Field

Concentric contraction means the visual field narrows inward from all sides, leaving a smaller central area of vision. The rating depends on how many degrees of field remain and whether one or both eyes are affected.

CriteriaUnilateralBilateral
5 degrees30%100%
6 to 15 degrees20%70%
16 to 30 degrees10%50%
31 to 45 degrees10%30%
46 to 60 degrees10%10%

As you can see, a smaller remaining field of vision generally corresponds to a higher rating, and bilateral loss is rated more highly than unilateral loss.

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating visual field defects, the VA considers:

  • The type of defect — such as homonymous hemianopsia, loss of a half-field (temporal, nasal, inferior, or superior), or concentric contraction of the visual field.
  • Whether the condition is unilateral (one eye) or bilateral (both eyes).
  • For concentric contraction, the number of degrees of visual field that remain, measured within the ranges shown above.

Additional consideration: The VA will also review entitlement to special monthly compensation under 38 CFR § 3.350.

This overview is provided for general informational purposes and is based on the rating criteria in 38 CFR § 4.79. It is not legal advice, and individual ratings depend on the specifics of each claim as evaluated by the VA.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.79, diagnostic code 6080. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 6080 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Organs of Special Sense (Eye) codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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