PCS Move Financial Checklist: Every Allowance and What It Pays in 2026

A permanent change of station comes with several separate payments, each with its own rules and paperwork. Miss one and you leave money unclaimed; misunderstand one and you may owe it back. Here is what each PCS allowance pays in 2026 and when to deal with it.

Before you move

Dislocation allowance (DLA)

DLA partially reimburses the incidental costs of setting up a new household. It's a flat amount based on grade and dependency status, and in most cases you can receive only one per fiscal year. The 2026 primary rates took effect January 1, 2026:

E-1 through E-6 members with dependents all receive the same $3,548.02. A partial DLA of $1,002.71 is paid when a member is ordered to occupy or vacate government family-type quarters for reasons other than a PCS, such as privatization or renovation. DLA is tax-free, and your finance office can pay it before the move.

Advance pay

You can request an advance of basic pay — effectively an interest-free loan against future pay — and an advance of BAH to cover deposits. Both are normally repaid in 12 equal monthly installments starting the month after you receive them, so an advance lowers every paycheck for a year. Take only what you need.

Decide how your household goods move

You can let the government hire a moving company, move yourself as a Personally Procured Move (PPM), or combine the two. In a PPM the government pays 100% of the Government Constructed Cost — what it would have paid a mover — and you keep what you don't spend, minus taxes on any profit. Get approval from your transportation office first, get certified empty and full weight tickets for each trip, and keep every receipt.

On the road

Mileage (MALT)

Driving your own vehicle to the new duty station is reimbursed through the Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation. For travel on or after July 1, 2026, the rate is $0.235 per mile. A 1,200-mile PCS drive pays $282.00 in MALT for that vehicle.

Per diem

Per diem covers lodging and meals for authorized travel days. It's based on the locality rate — the FY2026 standard CONUS rate is $110 for lodging plus $68 for meals and incidentals — with family members receiving a percentage of the member's rate: 75% for dependents 12 or older and 50% for dependents under 12.

Arriving: temporary lodging

Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE)

TLE partially reimburses hotel and meal costs while you're in temporary lodging in the continental U.S. during a PCS, near the old or new duty station. Since November 27, 2024, members can receive 7 or 21 days depending on the destination, up from the previous 14-day limit for most locations. The daily amount is the lesser of a computed allowance — a percentage of the local per diem rate that depends on how many family members are with you — or $290 a day. A family that qualifies for the full cap for 10 days would receive $2,900.

Overseas moves use Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) instead, with its own rules. Both are tax-free.

BAH at the new duty station

Your BAH switches to the rate for your new duty station's ZIP code. If you're moving to a high-cost area, budget for the first month's rent and deposits before the higher BAH arrives. Look up the new rate in advance with the BAH calculator.

Example: an E-5 family moving 1,200 miles

Consider an E-5 with a spouse and child, driving two vehicles 1,200 miles to a new CONUS duty station and spending 10 nights in temporary lodging at the destination. Using 2026 rates, the fixed and mileage-based payments look like this:

Before per diem, that's up to about $7,012 in tax-free allowances, on top of the household goods move itself. TLE is reimbursed only for actual qualifying costs, so the real figure depends on receipts.

The PCS money checklist

Keep one folder for the whole move

Most PCS payment problems are paperwork problems. Keep your orders, every amendment, weight tickets, lodging and fuel receipts, the travel voucher and the finance office's settlement together in one place — paper or digital — until the move is fully settled and your LES shows no remaining advance repayments or collections. If a payment is later questioned, that folder is your proof.

What's taxable

DLA, TLE, TLA, per diem and MALT are excluded from income. A PPM payment is different: if it exceeds your actual costs, the excess is generally taxable, which is why receipts matter. Members of the Armed Forces can also deduct unreimbursed PCS moving expenses. See is military pay taxable?

Common PCS money mistakes

• Taking a large advance without a plan. Twelve months of repayments can strain a budget long after the move.
• Losing weight tickets. Without them, a PPM can't be paid at the full amount.
• Waiting to file the travel voucher. Unsettled advances can turn into debts collected from pay.
• Assuming the old BAH continues. Rate protection ends with a PCS; you get the new area's rate.

Sources

• DoD — CY2026 Dislocation Allowance rates (MAP 72-25(I))
• Military OneSource — Dislocation allowance FAQs
• DTMO — Temporary Lodging Expense FAQs
• DTMO — Mileage reimbursement rate increase, July 2026
• DTMO — PCS per diem computation example (dependent percentages)
• GSA — Per Diem Bulletin FTR 26-01
• Military OneSource — Personally Procured Moves fact sheet (March 2026)
• DoD Military Compensation — Dislocation allowance (partial DLA)
• U.S. Army Benefits — PCS (advance pay repayment)
• IRS Publication 3 — Armed Forces' Tax Guide

MilPayLab is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Defense, DFAS, DTMO or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Figures are taken from published government rate tables and are provided for information only, not as financial, legal or tax advice. Your finance office, your LES and your VA decision letter are the final word on what you are paid.