# How to file a VA claim for tinnitus > What to file for tinnitus under DC 6260: the claim itself, the noise-exposure and continuity evidence that carries service connection, and the audiology exam. Canonical: https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating/how-to-file Last updated: 2026-11-05 Updated November 5, 2026 · By AIVA File for tinnitus as its own condition and build the file around connection: a current record of recurrent tinnitus, your in-service noise exposure, and evidence the ringing has continued since. Because DC 6260 pays a single 10% evaluation, the claim does not need severity evidence — it needs a credible line from the exposure in service to the tinnitus you have now. ## What’s your situation? - VA denied my claim: [What to check after a denial](https://aivaclaims.com/guides/va-claim-denied) - My current rating no longer fits: [Tinnitus rating increase: what can actually change](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating/rating-increase) - I have a claim exam coming up: [C&P exam preparation](https://aivaclaims.com/guides/c-and-p-exam-preparation) \**Deadline:** An Intent to File can protect your potential effective date for 1 year — file it before you gather evidence [Prepare an intent to file](https://aivaclaims.com/services/intent-to-file). ## [What to file](#what-to-file) Claim tinnitus expressly — do not assume a hearing-loss claim covers it, because the two are evaluated under different codes. In the claim, name the exposure: your occupational specialty, the weapons, aircraft, vehicles, or machinery involved, and any specific acoustic trauma you remember. Note the Intent to File deadline on this page — an ITF holds your potential effective date for a year while you gather records. [VA: How to file a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/) ## In this series: Tinnitus VA rating - [Tinnitus VA rating criteria: the DC 6260 notes](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating/criteria) The full text of Diagnostic Code 6260 — recurrent tinnitus at 10% — and the three regulatory notes that decide how the evaluation combines with other ear ratings. - [Tinnitus rating increase: what can actually change](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating/rating-increase) There is no tinnitus evaluation above 10% under DC 6260. What can change: a missing separate evaluation, a Meniere's evaluation, and the ratings of the conditions around the tinnitus. - [Tinnitus after a TBI: rating it as its own residual](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating/secondary-to-tbi) DC 8045 directs that hearing loss and tinnitus after a traumatic brain injury be evaluated under their own diagnostic codes — what that means for a tinnitus claim alongside TBI residuals. ## [The evidence that carries it](#the-evidence-that-carries-it) Service treatment records and hearing tests from service are the strongest start, but many tinnitus claims rest on the exposure history plus continuity: a personal statement describing when the ringing began and that it never stopped, treatment or audiology records after service showing the same complaint, and statements from people who served with you or have known you since. If the tinnitus began after service, the claim needs a medical opinion linking it to the in-service exposure or to a service-connected condition — that is the secondary path, and it is a standard one for tinnitus. [VA: Evidence needed for a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/) ## [The audiology exam](#the-audiology-exam) VA typically schedules an audiology C&P exam. The examiner tests hearing, asks about the tinnitus — when it started, how often it recurs, whether it is in one ear, both, or in the head — and may give an opinion on whether it is connected to service. Answer the onset questions carefully and consistently with your statement; the exam report's onset history is often what the rater quotes. Our C&P exam guide covers how to prepare for the appointment itself. [VA: Claim exam (C&P exam)](https://www.va.gov/resources/va-claim-exam/) ## Tinnitus filing checklist Assemble these pieces before or alongside the claim itself. The claim names the condition and the exposure; the evidence below is what connects them. - The claim, naming tinnitus as its own condition - Your occupational specialty and the noise exposures that came with it - Service treatment records or hearing tests mentioning ringing or hearing change - A personal statement: when the ringing started and that it has continued - Post-service audiology records showing the same complaint - An Intent to File submitted first if the records will take time to gather ## Related help - [Tinnitus VA rating hub](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating) - [The DC 6260 criteria and notes](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/tinnitus-va-rating/criteria) - [C&P exam preparation](https://aivaclaims.com/guides/c-and-p-exam-preparation) ## Check your likely claim paths Answer a few taps in AIVA's pre-eligibility check and see the paths that may fit your situation, before you decide anything. [Start the pre-eligibility check](https://aivaclaims.com/check) This educational series reproduces and explains the linked regulation and VA sources. It is not an individual legal or medical assessment, and it does not predict a rating. For representation or help with your claim, [find VA-accredited assistance](https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/). Check the current VA instructions and your own decision letter before filing.