What Is Dislocation Allowance for Military PCS Moves?

Dislocation Allowance for military PCS moves, known as DLA, is a flat payment that partially reimburses service members for the out-of-pocket costs of relocating a household on Permanent Change of Station orders. For 2026, payments range from $1,870.58 for a junior enlisted member without dependents to $6,385.58 for a general or flag officer with dependents.¹ The money is meant for expenses that ordinary travel reimbursement doesn’t reach, such as utility hookups and cleaning supplies.² The statutory basis is 37 U.S.C. § 477, and the Defense Travel Management Office publishes the rate tables each January.³

Who Qualifies

The Joint Travel Regulations set eligibility. You qualify when you carry out a PCS that physically relocates your household, including a move the government orders because it needs your quarters back or because of base realignment or closure. Members with dependents receive a higher rate than those without.

Single members without dependents can still qualify, provided they are not simply moving into government quarters at the new duty station. If you have dependents, you receive the with-dependent rate when your family relocates in connection with the orders.

First PCS From Training

Your very first move from training to your first permanent duty station is treated differently. DLA is authorized only if you have dependents and they actually move to the new location or a designated place in connection with the orders. Single members, or members whose dependents stay put, get no DLA on that first PCS.⁴

Reserve and National Guard

Reservists and Guard members coming on or leaving active duty are generally not eligible. The narrow exception applies when you are called to active duty for more than 20 weeks at one location, you are authorized PCS (not TDY) allowances, and you actually move dependents from your home to the new duty station or a designated place.²

Secondary DLA

If your orders are changed or canceled after you have already completed the move, a secondary DLA may be payable to offset a second relocation in a short window. You generally must have finished the move to the new installation before the original orders were revoked.⁵ Secondary rates are published separately from the primary tables.

When DLA Is Not Authorized

Separation or retirement travel. Your final move to a home of record or home of selection when leaving the military is not covered.⁶
Local moves without a PCS, generally within about 50 miles.
Moving into or out of government quarters without PCS orders. A partial DLA may apply instead.
A first PCS where dependents don’t relocate, as described above.⁴

Partial DLA for Government-Directed Housing Moves

Partial DLA is a one-time flat payment for members ordered into or out of government family-type housing without PCS orders, covering situations like privatization or renovation. Effective January 1, 2026, the partial rate is $1,002.71, regardless of pay grade or dependency status.⁷

2026 DLA Rates by Pay Grade

Rates below are effective January 1, 2026.¹

Officers

O-10 through O-7: $5,187.33 without dependents / $6,385.58 with dependents
O-6: $4,758.96 / $5,749.63
O-5: $4,583.51 / $5,542.06
O-4: $4,247.61 / $4,885.43
O-3: $3,404.11 / $4,041.88
O-2: $2,700.31 / $3,451.28
O-1: $2,273.82 / $3,085.23

Prior-Enlisted Officers

O-3E: $3,675.83 / $4,343.80
O-2E: $3,124.87 / $3,919.27
O-1E: $2,687.09 / $3,621.10

Warrant Officers

W-5: $4,315.51 / $4,715.58
W-4: $3,832.45 / $4,323.11
W-3: $3,221.08 / $3,960.78
W-2: $2,860.70 / $3,643.75
W-1: $2,394.55 / $3,151.31

Enlisted

E-9: $3,147.54 / $4,149.51
E-8: $2,888.97 / $3,824.94
E-7: $2,468.19 / $3,551.31
E-6 through E-4: $2,389.42 / $3,548.02
E-3: $2,355.48 / $3,548.02
E-2: $2,025.26 / $3,548.02
E-1: $1,870.58 / $3,548.02

Tax Treatment

DLA paid in connection with a PCS is not taxable income. The IRS treats it as a nontaxable reimbursement alongside other PCS allowances, and you don’t report it on your federal return.⁸

Requesting an Advance Before You Move

You can ask for up to 80 percent of your estimated DLA in advance. Visit your current installation’s finance office 10 to 15 days before the scheduled move and file the request. Your commander has to sign off, and payment before the move date is not guaranteed.⁵ If the advance is approved, you receive 80 percent up front; the remaining 20 percent is paid after you file your travel voucher at the new duty station.

Filing the Claim After the Move

To collect DLA, you submit a travel voucher with two core documents:

A complete copy of your PCS orders, including any amendments.⁹
DD Form 1351-2, the Travel Voucher or Subvoucher. It asks for your name, DoD ID or Social Security number, pay grade, old and new duty stations, travel dates, and dependent information.

If you are claiming the with-dependent rate, have your spouse’s date of marriage or your dependent’s date of birth ready, because SmartVoucher will ask for it.¹⁰

SmartVoucher for Army PCS

Army active duty PCS travelers file through SmartVoucher, a web tool from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. The system walks you through questions about your move, fills in DD Form 1351-2 from your answers, and lets you upload documents. You sign in with your CAC or myPay credentials, attach your orders, and submit.¹¹ Members of other services should check with their installation’s finance office, since submission methods vary by branch.

Processing Time

As of early 2026, Army PCS voucher processing averages 9 to 12 business days, plus up to three more business days for the deposit to hit your account.¹² Volume and corrections can push that longer. Approved payments arrive by electronic funds transfer.

Appealing a Denial

If your finance office denies the claim, you have the right to appeal to DFAS, and Department of Defense rules require you to go through DFAS before any higher-level appeal.¹³ Send in:

All supporting documents from the original claim.
A written explanation of the circumstances and why you believe the denial was wrong.
A written endorsement from your agency.
The finance office’s position letter explaining why it denied payment.

If DFAS rules against you, the appeal can be escalated to the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals or the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

1
Defense.gov. CY2026 Dislocation Allowance (DLA) Rates
2
Military Compensation and Financial Readiness. Dislocation Allowance (DLA)
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 37 USC 477 – Travel and Transportation Allowances: Dislocation Allowance
4
Defense.gov. Joint Travel Regulations
5
Military OneSource. Military Dislocation Allowance
6
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Dislocation Allowance (DLA)
7
Defense.gov. Partial Dislocation Allowance Rates
8
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 3, Armed Forces Tax Guide
9
Defense.gov. DD Form 1351-2, Travel Voucher or Subvoucher
10
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. SmartVoucher Military PCS User Guide
11
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. SmartVoucher
12
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Army Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Travel Vouchers
13
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Travel Entitlement Appeals Start at DFAS