2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code G51.0Bell's palsy

ICD-10-CM Codes›G00–G99›G50-G59›G51

ICD-10-CM G51.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

G51.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Bell's palsy. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Nerve and nerve root disorders.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
G51.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Bell's palsy
Short Description
Bell's palsy
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
G51
Facial nerve disorders

Code Classification

ChapterG00–G99Diseases of the nervous system
SectionG50-G59Nerve, nerve root and plexus disorders
CategoryG51Facial nerve disorders
This CodeG51.0Bell's palsy

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute mastoiditis
  • Acute mastoiditis with facial paralysis
  • Autoimmune movement disorder
  • Bell's palsy
  • Bells palsy of left side of face
  • Bells palsy of right side of face
  • Congenital disorder of facial nerve
  • Congenital facial nerve palsy
  • Congenital hereditary facial paralysis with variable hearing loss syndrome
  • Disorder of left facial nerve
  • Disorder of right facial nerve
  • Facial diplegia with paresthesia
  • Facial nerve motor disorder
  • Facial palsy
  • Facial palsy House-Brackmann grade I
  • Facial palsy House-Brackmann grade II
  • Facial palsy House-Brackmann grade III
  • Facial palsy House-Brackmann grade IV
  • Facial palsy House-Brackmann grade V
  • Facial palsy House-Brackmann grade VI
  • Familial facial nerve palsy
  • Familial recurrent peripheral facial palsy
  • Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • Left facial palsy House-Brackmann grade I
  • Left facial palsy House-Brackmann grade II
  • Left facial palsy House-Brackmann grade III
  • Left facial palsy House-Brackmann grade IV
  • Left facial palsy House-Brackmann grade V
  • Left facial palsy House-Brackmann grade VI
  • Nuclear facial nerve paralysis
  • Peripheral facial palsy
  • Right facial palsy House-Brackmann grade I
  • Right facial palsy House-Brackmann grade II
  • Right facial palsy House-Brackmann grade III
  • Right facial palsy House-Brackmann grade IV
  • Right facial palsy House-Brackmann grade V
  • Right facial palsy House-Brackmann grade VI
  • Sellars Beighton syndrome
  • Supranuclear facial nerve paralysis
  • Supranuclear paralysis

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Facial palsy

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Bell's
      • palsy, paralysis
    • Diplegia(upper limbs)
      • facial
    • Palsy
      • facial
    • Paralysis, paralytic(complete) (incomplete)
      • Bell's
    • Paralysis, paralytic(complete) (incomplete)
      • facial (nerve)
    • Paralysis, paralytic(complete) (incomplete)
      • nerve
        • facial
    • Paralysis, paralytic(complete) (incomplete)
      • nerve
        • seventh or facial

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR NVS017
Nerve and nerve root disorders
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Congenital Facial Nerve Palsy

    partial or complete paralysis of the facial muscles of one side of an individual's face that is present at birth. it is caused by damage to the seventh cranial nerve.

Patient EducationClinical

Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy is the most common cause of facial paralysis. It usually affects just one side of the face. Symptoms appear suddenly and are at their worst about 48 hours after they start. They can range from mild to severe and include:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert G51.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
351.0 Bell's palsy
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About G51.0Overview

Is G51.0 (Facial nerve disorders) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report Bell's palsy on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of G51.0?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, Bell's palsy converts to ICD-9-CM 351.0 (Bell's palsy). The mapping is a direct match.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.