Your PCS entitlements, decoded.

A lump-sum payment to partially offset the out-of-pocket costs of a PCS move — security deposits, utility hookups, connection fees, drapes, appliances, cleaning costs, and everything else that comes with uprooting your life. Authorized under JTR Chapter 5, Part B (Dislocation Allowance). It is paid in addition to all other PCS entitlements (HHG, TLE, MALT, per diem), not in place of them.

Rates scale with pay grade and dependency status. Without-dependent rates run from roughly $987 (E-1) to about $3,500 (O-10). With-dependent rates run from roughly $1,520 (E-1) up to roughly $4,946 (O-10). Warrant officers fall between senior NCOs and company-grade officers. Use the current DTMO DLA Rate Table — Honest MOS does not republish rates we cannot verify in real time.

A reduced DLA (one month's BAH-without-dependents at the old PDS, capped) is authorized for a limited set of "ordered move" scenarios — most commonly, an inter-base move within the same metro that does not qualify for full DLA but does force you to break a lease. Partial DLA is paid only when the member is ordered to move from on-base to off-base or vice versa for reasons of government convenience. It is not the same as the full PCS DLA.

DLA is normally paid with your travel voucher (DD 1351-2) after settlement at the new station. Most finance offices cut it within 14-30 days of voucher submission. You can request advance DLA before the move under JTR 050202 — your finance office can pay it up to 30 days prior to departure on PCS orders.

Most members executing a permanent change of station with a change of permanent duty station qualify. First duty station from initial entry training (basic + AIT/A-School/Tech School) qualifies if the member has dependents OR is in pay grade E-4 over 2 years or higher. Separation, retirement, and discharge moves have their own DLA rules — see the Retirement Final Move section. TDY and short-duration moves under 50 miles generally do NOT qualify.

DLA at the with-dependents rate requires authorized dependents enrolled in DEERS. For divorced members with shared physical custody, DODI 1338.10 and DoDFMR 7000.14-R Vol 7A Chapter 26 govern — a member with court-ordered shared physical custody of a child may qualify for the with-dependents rate if the child resides with the member in excess of 14 days during the move period and the member is the parent of record for housing. This is one of the most-missed dependency rules in the entire JTR.

Personally Procured Move — the program formerly known as DITY (Do-It-Yourself) until USTRANSCOM renamed it around 2010. You arrange your own move (rental truck, trailer, even your own vehicle), and the government pays you a percentage of the Government Constructive Cost (GCC) — what it would have cost the government to hire a Transportation Service Provider to move that weight. The program is governed by JTR Chapter 5, Part B, Section 0506.

Effective with the FY24 PPM rule update, members are reimbursed at 100% of the Government Constructive Cost. Prior to this change, the rate was 95% for decades (a 5% government margin baked into the program). The 100% rate is now the standing rule — verify the current incentive percentage with your TMO/PPO before pricing, because rule revisions still happen.

When you file the PPM settlement (PPM Checklist + DD 2278 + weight tickets + receipts), allowable Operating Expenses are deducted from your gross payment BEFORE federal withholding is applied. Allowable expenses include: rental truck/trailer cost, packing materials, hand truck/dolly rental, fuel for the rental vehicle, toll charges, oil, and limited auto transport. NOT allowable: your personal vehicle fuel beyond MALT, hotel rooms (covered by TLE separately), meals (covered by per diem), or labor cost paid to family.

Your authorized weight is set by pay grade per JTR Table 5-37. Sampling: E-1 to E-4 without dependents = 5,000 lbs; E-5 = 7,000 lbs; E-6 = 8,000 lbs; E-7 = 11,000 lbs; E-9 = 13,000 lbs; W-1/O-1 = 10,000 lbs; O-3 = 13,000 lbs; O-5 = 16,000 lbs; O-6 and above = 18,000 lbs. With dependents, allowances scale up to a maximum 18,000 lbs ceiling. Pro gear sits OUTSIDE this allowance and is separate.

Every PPM requires certified empty and certified loaded weight tickets from a state-certified scale (CAT scales at truck stops are the gold standard — $14 per weigh as of 2026, and the receipt is bulletproof). The procedure: weigh the empty rental truck plus your driver, weigh again fully loaded with the same driver. The delta is your shipment weight. Multiple loads = multiple ticket pairs.

The net PPM payment (gross minus allowable Operating Expenses) is treated as taxable income to the service member. The military withholds at the supplemental wage rate (22% federal as of 2026; state varies by legal residence) at the time of payment. The amount is reported on the next W-2 as wages. You can deduct the actual cost of moving your household goods on Form 3903 Moving Expenses for Armed Forces — the post-TCJA carve-out preserved this only for active duty PCS.

You can split your move — HHG ships some weight, you PPM the rest. Government pays the moving company for the HHG portion and pays you for the PPM portion against the same overall weight allowance. The HHG weight is captured by the carrier; the PPM weight comes from your certified weigh tickets. The two are summed and tested against your grade-based maximum.

A newer hybrid option available at some installations — the government provides a moving truck (and sometimes packing materials) but YOU provide the labor. You still get the PPM incentive payment, but your operating expense deduction is smaller because the truck is provided. Availability is base-dependent and subject to fleet capacity. Ask TMO if PPM-G is offered at your origin.

The traditional government move. The Transportation Office (TMO/PPO, or "Personal Property Shipping Office" depending on branch) contracts a commercial Transportation Service Provider (TSP) to pack, load, transport, unload, and unpack your household goods. Governed by JTR Chapter 5 and the Defense Personal Property Program (DP3) administered by USTRANSCOM. Status, claims, and inspections all flow through MilMove (replacing the legacy DPS portal — verify which system your branch is on at move time).

HHG and PPM share the same JTR Table 5-37 weight allowance, indexed to pay grade. E-1–E-4 without dependents = 5,000 lbs. E-5 = 7,000 lbs. E-7 = 11,000 lbs. O-3 = 13,000 lbs. O-6+ = 18,000 lbs. With dependents the chart bumps higher with the same 18,000 lb ceiling. Exceeding your weight allowance triggers excess weight charges billed back to YOU at the GBL rate per hundred pounds — and those bills routinely exceed $1,500 for a few hundred pounds of overage.

Professional Books, Papers, and Equipment (PBP&E, commonly "pro gear") is excluded from your weight allowance per JTR 050601. Member pro gear cap = 2,000 lbs. Spouse pro gear cap = 500 lbs. Definition is narrow: tools, instruments, reference materials, and equipment required to perform the member's OFFICIAL DUTIES (not hobbies, not side hustles). For a spouse, the items must be required for a profession the spouse practices.

Standard HHG service includes: packing materials and labor, loading, line haul transportation, unloading, and "unpacking" (which the JTR defines minimally — TSPs are required to unbox into the room and remove debris, NOT to put everything away on shelves). Up to 90 days of Storage in Transit (SIT) at government expense is bundled in for housing-gap coverage at either origin or destination.

TSPs will not ship: ammunition, propane, gasoline (drain mowers and chainsaws), aerosols (more than household quantities), open liquor (in some states), live plants, perishables, currency, jewelry above a threshold, firearms requiring specific carrier handling, and HAZMAT in any quantity. Pets do NOT ship with HHG — they are your responsibility. Plants must be hand-carried. Cars are shipped under separate POV authorization (CONUS limited; OCONUS one POV typical).

Two-tier claim window: (1) Notify Loss/Damage At Delivery (NLDR) — note obvious damage on the inventory and 1840R at delivery; (2) full claim — file Loss/Damage Report in MilMove within 75 days of delivery, with the formal claim submitted within 9 months at maximum value. The TSP has 60 days to settle once you file. If denied or low-balled, you can transfer the claim to the Military Claims Office of your branch (Army Claims Service, Navy/Marine JAG Personnel Claims Office, AFLOA-Claims Service Center).

High-Value Inventory (HVI) items — TVs over a certain size, computers, audio equipment, jewelry above a value threshold, firearms, collectibles, artwork — must be separately inventoried at pack-out on a HVI form with serial numbers. The TSP and you both sign. This is a separate document from the main inventory. If you do not list an item on the HVI form, recovery on a loss claim is capped at very low limits.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. § 3901 et seq.) gives PCS-affected service members the right to terminate residential leases without penalty upon receipt of PCS orders, provided written notice and a copy of the orders are delivered to the landlord. Termination is effective 30 days after the next rent due date following notice. Auto leases can also be terminated under §3955 in some circumstances. Cell phone contracts can be paused or cancelled under §3956 for OCONUS moves. None of this is automatic — you must invoke it in writing.

Temporary Lodging Expense reimburses lodging plus a meal & incidentals component while a CONUS-PCS member is between residences. Governed by JTR Chapter 5, Part B, Section 0504. Reimburses actual lodging cost up to a daily ceiling (locality-based, capped by the local per diem lodging rate) plus a fixed meal & incidentals allowance. Both old and new station qualify within the entitlement window.

The CONUS TLE limit was raised from 10 to 14 days effective with the FY22 NDAA implementation in JTR Chapter 5. Members can split the 14 days between old and new PDS however they choose. The 14-day cap is the cumulative cap across both ends of the move. Verify the current limit at travel.dod.mil before planning — Congress has authorized further extensions in legislation that has not always fully implemented.

Temporary Lodging Allowance is the OCONUS equivalent. JTR Chapter 5, Part B, Section 0505. Initial authorization is 60 days at the new OCONUS PDS, paid at locality TLA rates published by DTMO (these are markedly higher than CONUS TLE because OCONUS lodging is markedly more expensive). TLA at the OLD OCONUS station is up to 10 days before departure. Extensions beyond 60 days at destination are approved by the commander, in 30-day increments, when housing search is delayed for reasons beyond the member's control.

Both reimburse: actual lodging cost up to the locality per diem ceiling, the M&IE percentage for the member and each dependent (dependents 12+ at 100% of member rate; dependents under 12 at 50%; rate per JTR Table 5-39). NOT reimbursed: rental cars (unless on travel orders), entertainment, alcohol, internet at the hotel beyond required, or pet boarding (though some bases authorize separate pet-related allowances OCONUS).

TLE is reimbursed via your final travel voucher (DD 1351-2) submitted at the new PDS. TLA OCONUS is typically reimbursed periodically through finance during the 60-day window (some bases require weekly settlement, some monthly). Keep an organized expense log — date, hotel name, room rate, taxes, occupant count. Snap photos of every folio receipt the day you check out.

MALT is the per-mile reimbursement for driving a privately owned vehicle (POV) on PCS orders. Rate is set by GSA and published by DTMO. For PCS travel beginning in 2026, the standard MALT rate is $0.22 per mile per authorized POV (verify the current rate at travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Mileage-Rates). Up to TWO POVs can be authorized — the second requires that two licensed drivers are in the family AND the vehicles cannot be otherwise transported (in practice this is routinely approved when both spouses drive).

MALT is paid on the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD) miles between the old PDS and the new PDS, not on your odometer. DTOD is the DoD-mandated distance source administered by the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC). The DTOD miles are usually within 1-3% of Google Maps for major routes but can diverge significantly for routes through complex terrain.

Per JTR 050304, you are authorized one travel day for the first 400 miles of DTOD distance and one additional travel day for each subsequent 350 miles. A 1,400-mile PCS = 1 + ceil((1,400-400)/350) = 1 + 3 = 4 travel days. Each authorized travel day generates per diem regardless of how fast you actually drive. Member receives 100% of locality M&IE; dependents 12+ at 100%; dependents under 12 at 50%. First and last travel days are paid at 75% of the M&IE rate.

M&IE per diem is the standard CONUS travel rate ($68/day for FY26 standard CONUS rate; higher in non-standard localities). For each travel day, you and dependents 12+ get the full rate (75% on first/last days). Lodging on travel days is reimbursed at actual cost up to the local lodging per diem at your overnight stop, not at a flat rate. Members are required to use government-approved lodging when traveling on PCS where reasonably available, but most members stay off-base.

If orders authorize commercial air (typical for OCONUS or some long CONUS moves), the government books the ticket via the Defense Travel System or reimburses if you book through SATO/CWT-GSA. Rental car at destination is authorized only when explicitly listed on the orders — typically when there is no public transit from the airport to base. If you fly, MALT does not apply for that segment (you can't double-dip).

Dependents have their own travel and per diem entitlement. If your spouse drives a second POV, that is its own MALT claim. Each dependent generates per diem (100% for 12+, 50% under 12). Dependents must be listed on the orders to be reimbursed — verify the dependent block on your orders matches DEERS exactly.

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) recalculates to your new duty ZIP code on the date your PCS is effective at the new station (effective date = reporting date on orders, NOT departure date from old station). BAH rates are published annually by DTMO each December for the following calendar year. The 2026 BAH rates were published in December 2025 and took effect 1 January 2026.

BAH was redesigned in 2015 under the National Defense Authorization Act to phase to 95% of median housing cost (down from 100% pre-2015). After several years at the 95% level, Congress restored BAH to 100% coverage of the median housing cost starting with the 2024 BAH cycle — the 5% out-of-pocket "absorption" was eliminated. Verify the current coverage percentage with DTMO directly, because legislation has historically toggled this number.

With-dependents BAH requires authorized dependents in DEERS. For divorced members: a member receives with-dependents BAH if (a) the member has primary physical custody by court order or (b) the member is paying court-ordered child support equal to or exceeding the BAH-WITH less BAH-WITHOUT difference. DoDFMR 7000.14-R Vol 7A Chapter 26 details the rules. Joint physical custody members with the child residing more than 14 days per move period may also qualify — many divorced service members are either over-claiming (risk: pay recoupment) or under-claiming (giving up real money).

OCONUS members receive OHA instead of BAH. OHA reimburses ACTUAL rent up to a locality cap published by DTMO (per JTR Chapter 10 and DoDFMR Vol 7A Chapter 26). Unlike BAH, you cannot "profit" from OHA — pay rent below the cap and you get only the actual rent. Above the cap, the excess is out of pocket. A separate Utility/Recurring Maintenance Allowance is paid as a flat amount based on locality.

COLA is a separate, non-housing supplemental pay for high-cost OCONUS duty locations. It compensates for the gap between CONUS purchasing power and the local cost of goods and services (groceries, fuel, restaurants, recurring services). Adjusted twice monthly based on exchange rates and Living Pattern Survey data, so the dollar amount fluctuates. NOT taxable. Published by DTMO under Allowances → Overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance.

MIHA has two components: (1) MIHA/Miscellaneous — a flat amount paid in addition to OHA to cover one-time costs like local-code modifications, transformer rentals, and security upgrades, and (2) MIHA/Rent — reimbursement of one-time, non-refundable, legally required rent-related expenses (real estate agent fees, key money in Japan/Korea, certain legally required deposits). MIHA/Rent requires receipts.

For most OCONUS PCS orders, one POV is authorized for government shipment at no cost via International Auto Logistics (IAL) or the current vehicle processing contractor. Drop off at a Vehicle Processing Center (VPC). Transit typically 4-8 weeks (Europe) to 6-10 weeks (Pacific) depending on destination. The vehicle must pass inspection (no leaks, working safety equipment, less than ¼ tank of fuel, no aftermarket compressed-gas systems). Storage of one POV at government expense in CONUS is also authorized for the duration of an unaccompanied OCONUS tour where POV shipment is not authorized.

Command Sponsorship is the formal authorization for your dependents to accompany you to an OCONUS assignment. Without it: dependents do not get OHA/COLA/MIHA paid on their behalf, do not have base housing eligibility, do not get base medical at the destination, and may not even be authorized to enter the host country on a SOFA basis. Some OCONUS locations (parts of Korea, certain remote sites) are unaccompanied by default — command sponsorship requires waiver and approval. Without command sponsorship, your tour is "unaccompanied" — separate rule set entirely.

FSA-R is a $250/month allowance paid to a member with dependents who is separated from those dependents involuntarily for 30 days or more — including unaccompanied OCONUS tours when dependents are not command-sponsored to accompany. Governed by 37 USC § 427 and DoDFMR 7000.14-R Vol 7A Chapter 27. Paid tax-free in combat zones; taxable elsewhere.

Pets do NOT ship with HHG. Pets are entirely the member's responsibility for OCONUS moves. Cost is real: $1,500-$5,000+ per pet depending on size and destination. Rabies titer requirements: many countries (Japan, UK, Australia, NZ, EU) require a rabies antibody blood titer drawn at least 30 days after primary vaccination, with a 180-day or longer waiting period BEFORE entry. Japan requires 180-day post-titer waiting + microchip + import permit. UK requires 21-day post-vaccination + microchip + EU Pet Passport or equivalent. Hawaii has its own state-level quarantine rules even though geographically CONUS.

Members executing OCONUS PCS can request advance pay of up to 3 months' base pay under 37 USC § 1006 and DoDFMR Vol 7A Chapter 32. Repayment is up to 12 months (extendable to 24 in hardship). This is a no-interest loan from the government to cover OCONUS upfront costs (deposits, agent fees, transformer rental, etc.) before OHA and MIHA settle.

OCONUS PCS triggers two passport types: (1) an Official "no-fee" Passport for the member and command-sponsored dependents, used for SOFA status entry and stamping, and (2) a Tourist passport for personal travel within and beyond the host country. Tourist passports are NOT covered for personal travel — they are paid out of pocket. Some commands push members to get only the official passport; that is a mistake because tourist travel outside SOFA destinations requires the personal passport.

Non-Temporary Storage (NTS) for the full duration of the OCONUS tour is authorized at government expense — your CONUS household goods can be stored in entirety while you live OCONUS with reduced shipment, or partial NTS where you ship some items and store others. Weight in NTS counts against your overall weight allowance the same as shipped weight. Long-term NTS extends through unaccompanied tour duration.

Members retiring or separating with a service obligation completed are authorized one-time travel and HHG shipment to a Home of Selection (HOS). For retirement: anywhere in the world (subject to OCONUS HOS rules and current safe-haven lists). For separation: to Home of Record (HOR), Place of Entry on Active Duty (PEAD), or another location not to exceed the cost of HOR. Governed by JTR Chapter 5, Part E.

You have one year from the effective date of retirement/separation to execute the final move under standard rules. Extensions beyond one year require approval (typically granted for medical, education, or family-care reasons under JTR 0510). After the extension window expires, the entitlement is forfeited.

Final-move HHG weight allowance is the rate corresponding to the pay grade at which you retire. If you retire as E-7, your final move weight is the E-7 rate (11,000 lbs without dependents, 13,000 lbs with). This is the senior grade you held — including frock dates is not relevant; pay grade at retirement controls.

You can PPM the final move just like any other PCS. The same 100% reimbursement and operating expense rules apply. For many retirees, the final-move PPM is the largest single PPM payout of their career — they have accumulated household weight and they no longer have a unit move date to coordinate around.

Members separated under medical retirement (PDRL) or temporary disability retirement (TDRL) generally retain final-move entitlements at the retirement weight allowance and one-year window. Members separated under medical separation (less than 20-year medical retirement) may have a different (and shorter) entitlement window — check the orders and verify with Transition Assistance and TMO.