2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code L50Urticaria

ICD-10-CM Codes›L00–L99›L49-L54›L50

ICD-10-CM L50
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

L50 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for urticaria, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as L50.0, L50.1, L50.2, and L50.3.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
L50
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Urticaria
Chapter
L49-L54
Urticaria and erythema

Code Classification

ChapterL00–L99Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
SectionL49-L54Urticaria and erythema
CategoryL50Urticaria
This CodeL50Urticaria

Specific Coding for UrticariaOverview

Non-specific codes like L50 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • Use L50.0 for Allergic urticaria

  • Use L50.1 for Idiopathic urticaria

  • Use L50.2 for Urticaria due to cold and heat

  • Use L50.3 for Dermatographic urticaria

  • Use L50.4 for Vibratory urticaria

  • Use L50.5 for Cholinergic urticaria

  • Use L50.6 for Contact urticaria

  • Use L50.8 for Other urticaria

  • Use L50.9 for Urticaria, unspecified

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Type 1 Excludes

  • allergic contact dermatitis L23
  • angioneurotic edema T78.3
  • giant urticaria T78.3
  • hereditary angio-edema D84.1
  • Quincke's edema T78.3
  • serum urticaria T80.6
  • solar urticaria L56.3
  • urticaria neonatorum P83.8
  • urticaria papulosa L28.2
  • urticaria pigmentosa D47.01

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Angioedema

    swelling involving the deep dermis, subcutaneous, or submucosal tissues, representing localized edema. angioedema often occurs in the face, lips, tongue, and larynx.

  • Chronic Inducible Urticaria

    chronic urticaria with identified triggering factor which is either physical, e.g., vibratory urticaria, or non-physical, e.g., aquagenic urticaria.

  • Chronic Urticaria

    wheals (urticaria) and/or angioedema presented with daily symptoms lasting for more than 6 weeks. it may be classified into chronic spontaneous and chronic inducible urticaria depending on whether a specific trigger can be linked to the development of vascular reaction.

  • Cold Urticaria

    various skin flares developing after exposure to cold temperature. while most are characterized by a limited episodic cutaneous condition characterized by urticarial wheals, such as in allergic urticaria, other types are more severe and generalized and rarely familial, e.g., cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes.

  • Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes

    a group of rare autosomal dominant diseases, commonly characterized by atypical urticaria (hives) with systemic symptoms that develop into end-organ damage. the atypical hives do not involve t-cell or autoantibody. cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome includes three previously distinct disorders: familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome; muckle-wells syndrome; and cinca syndrome, that are now considered to represent a disease continuum, all caused by nlrp3 protein mutations.

  • Exercise-Induced Allergies

    allergic reactions following a period of exercise. elevated serum histamine and tryptase levels and cutaneous mast cell degranulation are often associated with post-exertional allergic reactions which sometimes are triggered only in combination with prior consumption of a specific food such as wheat. allergic symptoms produced post-exercise range from skin eruption, asthma, bronchospasm, and anaphylaxis.

  • Urticaria

    a vascular reaction of the skin characterized by erythema and wheal formation due to localized increase of vascular permeability. the causative mechanism may be allergy, infection, or stress.

  • Urticaria Pigmentosa

    the most common form of cutaneous mastocytosis (mastocytosis, cutaneous) that occurs primarily in children. it is characterized by the multiple small reddish-brown pigmented pruritic macules and papules.

  • Urticaria, Solar

    chromophore-dependent photodermatosis triggered by uv and visible light.

Patient EducationClinical

Hives

Hives are red and sometimes itchy bumps on your skin. An allergic reaction to a drug or food usually causes them. Allergic reactions cause your body to release chemicals that can make your skin swell up in hives. People who have other allergies are more likely to get hives than other people. Other causes include infections and stress.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

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 L50Overview

Is L50 (Urticaria) a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for urticaria, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for urticaria need a more specific code from this category, such as L50.0, L50.1, and L50.2.