Look up what Dislocation Allowance pays for your grade and household. DLA is a flat, non-taxable payment set by two inputs only — your pay grade on the date of the PCS, and whether authorized dependents actually relocate with you. Relocating is the test, not marriage: a family that stays at the old duty station draws the without-dependents rate. The rates effective 1 January 2026 run from $1,871 to $5,750 depending on grade and dependency, and Partial DLA is a flat $1,003 when a PCS is authorized but household goods are not shipped.
Rates last verified August 2026 against the published source tables.
Three moves pay no DLA at all, and each one surprises someone every cycle: a first-duty-station move with no dependents relocating pays nothing (JTR §050509-A) — a single member reporting to their first station receives no DLA, while the same member with a relocating family receives the full with-dependents rate; and separation and retirement moves pay nothing regardless of grade or dependents (JTR §050509), though household goods shipment, MALT and per diem still apply to the final move.
DLA requires no receipts and does not depend on what the move cost — it is paid on top of the move's other entitlements to acknowledge the costs nothing else reimburses. It is also not automatic in practice: it is typically paid through the finance office once the PCS is initiated, and following up beats waiting for it to appear on an LES.
Between $1,871 to $5,750, effective 1 January 2026. Two things set your rate: your pay grade on the date of your PCS, and whether authorized dependents actually relocate with you — being married is not enough if your family stays at the old duty station. Every grade's exact figure is in the 2026 rates tables, and the calculator above answers for your grade directly.
Three cases, all under JTR §050509: a first-duty-station move with no dependents relocating (a single member reporting to their first PDS receives nothing); separation; and retirement — the final move out of the military generates no DLA regardless of grade or dependents, though HHG shipment, MALT and per diem still apply. Moving between housing units on the same installation without a change of duty station also pays nothing. See the separation and retirement move guide for what the final move does pay.
No receipts, and no tax. DLA is a flat allowance based on your grade and dependency status — it is not tied to what the move actually cost you, and like BAH and BAS it is a non-taxable allowance, so you receive the full amount. It is typically paid through your finance office after the PCS is initiated; follow up rather than assuming it will appear in your next LES. PCS taxes explained covers which PCS money is and is not taxed.
A flat $1,003, the same for every grade. It applies when a PCS is authorized but household goods are not shipped — typically reporting to a location where you move straight into government quarters. It acknowledges the incidental costs of relocating without paying the full rate.
Yes — the PCS move cost calculator computes DLA alongside MALT, per diem and the PPM incentive, and applies the same scenario rules automatically. Use this page when DLA is the number you need on its own; use the full calculator when you are budgeting the whole move.