PCS Entitlements

When moving you will be given a list of the amount and type of items you are allowed to move. This is generally referred to as your entitlements. Your local transportation office will talk you through your specific entitlements during your individual counseling session, but the information below provides an overview of what will be covered.

Note: First time movers, separating service members and retirees must contact their local personal property office to obtain information on their specific entitlements.

Your moving allowance

Moving allowance generally refers to the overall weight of your household goods. The rank specified on your job/travel orders will be used to determine your total weight allowance. In general, as your rank increases, your moving allowance also increases. Any cost to move additional items/weight above your moving allowance will be charged to you after delivery, so work hard to make sure you stay within your weight allowance.

Need help determining how much your household goods shipment might weigh? Use the U.S. Transportation Command weight estimator tool to discover the average weight of standard household items and get an estimated calculation to compare with your entitlement allowance.

Permanent Change of Station, or PCS, weight allowances

The average weight allowances for a PCS are based on rank, dependency status and move type. Special circumstances, like moving overseas/OCONUS, a retirement move, or a separation move may have extra entitlements and/or limitations. Each branch of service may also offer different allowances too, so be sure to check with your local transportation office to confirm these amounts. Use the MilitaryINSTALLATIONS tool to find your local transportation office contact information. View the PCS and NTS Weight Allowances (Table 5-37).

Temporary duty, or TDY, weight allowances

If you are going on a TDY, your approving official may authorize you to ship a small amount of household goods, to include some of your professional gear and medical equipment. The weight allowances in the chart below are in addition to any unaccompanied or accompanied baggage. Furthermore, in the event the TDY location becomes the permanent duty station, this would mean that the TDY weight allowance would also be an additional allowance to any PCS weight entitlements. View the TDY HHG Weight Allowances (Table 2-25).

Note: Civilian employees with authorization from the approving official on an extended TDY assignment may ship up to 350 pounds. This unaccompanied baggage is limited to additional clothing, personal effects and equipment directly related to the mission, locality or unusual conditions of the assignment.

What am I allowed to bring?

In addition to weight, there are guidelines or allowances for special items/things. The information below is designed to help you understand these allowances and provide more direction.

Special entitlement information

While considerable effort was taken to ensure the following information is accurate, ultimately, the Joint Travel Regulation is the authority for entitlements for all service members and civilians. Check with your branch of service or agency for supplemental regulations or guidance in addition to the JTR. If you run into a situation where you need clarification on any of these points, or just want to make sure you understand the official rules, you should reach out to your local transportation office.

For OCONUS moves: Certain OCONUS locations have additional restrictions due to customs restrictions or base policy. If you are traveling OCONUS, contact your local transportation office to double check this guidance.

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