Flat feet (pes planus) DC 5276
Listed in the rating schedule as “Flatfoot, acquired”. VA rates it under diagnostic code 5276 in 38 CFR 4.71a. Body system: Legs & feet.
Also searched as: flat feet, pes planus, fallen arches.
How VA rates it
The schedule allows 5 rating levels for this code: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50%. VA picks the level whose criteria best match your symptoms and records.
One rating covers one or both feet, so it isn't split by side.
Source: 38 CFR 4.71a on eCFR. Read the full criteria there before you file.
Rating levels and criteria
| Rating | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| 50% | Bilateral |
| 30% | Unilateral |
| 30% | Severe; objective evidence of marked deformity (pronation, abduction, etc.), pain on manipulation and use accentuated, indication of swelling on use, characteristic callosities:Bilateral |
| 20% | Severe; objective evidence of marked deformity (pronation, abduction, etc.), pain on manipulation and use accentuated, indication of swelling on use, characteristic callosities:Unilateral |
| 10% | Moderate; weight-bearing line over or medial to great toe, inward bowing of the tendo achillis, pain on manipulation and use of the feet, bilateral or unilateral |
| 0% | Mild; symptoms relieved by built-up shoe or arch support |
Criteria text from 38 CFR 4.71a, eCFR as of November 10, 2026. The eCFR is the official source if anything here differs.
Pronounced; marked pronation, extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces of the feet, marked inward displacement and severe spasm of the tendo achillis on manipulation, not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances
Conditions it can lead to
If this condition is service connected, these conditions are often claimed as secondary to it (38 CFR 3.310). Each one still needs its own diagnosis.
Lower back (lumbosacral strain / DDD) DC 5237, 5242 Possible link
Flat, rolled-in feet are linked with lower back pain in research on foot posture.
What to gather: A diagnosis of the second joint and a medical opinion explaining how the first condition changed the way you walk or carry weight.
Sources: 38 CFR 3.310 (secondary service connection); Foot posture, foot function and low back pain: the Framingham Foot Study (Rheumatology, 2013)
Plantar fasciitis DC 5269 Possible link
Flat feet strain the tissue along the bottom of the foot, which can lead to plantar fasciitis.
What to gather: A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis and a medical opinion linking it to your flat feet. Note that VA may rate both under one foot rating if the symptoms overlap.
Sources: 38 CFR 3.310 (secondary service connection); 38 CFR 4.71a
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Rating schedule data as of November 10, 2026. Secondary and presumptive links checked November 13, 2026.
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