Burn Pit Claims Guide (PACT Act)
How to file a burn pit claim under the PACT Act — every qualifying location, the full presumptive condition list, and exactly how to build a claim without needing to prove direct exposure to a specific pit.
Under the PACT Act, veterans who served in covered locations during qualifying periods can claim presumptive conditions including many cancers, asthma, COPD, hypertension, and chronic rhinitis without proving direct exposure to a specific burn pit — service in the qualifying location and period is sufficient on its own.
The PACT Act, signed into law in 2022, dramatically expanded presumptive conditions for veterans exposed to airborne hazards and toxic substances during service. If you served in a covered location, the burden of proof required to win a claim is genuinely much lower than it used to be — and a lot of veterans still don't realize how far that lowered bar actually extends.
Qualifying Locations and Periods
- Southwest Asia theater, 1990 through present
- Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Yemen, 2001 through present
- Vietnam-era Agent Orange exposure, covered under a separate but related presumptive framework
Presumptive Conditions Under the PACT Act
- Brain, gastrointestinal, head and neck, kidney, lymphoma, melanoma, pancreatic, reproductive, and respiratory cancers
- Asthma diagnosed after service
- COPD, chronic sinusitis, and chronic rhinitis
- Hypertension
- Constrictive bronchiolitis
Want to check your specific service locations and dates against current eligibility rules?
Check Your PACT Act EligibilityHow to File
File using VA Form 21-526EZ and check the PACT Act box specifically. Service in a covered location during a covered period is sufficient on its own — you don't need to prove direct exposure to a specific burn pit, which is exactly the evidentiary burden the PACT Act removed.
The Burn Pit Registry Isn't the Same as a Claim
Joining the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry documents your exposure history and self-reported symptoms for VA tracking purposes, but it doesn't file a disability claim on its own. The two are complementary — the registry supports your health record and future claims, but you still need to file VA Form 21-526EZ separately to actually pursue compensation.
If You Were Denied Before the PACT Act
Many veterans denied a now-presumptive condition before August 2022 are successfully getting approved on re-filing, since the direct-causation burden that likely sank the original claim no longer applies. A Supplemental Claim citing the new presumptive law as new and relevant evidence is generally the right path rather than starting an entirely new claim.
Frequently asked questions
Conclusion
If you served in a covered location during a covered period, the PACT Act changed your odds. Re-file old denials. Educational only. Not legal advice.
Want to check your specific service locations and dates against current eligibility rules?
Check Your PACT Act Eligibility