# DLA Rates 2026: How Much Dislocation Allowance Pays

> Every 2026 DLA rate by pay grade and dependency status, effective January 1, 2026 per the Joint Travel Regulations — plus what DLA is and is not, the three moves that pay nothing, partial DLA, and how the claim actually gets paid.

- Canonical URL: https://www.pcscalculator.net/blog/2026-dla-rates-rank-dependency
- Published: 2026-01-07
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Topics: dla, allowances, dity, entitlements
- Publisher: PCS Calculator
- Rates last verified: 2026-08-22 (oldest across the sources below)
- Rate sources:
  - dla: PDTATAC, PRIMARY DLA RATES effective 1 January 2026
- Note: Figures come from published DoD Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) rate tables and are estimates. Confirm final entitlements with your installation's Transportation or Finance Office. PCS Calculator is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Department of Defense.

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Dislocation Allowance (DLA) is a one-time, non-taxable payment designed to help offset out-of-pocket relocation costs that the government doesn't directly reimburse elsewhere. It's not tied to receipts — it's a flat amount based entirely on your pay grade and whether your authorized dependents are physically relocating with you. The [DLA calculator](https://www.pcscalculator.net/calculators/dla) answers for your grade and move type in one lookup; this page is the whole table and the rules behind it.

## What DLA Is and Isn't

DLA is not reimbursement for moving costs. The government covers your actual moving costs separately through the household goods shipment and the travel entitlements. DLA is a flat payment based on your rank and dependent status — it is not tied to what you actually spent, and you do not submit receipts to receive it. It exists to acknowledge that moves cost money beyond what is directly reimbursed.

DLA is also not taxable income. Like BAH and BAS, it is a non-taxable allowance: you receive the full amount, nothing is withheld, and it does not appear on your W-2.

The rates below are effective January 1, 2026, per the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR).

## 2026 DLA Rates by Pay Grade

| Pay Grade | Without Dependents | With Dependents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Commissioned Officers** |  |  |
| O-10 | $5,187.33 | $6,385.58 |
| O-9 | $5,187.33 | $6,385.58 |
| O-8 | $5,187.33 | $6,385.58 |
| O-7 | $5,187.33 | $6,385.58 |
| 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 | $2,389.42 | $3,548.02 |
| E-5 | $2,389.42 | $3,548.02 |
| 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 |
| **Partial DLA (all grades)** |  |  |
| When HHG not shipped | $1,002.71 |  |

*Rates effective January 1, 2026 per DoD DLA tables. Final payment depends on your PCS orders, dependency determination, and Finance Office processing. Always verify with your installation's Finance Office.*

## What "With Dependents" Actually Means

"With dependents" doesn't simply mean you're married or have children listed in DEERS. It means your authorized dependents are **physically relocating** as part of this PCS. A married service member whose spouse stays at the old duty station — while the member reports alone — would generally receive the without-dependents rate. Conversely, if dependents are relocating but you travel at different times, the with-dependents rate still applies. The determining factor is whether the family is actually moving, not just whether a family exists.

### If Your Family Stays Behind, the Difference Is Deferred — Not Forfeited

This is the part members most often miss, and it is worth being exact about. JTR par. 050503-B says that when a dependent is authorized to travel and does not move with the member, DLA is paid at the without-dependent rate — and then: "If the dependent later joins the Service member and travels at Government expense, then the Service member receives a DLA equal to the difference between the without-dependent rate and the with-dependent rate."

So a member who reports alone is not out the gap between the two columns in the table above. They draw the lower rate now and claim the remainder when the family follows at government expense, which brings the total for that PCS up to the with-dependents rate for their grade. Two conditions attach to it: the same paragraph pays the without-dependent rate only "if Government quarters are not assigned at the new PDS," and the later payment requires the dependents' travel to be at government expense rather than a move the family funds itself. Keep the orders and the original voucher — the second claim references the first.

One case this does **not** cover is a first duty station move, which pays nothing at all rather than the without-dependents rate, so there is no difference to defer. That does not make it final either — see below.

## What Affects Your DLA Rate

- Pay grade on the effective date of PCS orders:
  Higher grades receive higher amounts. The rate applicable is the grade you hold when orders are issued, not a projected future grade.
- Dependency status:
  With-dependents rates run $600–$1,200 higher than without-dependents for most grades. The difference is most significant at junior enlisted grades.
- Move type:
  Partial DLA ($1,002.71) applies when a PCS is authorized but HHG are not shipped — for example, when reporting to a location where you'll immediately enter government quarters.

## When DLA Is Not Paid

- First duty station, no dependents relocating:
  Single members reporting to their first duty station receive no DLA. Members with dependents relocating to a first duty station do qualify, at the full with-dependents rate. A member who has dependents but reports alone receives nothing — par. 050509-A withholds it unless a dependent moves "in connection with the PCS." Note that the paragraph puts no deadline on that move, so if the family does follow later in connection with the same PCS, the entitlement can open up. Ask your finance office rather than assuming it either way.
- Separation and retirement:
  The final move out of service does not generate DLA. See our
  separation and retirement move guide
  for what entitlements do apply.
- Within-installation moves:
  Moving between units or housing at the same installation without a change of duty station does not trigger DLA.

## Partial DLA

Partial DLA ($1,002.71 in 2026) applies when a member is authorized a PCS but does not move household goods — reporting to a location where you will live in government quarters, for example. It acknowledges the incidental disruption without the full amount, and it is the same payment scaled down rather than a penalty.

## How DLA Is Paid, and How to Claim It

DLA is processed through your Finance Office when you submit your PCS travel voucher. You will need your orders and confirmation that the move has begun. It may also be advanced prior to the move — ask your Finance Office about advance options if cash flow before pack-out is a concern.

The timeline varies by installation: some finance offices process DLA quickly, others have backlogs. Follow up proactively rather than assuming it will appear in the next LES, and keep a record of when you submitted the claim and who you worked with. DLA is an entitlement, not an automatic payment — a voucher nobody files pays nothing.

If the amount that lands differs from your grade's row above by exactly the with-dependents gap, it is the dependency determination to check, not the arithmetic — and the answer is not always that something went wrong. If your dependents relocated on this PCS and you were still paid the lower rate, query it. If they stayed behind, the lower rate is correct, and the gap is the deferred amount described above rather than money lost: file for it when they join you at government expense.

## DLA and the PCS Calculator

The [PCS move cost calculator](https://www.pcscalculator.net/) works out your DLA automatically alongside MALT, travel per diem and the PPM incentive, applying the same scenario rules — first duty station unaccompanied, separation and retirement. Use it to check what to expect before the move, so a difference is something you query rather than discover.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is DLA taxable?

No. DLA is non-taxable income and does not appear on your W-2. You receive the full amount with no federal withholding.

### Do I get DLA at my first duty station?

Single service members are not authorized DLA for a first permanent duty station. Service members with dependents who pay to relocate those dependents to or near the first duty station are authorized DLA at the with-dependent rate per JTR Chapter 5 (Dislocation Allowance). If you have dependents but report alone, you receive nothing rather than the without-dependents rate — though par. 050509-A sets no deadline on the dependents' move, so the entitlement can open up if they follow later in connection with the same PCS. Ask your finance office rather than assuming it either way.

### My family stayed behind — do I lose the difference in DLA?

Not on an ordinary PCS. JTR par. 050503-B pays the without-dependent rate when an authorized dependent does not move with you, and then pays "a DLA equal to the difference between the without-dependent rate and the with-dependent rate" if that dependent later joins you and travels at government expense. The difference is deferred, not forfeited, and claiming it brings your total for the move up to the with-dependents rate for your grade. Two conditions apply: the without-dependent rate itself assumes government quarters are not assigned at your new PDS, and the later travel must be at government expense. A first duty station move is the exception — it pays nothing rather than the lower rate, so there is no difference to defer.

### What is the 2026 DLA rate for an E-5 with dependents?

The 2026 DLA rate for pay grade E-5 with dependents is $3,548.02, effective January 1, 2026 per DTMO MAP 72-25(I). The without-dependents rate is $2,389.42.

### Is DLA the same for all military branches?

Yes. DLA is a DoD-wide entitlement governed by the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). The rate is identical regardless of whether you serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard.

## Related Articles

- DLA Calculator
  — Your grade's 2026 rate in one lookup, with the first-duty-station, separation and retirement rules applied
- Complete 2026 PCS Reimbursements Guide
  — DLA, MALT, per diem, and TLE all in one place
- First Duty Station Move Guide
  — DLA rules for new service members
- Separation and Retirement Move Guide
  — What entitlements apply on your final move