38 USC § 1132 - Presumption of sound condition

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s1132"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 1132 - Presumption of sound condition"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "1132"
section_name: "Presumption of sound condition"
chapter_number: 11
chapter_name: "COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY OR DEATH"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "PEACETIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "GENERAL BENEFITS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1122, § 332; renumbered § 1132 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(11), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830.)"
---


# § 1132. Presumption of sound condition

section 1131 of this title

For the purposes of , every person employed in the active military, naval, air, or space service for six months or more shall be taken to have been in sound condition when examined, accepted and enrolled for service, except as to defects, infirmities, or disorders noted at the time of the examination, acceptance and enrollment, or where evidence or medical judgment is such as to warrant a finding that the disease or injury existed before acceptance and enrollment.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1122, § 332; renumbered § 1132 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(11), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021— substituted “air, or space service” for “or air service”.

1991—, renumbered  as this section.

, substituted “1131” for “331”.