Dislocation Allowance (DLA) 2026: Rates by Rank and How to Claim It

Dislocation Allowance (DLA) 2026: Rates by Rank and How to Claim It

By the BaseNeed Team — military family resources, updated 2026

Every PCS move comes with a pile of out-of-pocket costs the government never fully covers: cleaning supplies for the old quarters, new curtains that fit the new windows, pet deposits, a replacement for the dresser that didn't survive the truck, and the tools you swore you packed but somehow left behind. Dislocation allowance (DLA) exists to soften that blow. It is a lump-sum payment designed to partially reimburse the miscellaneous expenses of relocating your household during a permanent change of station — and in 2026, depending on your pay grade and whether you have dependents, it can put anywhere from about $1,870 to more than $6,385 back in your pocket.

This guide breaks down the full 2026 dislocation allowance rate table by rank, explains exactly who qualifies (and the surprising situations where you receive nothing), and walks you step by step through claiming DLA — including how to request it in advance so the money arrives before the move instead of weeks after you've already maxed out a credit card. Whether you're a brand-new E-2 headed to your first duty station or a seasoned O-4 doing your sixth move, this is the number you don't want to leave on the table.

> Affiliate disclosure: BaseNeed is reader-supported. A few links below are Amazon affiliate links (tag: baseneed-20). If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point to gear that genuinely helps military families move smarter.

What Is Dislocation Allowance (DLA)?

Dislocation allowance is a one-time payment authorized under the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR, Chapter 5) that partially reimburses a service member for the expenses of relocating a household incident to a PCS. The key word is partially. DLA is not meant to cover every dollar you spend moving — it's a flat, rank-based amount intended to offset the dozens of small, unreimbursed costs that don't show up on any other travel voucher.

A few defining features set DLA apart from other PCS entitlements:

It is paid in addition to all your other move-related allowances, including per diem, mileage (MALT), and any Personally Procured Move (PPM/DITY) reimbursement. Receiving DLA does not reduce those other payments.

It is normally paid only once per fiscal year. Most members receive a full DLA for their primary PCS move each fiscal year; a second qualifying move in the same year is paid at the lower "secondary" rate (more on that below).

The amount is tied to your pay grade and dependency status, not to your actual receipts. An E-5 with dependents receives the same DLA whether they spend $500 or $5,000 settling into the new house. Because DLA is calculated from the basic pay tables, the rates rise every January when military pay is adjusted.

It can be paid in advance. This is the single most useful fact in this article for cash-strapped families: you don't have to wait until after the move to see the money.

For 2026, DLA rates increased effective January 1 in line with the annual basic-pay adjustment (roughly 3.8%, driven by the Employment Cost Index). If you moved in late 2025 and your orders carried into January, confirm which year's rate applies to your report date.

How Much Is Dislocation Allowance in 2026?

The 2026 dislocation allowance ranges from $1,870.58 (an E-1 without dependents) to $6,385.58 (a senior officer, O-7 through O-10, with dependents). Notice the pattern in the enlisted ranks: the with-dependents rate is identical — $3,548.02 — for every grade from E-1 through E-6. That's because DLA's with-dependent floor is set at the E-6 level, so a junior enlisted member with a family receives the same relocation cushion as a more senior NCO. It's one of the few places in the pay system that quietly favors young families.

There is also a partial DLA of $1,002.71 in 2026. This flat, one-time amount goes to members who are ordered to vacate government quarters (for example, because the housing is being renovated or privatized) but who are not making a full PCS. It replaced the 2025 partial rate of $966.00.

Here is the complete, official 2026 table.

2026 Dislocation Allowance (DLA) Rates by Pay Grade

Primary DLA rates effective January 1, 2026 (source: Per Diem, Travel, and Transportation Allowance Committee / DTMO). Partial DLA: $1,002.71.

Army Dislocation Allowance: Rates and Rules

There is no separate Army dislocation allowance rate — DLA is a Department of Defense entitlement, so the table above applies identically to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen. What differs between services is the system you use to file and the finance office that processes the payment.

For soldiers, DLA flows through the Integrated Personnel and Pay System–Army (IPPS-A) and the servicing finance office, and it is settled on your PCS travel voucher after you sign in at the new unit. A typical example: an E-5 with dependents PCSing from Fort Cavazos to Fort Campbell receives $3,548.02 in DLA on top of mileage, per diem for the travel days, and any PPM profit. A staff sergeant (E-6) without dependents moving as a single soldier into the barracks would generally receive DLA only if not assigned government quarters — and if barracks are directed, DLA may not be payable at all (see eligibility below).

Because the Army moves more people than any other branch, DLA questions dominate every summer PCS season. If your rank, dependents, or quarters situation is unusual, confirm the amount with your finance office before you count on it. For a broader look at what changes hit your paycheck when you move, see our breakdown of the 2026 military pay chart covering base pay, BAH and allowances.

Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Space Force Dislocation Allowance

The Air Force dislocation allowance — like the Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard versions — uses the exact same 2026 rate table. Again, the only real differences are administrative:

Air Force and Space Force members typically file through the Defense Travel System (DTS) or the base Finance office, with the Air Force Financial Services Center handling settlement. Navy and Marine Corps members route DLA through their disbursing office and, for many, through MyPay and the servicing Personnel Support Detachment (PSD). Coast Guard members are paid via the Pay and Personnel Center (PPC), even though the Coast Guard sits under the Department of Homeland Security, because it follows the same JTR.

One service-specific wrinkle worth knowing: sailors assigned to a ship are treated as being in government quarters. A single sailor (no dependents) reporting to sea duty may not be entitled to DLA at the new location for that reason. If you have dependents relocating to the homeport, that changes the calculation — which is exactly the kind of detail worth confirming before you sign for anything.

Who Qualifies for DLA — and Who Doesn't

Most members executing a PCS with a set of orders that authorizes PCS allowances (not TDY allowances) are entitled to full DLA. But there are real exceptions that catch people off guard every year.

You generally qualify when: you make a PCS move under competent orders; you're a member with dependents who relocates the family (or is command-sponsored); or you're a single member who is not assigned adequate government quarters at the new duty station.

You generally do NOT qualify when:

You have no dependents and are assigned government quarters (including a ship or barracks) at the new PCS location. In that situation, DLA is not payable because the government is already housing you.

You are separating or retiring from active duty. Your final move home does not carry DLA.

You are a National Guard or Reserve member entering or leaving active duty, in most cases. The main exception: if you're ordered to active duty for more than 20 weeks at one location, are authorized PCS (not TDY) allowances, and move your dependents to the new duty station or a designated place, DLA can apply.

You moved out of government quarters for your own convenience, due to misconduct, or simply relocated into different government quarters — none of those trigger partial DLA.

If you're mapping out every dollar of your move, pair this with our PCS weight allowance limits by rank so you don't blow past your household-goods cap and eat surprise overage charges that DLA was never meant to cover.

Partial DLA and Secondary DLA Explained

Two lesser-known versions of DLA trip people up, so it's worth separating them clearly.

Partial DLA ($1,002.71 in 2026) is a flat, one-time payment for members who are ordered to vacate government family housing but who are not doing a full PCS — think base housing being demolished, renovated, or transferred to a privatized housing partner. It is not tied to rank. You get the flat amount, and you cannot combine it with a full DLA for the same event.

Secondary DLA applies when a member is authorized more than one DLA in the same fiscal year (for instance, certain consecutive or ordered moves). The second payment is made at the lower "secondary" rate published alongside the primary table. As a reference point, an E-5 with dependents whose primary DLA is $3,548.02 would see a secondary DLA of $2,361.00. Secondary DLA is the exception, not the rule — most families will only ever touch the primary rate.

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How to Claim Dislocation Allowance (DD Form 1351-2)

DLA is not automatic — you claim it as part of your PCS travel settlement. Here's the process, step by step.

Step 1: Confirm your orders authorize PCS allowances. Read your orders (or have your orders-writing office confirm) that they grant PCS entitlements rather than TDY. DLA rides on PCS authority.

Step 2: Keep your dependency and quarters status current. Your with- or without-dependent rate hinges on DEERS and your quarters assignment. If your family is relocating, make sure dependents are correctly reflected before you file.

Step 3: Complete DD Form 1351-2 (Travel Voucher). This is the master document for settling PCS travel, and DLA is one line item on it. You'll typically attach a copy of your orders, any amendments, and supporting documents. Many members complete it through DTS or with the base finance/travel office after signing in.

Step 4: Submit to your servicing finance/disbursing office. File after you report to the new duty station (or request an advance beforehand — see the next section). Enlisted and officer settlements alike go through the servicing pay office; the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) ultimately disburses.

Step 5: Verify the deposit and keep records. When DLA hits your account, confirm it matches the rate for your grade and dependency status. Keep a copy of the settled voucher for at least a few years in case of audit or a later pay inquiry.

The single most common paperwork question — "what is the dislocation allowance form?" — has a simple answer: it's the DD Form 1351-2 travel voucher, the same form used to settle the rest of your PCS travel. There's no separate standalone DLA application. Storing that voucher and its attachments in a dedicated PCS binder will save you hours if finance comes back with questions.

How to Get Advance DLA Before You Move

Here's the part most junior families never hear until it's too late: you can request DLA in advance. Because the whole point of the allowance is to help with upfront relocation costs, the JTR allows an advance payment so the money is in hand when you actually need it — for the security deposit, the utility hookups, the pet fees.

To request advance DLA, contact your servicing finance office (or use DTS where available) before you depart, typically within a set window of your report date. You'll provide your orders and dependency information, and the advance is later reconciled against your final travel voucher. If you were overpaid for any reason, the difference is recouped; if you were underpaid, you're made whole at settlement.

For families living paycheck to paycheck during a move — which is most of them — advance DLA can be the difference between charging the deposit on a high-interest card and paying cash. Build the request into your out-processing checklist so it doesn't slip. Our 2026 PCS season survival guide has a full timeline for when to knock out finance tasks.

DLA vs. Other PCS Entitlements: TLE, Per Diem, MALT and PPM

DLA is only one line on your move. It helps to see how it fits alongside the other major PCS entitlements, because they cover different things and you can receive several at once.

Two quick clarifications. TLE is the CONUS lodging benefit; its overseas cousin is TLA — see our TLA guide for overseas PCS moves. And if you're weighing a self-move to pocket the difference, our DITY move (PPM) rates and weight-ticket walkthrough shows how members turn a move into a few thousand dollars of taxable profit — which stacks on top of the DLA you already receive.

DLA Amount Examples: What Real Families Receive

Numbers land better with faces. Here's what DLA looks like for a few common 2026 scenarios (DLA only — not counting per diem, mileage, or PPM):

A junior enlisted family — an E-3 with a spouse and one child moving from Fort Sill to Fort Bliss — receives $3,548.02, the same with-dependent rate as an E-6, thanks to the enlisted floor.

A single NCO — an E-6 without dependents assigned to on-base housing at the new station — may receive nothing, because government quarters are provided and there are no dependents relocating.

A mid-grade officer — an O-3 with dependents PCSing overseas — receives $4,041.88, which lands weeks before the household-goods shipment does if they request an advance.

A chief warrant officer — a W-3 without dependents — receives $3,221.08 to offset the setup costs of a new bachelor apartment near the installation.

Run your own grade against the table, then treat that figure as a floor for your relocation budget, not a ceiling. Most families spend more than DLA covers — that's by design.

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Common Dislocation Allowance Mistakes to Avoid

Even veterans of a dozen moves lose money to the same handful of errors.

Assuming it's automatic. DLA only pays when you file the DD Form 1351-2. If you never settle your travel voucher, the money never comes.

Filing with the wrong dependency status. If DEERS or your orders don't reflect that your family is relocating, you may be paid the lower without-dependent rate. Fix it before you file, not after.

Forgetting the advance. Waiting for post-move settlement when you qualified for an advance means fronting thousands of dollars you didn't have to.

Confusing DLA with per diem or TLE. They're separate entitlements. Don't let a finance clerk (or your own spreadsheet) double-count or drop one.

Not saving the settled voucher. Pay audits happen. A missing voucher years later can turn a routine inquiry into a debt letter.

Key Takeaways

• Dislocation allowance (DLA) is a once-per-fiscal-year lump sum that partially reimburses the miscellaneous costs of a PCS move, paid on top of per diem, mileage, and PPM.
• 2026 rates run from $1,870.58 (E-1, no dependents) to $6,385.58 (O-7 to O-10, with dependents); the enlisted with-dependent rate is a flat $3,548.02 from E-1 through E-6.
• Partial DLA is $1,002.71 for members ordered to vacate government housing without a full PCS.
• DLA is not automatic — you claim it on the DD Form 1351-2 travel voucher, and you can request it in advance.
• Some members get nothing: no dependents plus assigned government quarters, or separating/retiring, generally means no DLA.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is dislocation allowance in 2026? It depends on your pay grade and dependency status. In 2026, DLA ranges from $1,870.58 for an E-1 without dependents to $6,385.58 for an O-7 through O-10 with dependents. Every enlisted grade from E-1 to E-6 receives the same $3,548.02 with-dependent rate.

Is dislocation allowance paid once per PCS or once per year? DLA is normally paid one time per fiscal year at the primary rate. If you're authorized a second qualifying move in the same fiscal year, that one is paid at the lower secondary DLA rate.

What is the dislocation allowance form? There is no standalone DLA application. You claim DLA as a line item on the DD Form 1351-2 travel voucher — the same form you use to settle the rest of your PCS travel.

Can I get DLA before I move? Yes. You can request an advance DLA through your servicing finance office (or DTS where available) before departure, so the funds are available for deposits and setup costs. It's reconciled against your final voucher.

Do single service members get dislocation allowance? Sometimes. A member with no dependents who is assigned adequate government quarters (including barracks or a ship) at the new duty station is generally not entitled to DLA. Single members not assigned government quarters usually are.

What to Do Next

1. Find your grade in the 2026 table above and note both your with- and without-dependent figures.
2. Verify your orders authorize PCS allowances and that DEERS reflects your dependents correctly.
3. Ask your finance office about advance DLA as soon as you have orders in hand.
4. Set up a document folder for your orders, DD Form 1351-2, and every relocation receipt.
5. Budget above your DLA figure — treat it as a partial offset, not the full cost of your move.

More From BaseNeed

• 2026 Military Pay Chart: Base Pay, BAH, BAS & Allowances
• PCS Weight Allowance 2026: Household Goods Limits by Rank
• DITY Move (PPM) 2026: Rates, Weight Tickets, and How to Get Paid
• Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA): The Complete 2026 Guide
• PCS Binder: The Complete 2026 Checklist of What to Include
• 2026 PCS Season Survival Guide for Military Families
• Free tools: BAH Calculator and the PCS Checklist

Sources and Resources

• Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) — Dislocation Allowance
• 2026 Dislocation Allowance Rates — Per Diem, Travel, and Transportation Allowance Committee (PDTATAC)_CY2026_DISLOCATION_ALLOWANCE_(DLA)_RATES.PDF)
• Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) — Chapter 5, PCS Allowances
• Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
• Military OneSource — Moving and PCS
• move.mil — Official DoD PCS Move Portal

BaseNeed is built for the U.S. military community — clear, current, and on your side through every PCS. Rates change annually; always confirm your exact entitlement with your servicing finance office before you file.

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