Blindness in One Eye (No Light Perception) — VA Rating (DC 6064)
Diagnostic Code 6064 · 38 CFR §4.79
What Is It?
DC 6064 covers complete blindness in one eye with no light perception — meaning the eye cannot detect even bright light shone directly into it. This is the deepest end of the monocular vision-loss spectrum. Veterans most often reach this point through combat trauma, blast injury, severe eye infection, retinal detachment that could not be repaired, end-stage glaucoma, or severe chemical or thermal burns. The remaining good eye carries the entire visual workload, which means the rating depends almost entirely on what the other eye can still do. Under 38 CFR §4.79, the rating climbs from 30% (when the better eye is normal) to 100% (when the better eye has also lost significant vision), and there is also a Special Monthly Compensation pathway at SMC(k). That pathway does not require the eye to have been removed: 38 CFR §3.350(a) pays SMC(k) for 'blindness of one eye having only light perception', which is what DC 6064 describes, as well as for anatomical loss.
Rating Criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees 5/200 (1.5/60) — the bottom row of the DC 6064 table. Where the better eye is worse than that, the picture is no longer one-eyed: no more than light perception in both eyes is DC 6062 and anatomical loss of both eyes is DC 6061, each a flat 100 percent, and both carry the footnote directing review for special monthly compensation under 38 CFR §3.350. |
| 90% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees exactly 10/200 (3/60). |
| 80% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees exactly 15/200 (4.5/60). Each row of the DC 6064 table names one value in the other eye, so a better eye worse than 15/200 falls to the 90 or 100 row rather than staying here. |
| 70% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees 20/200. |
| 60% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees 20/100. Anatomical loss of the eye is not rated here — it is DC 6063, which has its own table; the only 10 percent increase in 38 CFR § 4.75 is (e)’s, for anatomical loss of one eye together with inability to wear a prosthesis. |
| 50% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees 20/70. |
| 40% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees 20/50. |
| 30% | No light perception in the affected eye AND the better eye sees 20/40 or better (essentially normal vision in the remaining eye). |
Evidence Needed
A current ophthalmology examination establishing the absence of light perception in the blind eye is the anchor. Visual field testing (Humphrey or Goldmann perimetry) and best-corrected visual acuity measurement of the better eye drive the rating tier — without those, the rater has no way to place the case on the table. Imaging or surgical records that document the cause (combat injury, retinal detachment, infection, chemical or thermal burn) support service connection. If the eye has been surgically removed, the operative report and prosthesis records establish anatomical loss and unlock the additional rating step.
C&P Exam Tips
The C&P examiner must check light perception in the blind eye and best-corrected acuity plus visual fields in the better eye — verify both happen. Mention any phantom-eye sensations, prosthesis maintenance burden, depth perception problems, peripheral-vision blind spots, or driving limitations. If the better eye also has reduced acuity, glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration, or any other condition that is progressing, document the current trajectory so the rating reflects where the vision is now, not where it was years ago. Ask whether SMC(k) has been considered under 38 CFR §3.350(a), which reaches blindness of one eye having only light perception and does not require the eye to have been removed.
How to File
File VA Form 21-526EZ listing blindness in one eye under DC 6064. Attach the ophthalmology report confirming no light perception, the better-eye acuity and visual field results, and the records documenting the cause. Request SMC(k) explicitly and cite 38 CFR §3.350(a) — it reaches blindness of one eye having only light perception, not just anatomical loss, and is paid in addition to the schedular rating. Claim depression, anxiety, headaches, and any fall-related orthopedic injuries as separate secondary conditions when those apply.
Common Mistakes
Filing without recent better-eye visual acuity and visual field results, leaving the rater stuck at the lowest tier Assuming SMC(k) requires the eye to have been removed, when 38 CFR §3.350(a) pays it for blindness of one eye having only light perception — the very condition DC 6064 describes Treating the remaining eye's gradual decline as separate from the monocular blindness — once the better eye drops, the combined rating jumps significantly, but only if updated evidence is in the record Missing the secondary claims for depression, headaches, and fall-related injuries that frequently follow monocular blindness
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the rating depend on my good eye?
The VA rates vision loss by total functional impact, not by what each eye sees in isolation. A veteran with one blind eye and an otherwise normal better eye functions very differently from a veteran with one blind eye and severe vision loss in the better eye. The schedule reflects that difference — the worse the better eye gets, the higher the rating climbs, all the way to 100%.
What is SMC(k) and how does it apply?
Special Monthly Compensation under 38 USC 1114(k) is paid for each anatomical loss or loss of use of certain body parts, and 38 CFR §3.350(a) lists among them 'blindness of one eye having only light perception'. That wording matters here: DC 6064 is no more than light perception in one eye, so the SMC(k) pathway is open whether or not the eye has been removed. §3.350(a)(4) defines that blindness as existing when there is inability to recognize test letters at one foot and perception of objects, hand movements, or counting fingers cannot be accomplished at three feet. SMC(k) is paid in addition to the schedular rating, and it is not automatic — ask for it explicitly and cite the paragraph.
Can the rating increase if my good eye gets worse later?
Yes. The rating is based on current vision in the better eye. If that eye develops cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, or any other condition that reduces acuity or visual field, a request for increase is appropriate. Bring updated ophthalmology testing showing the current state of the better eye.