DISABILITYVA program
Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions
VA presumes service connection for a list of conditions, including several cancers, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and ischemic heart disease, for veterans who served in Vietnam or other qualifying herbicide-exposure locations.
Available to veterans with qualifying Vietnam-era or other qualifying herbicide exposure
Step-by-step guide
What VA looks for in an Agent Orange claim
- A condition on VA's herbicide listA diagnosis of a condition on the list under Good to know, such as diabetes mellitus type 2, ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, or Parkinson's disease.
- Service in a listed place during its datesMilitary records that place you in one of the places on the routes below during its dates. For Vietnam and the Korean DMZ, any length of time there counts.
- Severity and time limitsChloracne, porphyria cutanea tarda, and early-onset peripheral neuropathy must have reached at least 10% disabling within 1 year after your last exposure. The other conditions have no time limit. Most must reach at least 10% disabling at some point, but bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, Parkinsonism, high blood pressure, and MGUS have no set level.
Source: 38 CFR 3.309(e) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(ii) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.C (opens in new tab)
Which route fits your service?
- A listed condition after service in a listed place
VA presumes that veterans who served in certain places during set dates were exposed to herbicides such as Agent Orange. With a condition on VA's list and records that place you there, no medical link to service is needed. The routes below give each place and its dates.
Source: 38 CFR 3.307 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.309(e) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in new tab)
- Vietnam, its rivers, or its offshore waters
Service for any length of time from January 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975: on land in Vietnam, aboard a vessel on its inland waterways, or aboard a vessel in its territorial sea. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 sets that offshore area at up to 12 nautical miles out from a line that starts at the Vietnam and Cambodia border and runs through points listed in the law, and it covers ship service in any branch. Flying high-altitude missions over Vietnam, with no other contact, does not count.
- Records that place you in Vietnam or its watersA DD214, orders, or personnel records showing time in Vietnam, or ship records that VA checks against Navy and Coast Guard deck logs.
Source: 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(iii) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.D (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- In or near the Korean DMZ
Service in or near the Korean DMZ for any length of time between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971. VA checks your unit against the units identified as operating in or near the DMZ in that period. A 2019 law moved the start date back from April 1, 1968.
- A unit that served in or near the DMZPersonnel records showing your unit and dates. If your unit is not on the list, VA can ask its records research team to check your service.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- A U.S. or Royal Thai base in Thailand
Service at any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976. Your job and where you worked on the base do not matter. The rule does not reach Thailand's territorial waters, but it does cover ships that called at the port of Sattahip. The PACT Act added this route in 2022.
- Records that place you on a base in ThailandOrders, a DD214, or personnel records that show you at a U.S. or Royal Thai base in Thailand during those dates, including temporary duty.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.D (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa, or Johnston Atoll
The PACT Act added these places and dates: Laos from December 1, 1965, through September 30, 1969; Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province, from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969; Guam or American Samoa, or their territorial waters, from January 9, 1962, through July 31, 1980; and Johnston Atoll, or a ship that called there, from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977.
- Records that place you there during those datesOrders, personnel records, or ship records that show you in one of these places during its dates. For a ship that called at Johnston Atoll, you must have been aboard when it called there.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.D (opens in new tab)
- C-123 aircraft crews and maintainers
Air Force and Air Force Reserve members who regularly and repeatedly flew on, maintained, or served aboard C-123 aircraft used to spray herbicides during the Vietnam era. VA.gov lists the units, bases, years, and codes. It notes that specialty code numbers may have changed and says VA accepts other evidence of regular contact with these aircraft.
- A C-123 squadron and specialty codePersonnel records showing your squadron assignment while it had one of these aircraft, and an Air Force Specialty Code for flight, ground maintenance, or medical crew duties.
Source: 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(v) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: C-123 aircraft Agent Orange exposure (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- Exposure or a condition outside the lists
You can still file if you were exposed somewhere else herbicides were tested, stored, or used, or if your condition is not on the list. VA then looks at the facts. It checks your dates, places, and duties against the military list of herbicide test, use, and storage sites outside Vietnam, and for a condition not on the list it looks for evidence that the condition started in service, or medical or scientific evidence that links it to the exposure.
- Evidence of where and when you were exposedYour approximate dates, places, and what you did, so VA can check them against the list of herbicide sites and ask its records research team to search.
- A link for a condition not on the listEvidence that the condition started during service or got worse because of it, or medical or scientific evidence, such as a published study, that ties it to herbicide exposure.
Source: 38 CFR 3.303(d) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.C (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separation papers (DD214) The record of your service dates, branch, foreign service, last duty station, and character of discharge. | Your time and place of service | VA will request this for you once you file, and VA.gov asks you to include a copy if you have one. You can get your own copy through eVetRecs, SF180, or milConnect. | Yes |
| Service personnel records Your personnel file: units, assignments, ships, travel and temporary duty orders, and performance reports. | Where you were, with which unit, and when | VA will request your full personnel file for you once you file, and reviews it before deciding where you served. You can also get your own copy through eVetRecs or SF180. | |
| Service treatment and dental records Medical and dental records from your time in service, including where you were treated. | Treatment in a listed place, shown by its location or military mail address | VA will request these for you once you file and checks them for treatment in a listed place. | |
| Ship records and deck logs Records of each ship you served aboard and your dates, and the deck logs that record where each ship was. | That your ship was in a listed place while you were aboard | VA researches this itself once you file. Its ship locator tool uses Navy and Coast Guard deck log data, and VA can ask its records research team to look further. Give each ship name and your dates aboard, such as on VA Form 21-4138. | |
| Air Force duty records for C-123 aircraft USAF Form 2096 (your unit at the time of a training action), USAF Form 5 (aircraft flight duties), or USAF Form 781 (aircraft maintenance duties). | Regular contact with C-123 aircraft through your duties | VA.gov asks for one or more of these with a C-123 claim, so include copies you have. VA will request your personnel file for you once you file and checks your unit and specialty code. | |
| VA medical records Records of care at VA medical centers and clinics, and of care VA paid for in the community. | Your diagnosis and how severe it is | VA will request these for you once you file. You can review your own VA records on VA.gov. | |
| Private medical records Records from doctors and hospitals outside VA that show your diagnosis and when it was made. | Your diagnosis and when it started | Two routes. Send copies to VA yourself, or complete VA Form 21-4142 and VA Form 21-4142a so VA can request them from each provider. The provider details go on the VA forms, not into BeneVets. | |
| Medical opinion or published research For a condition not on the list: a written opinion from your provider, or scientific evidence such as a medical journal article or published study, that ties the condition to herbicide exposure. | A link between the condition and the exposure | Your provider writes the opinion and sends it to VA, or you send the article or study to VA with your claim. VA can also order its own exam or opinion. | |
| Your own statement Your written account of where and when you served, your unit and any ships, and what you did. | Details VA uses to search records for your service | VA Form 21-4138, Statement in Support of Claim. You write it and send it to VA. BeneVets does not collect it. | |
| Buddy statements Statements from people who served with you about where you were and what you did. | What others saw of your service and duties | VA Form 21-10210, Lay/Witness Statement. The witness completes it and it goes to VA with your claim. VA weighs these statements against the military records. | |
| VA claim exam An exam or medical opinion VA orders for the claim. | Your diagnosis and how severe it is | VA schedules it when it needs more medical evidence to decide the claim. |
Records and statements go to VA. BeneVets never asks you to upload or type them here.
Steps, in order
- Check your condition against VA's list
Compare your diagnosis with the conditions listed under Good to know. For a listed condition, VA does not need a medical link to service. For any other condition you can still file, with medical or scientific evidence that links it to service.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.309(e) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab)
- Match your service to a route
Find the route above that fits where and how you served, and check your dates against it. Your DD214 and personnel records show your places, units, ships, and temporary duty. A medal by itself, such as the Vietnam Service Medal, does not show VA where you were.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- Set your start date
Submit an intent to file on VA Form 21-0966, by phone, or by starting the online application. You then have 1 year to file the full claim, and VA treats a complete claim filed in that year as filed on the intent to file date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: your intent to file (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0966 (opens in new tab)
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you. VA also accredits attorneys and claims agents, who can charge fees only for work done after VA issues its initial decision on the claim.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 14.636(c) (opens in new tab)
- Gather service records
VA will request your DD214, service treatment records, and full personnel file for you once you file. Include copies you already have, such as orders that show where you were. For your own copies, use eVetRecs or SF180.
Source: 38 CFR 3.159(c)(3) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab); Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab)
- Handle medical records
VA will request your VA treatment records itself. For each private doctor, send copies of the records that show your diagnosis to VA, or complete VA Form 21-4142 and VA Form 21-4142a so VA can request them.
Source: 38 CFR 3.159(c)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.159(c)(2) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-4142 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-4142a (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab)
- Write down where and when you served
Section IV of VA Form 21-526EZ asks for herbicide places and approximate dates. If your records may not show the place, add details on VA Form 21-4138: your dates, places, unit, and ship names. For exposure outside the listed places, add what you did and how you were exposed.
Source: VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-4138 (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- File your claim
File VA Form 21-526EZ. Its Section IV asks about herbicide places and approximate dates, and Section V lists each condition with its exposure, such as Agent Orange. The BeneVets fill flow can prefill identity, contact, and service fields; the exposure, conditions, and evidence sections are completed on VA's form.
Source: VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab)
- Answer VA letters about your service
If your records do not show the dates and places, VA sends a letter asking for them. Answer with what you know. If VA does not get the details, it does not find herbicide exposure on that basis and decides the claim with the records it has.
- Go to any claim exam VA schedules
VA asks for a claim exam only when it needs more information to decide. Missing an exam can delay the claim, and VA may then decide on the evidence it already has. VA says you do not need to bring anything to the exam.
Source: 38 CFR 3.159(c)(4) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA claim exam (opens in new tab)
- Read the decision
If you disagree, you can choose a Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995), a Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996), or a Board Appeal (VA Form 10182). A review filed within 1 year of the decision notice keeps the original effective date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.2500(h) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0995 (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0996 (opens in new tab); VA Form 10182 (opens in new tab)
- If VA denied this before, file a Supplemental Claim
If VA denied a condition that is now on the list, or denied service that the law now covers, you can file a Supplemental Claim on VA Form 20-0995. A review based on a change in law does not need new evidence. For bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism, VA says it reviews past denials on its own and sends a letter.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Supplemental Claims (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.2501 (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0995 (opens in new tab)
Good to know
Cancers: bladder cancer, chronic B-cell leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers (including lung cancer), and some soft tissue sarcomas (not osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma). Other illnesses: AL amyloidosis, chloracne or a similar acneiform disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure (hypertension), hypothyroidism, ischemic heart disease, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), Parkinsonism, Parkinson's disease, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, and porphyria cutanea tarda. Five of these (bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, Parkinsonism, high blood pressure, and MGUS) come from laws passed in 2021 and 2022 and are not yet written into VA's regulation, but VA applies them.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.309(e) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab)
If a Vietnam veteran's claim for a listed condition was denied or filed after September 25, 1985, but before VA added the condition, court orders in the Nehmer case can set the award's start date as early as that claim. VA searches its own records for these cases, so no new claim is needed. The Nehmer rules do not cover chloracne, high blood pressure, or MGUS, or service only outside Vietnam. The Nehmer card has more.
Source: 38 CFR 3.816(c) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.2.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab)
If VA denied a Blue Water Navy veteran's claim between September 25, 1985, and January 1, 2020, a Supplemental Claim for the same condition under the 2019 law can be paid back to the date of the earlier claim in some cases.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.1.D (opens in new tab)
VA offers a free Agent Orange Registry health exam to veterans with the service described here. It is not a claim exam and does not start a claim. To get compensation, you file a claim.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab)
VA has benefits for a child with spina bifida whose parent served in Vietnam, Thailand, or in or near the Korean DMZ. The spina bifida card covers them.
Source: VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked September 30, 2026: 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.159(c)(1) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.159(c)(2) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.159(c)(3) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.159(c)(4) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.303(d) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.307 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(ii) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(iii) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(v) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.309(e) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.816(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.2500(h) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.2501 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 14.636(c) (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.1.A (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.1.B (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.1.C (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.1.D (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.2.B (opens in new tab), M21-1 V.ii.1.B (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (opens in new tab), VA.gov: C-123 aircraft Agent Orange exposure (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Supplemental Claims (opens in new tab), VA.gov: your intent to file (opens in new tab), VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab), VA.gov: review medical records online (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA claim exam (opens in new tab), VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-0966 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4142 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4142a (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4138 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-10210 (opens in new tab), VA Form 20-0995 (opens in new tab), VA Form 20-0996 (opens in new tab), VA Form 10182 (opens in new tab), Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab)