Complete PCS Checklist: 90 Days Out Through Arrival

• Validate your report date, dependents, destination, and travel authorization at least 90 days out, then request amendments before booking.
• A full or partial PPM requires DPS entry, DD Form 2278, DD Form 3166, and usually certified empty and full weight tickets.
• Request a DLA advance 10–15 days before the move; an approved advance is 80% of the estimated payment.
• Submit DD Form 1351-2 and supporting PCS travel records during gaining-station finance in-processing.
• File the PPM reimbursement package within 45 days of the planned move start date.

Put every task against your report date

Your report date controls the move. Count backward 90, 60, and 30 days, then add checkpoints for the final week, travel days, and your first five duty days after arrival.

These milestones are planning dates, not universal regulatory deadlines. Your orders, service policy, transportation office, and gaining installation instructions control. Research the move before final orders arrive, but do not book a shipment based only on an assignment notification. You need official orders or an authorized Letter-in-Lieu.

A Letter-in-Lieu may let you start sooner, but you bear the risk if the assignment changes or is canceled. Confirm that risk with your transportation office before spending money.

Build an installation-specific timeline with Plan My Move. Save, reorder, print, or export its tasks, then add the command requirements your sponsor provides.

90 days out: correct your orders before spending money

Read every line of your orders and amendments. Confirm:

• Your name, identifier, grade, gaining duty station, and report date.
• Every authorized dependent.
• Command sponsorship or area-clearance requirements.
• Authorized travel, shipment, storage, and vehicle provisions.
• Any special reporting instructions or intermediate stops.

Request amendments immediately when something is wrong. A missing dependent authorization or incorrect destination can turn an expected entitlement into a personal expense.

Contact your sponsor or gaining unit. Get the duty-hours reporting location, after-hours desk or quarterdeck instructions, required uniform, newcomer schedule, and local document list. Do not rely on a social media post or an old welcome packet.

Create one physical binder and one cloud folder. Hand carry:

• Orders and every amendment, with at least three paper copies.
• Military and dependent IDs, passports, and custody documents.
• Birth, marriage, divorce, and adoption records.
• Medical, dental, immunization, and school records.
• Vehicle title, registration, lease, and insurance documents.
• Housing, banking, legal, pet, and shipment records.

Never put originals in household goods. Use a stable personal email and phone number in the Defense Personal Property System, or DPS. Your government email may stop working during transfer.

Choose HHG, a full PPM, or a partial PPM

Once you have orders, begin the shipment application in DPS.

A PPM incentive is calculated at 100% of the government’s constructed best-value cost, based on actual weight moved and capped by your authorized allowance. It does not guarantee repayment of every dollar you spend. Costs above the calculated entitlement remain yours unless separately authorized.

Most services may advance up to 60% of the estimated PPM incentive. Ask what your service permits before assuming the advance will cover the truck, fuel, labor, and deposits.

Full and partial PPMs must be entered in DPS. Transportation counseling produces DD Form 2278, Application for Do It Yourself Move and Counseling Checklist, and DD Form 3166, Personally Procured Move Checklist and Expense Certification. The official PPM preparation guidance explains the incentive and counseling documents.

Counseling may be required before self-scheduling for first moves, OCONUS moves, power-of-attorney moves, and other special cases. Follow your service’s rule.

60 days out: lock the shipment plan

Complete transportation counseling and verify in writing:

• Your authorized HHG weight.
• The estimated full or partial PPM payment.
• Requested pickup spread and delivery date.
• Destination contact information.
• Storage-in-transit needs.
• OCONUS unaccompanied baggage and POV authorization.

Your combined HHG and PPM weight remains subject to the same authorized allowance. An empty gun safe may receive an exclusion of up to 500 pounds, but total allowance cannot exceed 18,000 pounds. A firearm cannot remain locked inside the safe during shipment or storage.

For an OCONUS move, separately identify professional books, papers, and equipment. Approved spouse professional gear is capped at 500 pounds. One POV generally may be shipped at government expense when authorized for OCONUS travel; CONUS-to-CONUS vehicle shipment is normally your expense.

If you hire a PPM carrier, reject pressure for a large cash or electronic deposit, an unwritten inventory, or a low estimate that changes after pickup. If a carrier threatens to hold your property for additional payment, contact your transportation office.

Collect boxes before pack week. Use the free moving boxes guide to find reusable boxes without accepting damaged or contaminated packing material.

Budget MALT, PCS per diem, and DLA separately

The monetary allowance in lieu of transportation, or MALT, applies to authorized POV travel over the official distance. Payment may cover up to two used POVs when properly authorized. Confirm the current 2026 mileage rate and authorization with finance before departure; do not budget from an older PCS voucher.

PCS per diem applies to authorized travel days and is separate from Temporary Lodging Expense at the old or new duty station. You cannot receive TLE and PCS travel per diem for the same calendar day. Keep lodging dates and receipts clear.

DLA partially offsets miscellaneous relocation costs. Under JTR section 0505, the amount depends on grade and dependent status. It is normally limited to one payment per fiscal year and is generally unavailable for:

• Junior members assigned single-type government quarters.
• A first move from a civilian home to the first duty station unless dependents are authorized.
• A move made when leaving active duty.

You may request a DLA advance through the losing installation finance office 10–15 days before the move. Commander approval is required. If approved, the advance is 80% of the estimated amount, with the balance handled after your reimbursement filing. The DLA eligibility and advance rules make clear that payment before departure is not guaranteed.

Use the Military Pay and PCS Workspace to compare duty stations and estimate the effect of basic pay and BAH. Confirm actual travel entitlements with finance against your orders.

Decide where you will live by the 60-day point

Contact the gaining installation housing office before signing anything. Ask when you may join the on-base waitlist, which category applies to you, and whether your grade and dependents affect bedroom eligibility. Early application does not guarantee a house.

Compare four options:

• Government-owned housing: Your housing allowance is used for rent and most utilities; you do not separately keep BAH.
• Privatized housing: You sign a lease with a private operator, generally using BAH for rent. Utility responsibility varies.
• Off-base rental: Compare rent, deposits, utilities, renter’s insurance, commute, schools, and child care. Ask housing or legal assistance to review the lease and military-termination language.
• Purchase: Include closing costs and the possibility that another reassignment forces you to sell or become a landlord sooner than planned.

Do not sign an unseen lease solely to create an HHG delivery address. Ask the transportation office how to list the destination while housing remains unsettled. For an OCONUS assignment, report to the housing office before committing to local housing whenever installation policy requires it.

Eligible families dealing with special-needs, schooling, or similar circumstances may request housing flexibility from 180 days before through 180 days after the PCS date. Options depend on service approval and mission requirements.

30 days out: confirm dates and create a no-pack zone

Open DPS and verify pack dates, pickup information, destination contact, requested delivery date, and the transportation-office number. A shipment may use a 7-calendar-day pickup spread. After accepting it, the mover must confirm the pickup date in writing within three calendar days.

Complete the pre-move survey. Discuss stairs, elevators, access limits, estimated weight, crating, and high-value property. If the survey has not happened within one week of the move, call the mover and transportation office. If you lack an arrival window three government business days before packing or pickup, notify the transportation office.

Document the shipment:

1. Photograph every room and existing wall or floor damage.
2. Record furniture condition, serial numbers, and high-value items.
3. Photograph electronics operating before disconnection.
4. Create a written inventory for property you cannot easily replace.
5. Photograph the empty residence after loading.

Establish a physically separate DO NOT PACK room, closet, or locked vehicle. Put orders, IDs, medication, jewelry, cash, keys, phones, chargers, travel clothing, pet supplies, receipts, and PPM weight-ticket documents there.

For a PPM, identify certified scales before move day. Obtain empty and full weight tickets for each vehicle or trailer configuration as directed during counseling. Retain rental, toll, fuel, storage, packing-material, and labor documents your service requires.

Final 7 days: protect travel and delivery records

Verify your authorized transportation mode, official route, travel days, leave dates, and report-no-later-than date. Separate personal leave or sightseeing from official travel on your itinerary. Activate the Government Travel Charge Card and confirm its limit and permitted expenses with your command.

Make temporary-lodging and pet arrangements. Complete utility shutoff, mail forwarding, final housing inspection, and key-return plans. If your household receives Lifeline service, the address change may have a separate reporting requirement. Follow the Lifeline moving address instructions rather than assuming mail forwarding updates the benefit.

On pack and pickup day:

• Confirm the mover’s identity and shipment numbers.
• Challenge vague preexisting-damage entries such as “scratched” or “damaged.”
• Ensure high-value property appears specifically on the inventory.
• Keep the bill of lading, inventory, weight records, and contact details.
• Photograph meter readings and the empty residence.
• Check every closet, cabinet, attic, garage, and outdoor area.

Do not let orders, medications, keys, IDs, receipts, or vehicle documents enter the shipment. Stop the crew if necessary. Replacing a box is easy. Reconstructing your travel voucher without orders and receipts is not.

Move day and delivery: stay reachable

Give the mover and transportation office a personal phone number. After 24-hour delivery notice, a mover may attempt contact twice at least six hours apart. Failure to respond can send the shipment into storage and add weeks to delivery.

You or a designated agent generally must be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on delivery day. Prepare a room plan because movers place furniture once. Choose full, partial, or no unpacking before delivery so the crew arrives prepared.

Inspect property as it enters the home. Mark missing or damaged items during delivery, photograph damage before moving or repairing the item, and keep every DPS claim and survey notice.

For eligible delayed shipments picked up on or after May 15, 2026, baseline inconvenience reimbursement may continue through the full qualifying delay without itemized receipts. It is calculated at 100% of local meals and incidental expenses for you plus 75% for each authorized dependent. Receipts still matter if you claim actual costs above the baseline. The listed claim window is up to 12 months after delivery, compared with nine months for earlier pickups.

First five duty days: finish the move on paper

Follow the gaining command’s reporting instructions exactly. During duty hours, report to the unit or personnel office listed in your orders. After hours, use the duty desk, quarterdeck, or CQ if directed; otherwise report on the next duty day as instructed.

Hand carry your orders and amendments, leave documents, IDs, sealed personnel packet if issued, medical and dental records, itinerary, receipts, HHG documents, and dependency records. Obtain an arrival endorsement or gaining transaction before moving to later stations when required.

During days one through five:

1. Personnel: Verify your gain, duty status, dependency data, emergency contacts, and personnel record.
2. Finance: Submit the PCS travel voucher, commonly DD Form 1351-2, with orders, amendments, itinerary, and receipts.
3. Housing: Confirm waitlist status or complete barracks, privatized-housing, or off-base referral actions before signing where local review is required.
4. Household goods: Update the DPS delivery address and phone number, then schedule direct delivery or storage release.
5. Medical and dental: Complete local enrollment and record-transfer requirements, including TRICARE actions.
6. DEERS/RAPIDS: Update marriage, divorce, birth, or other family-status changes that occurred before or during the move.
7. Vehicle: Complete local registration, inspection, licensing, or OCONUS POV pickup requirements.
8. Family support: Use the school liaison, child care office, EFMP, loan closet, newcomer orientation, and spouse-employment services as needed.

Some installations require their checklist within 5 duty days, but that is not a universal service-wide deadline. Use the deadline issued by your gaining command.

File the PPM and travel claims before time runs out

Submit a complete PPM reimbursement package within 45 days of the planned move start date. A typical package includes certified empty and full weight tickets, vehicle registration, DD Form 2278, DD Form 3166, and required moving receipts. Missing or invalid tickets can reduce or eliminate the payment.

Reconcile MALT, per diem, DLA, advances, and other travel payments with finance. Report BAH or dependency errors immediately. Save the submitted voucher, supporting records, payment statement, inventories, and claims correspondence in your cloud folder.

Complete the DPS customer survey after delivery. Set calendar reminders for the applicable loss-and-damage claim deadline, then review the first military pay statement issued after your gaining transaction.

Questions people actually ask

When should I start my PCS checklist?

Start planning 90 days before your report date, or immediately when you receive assignment notification if less time remains. You can research housing, schools, routes, and movers before orders arrive. Do not schedule HHG or start an unauthorized private move without official orders, an authorized Letter-in-Lieu, or transportation-office approval.

Is a PPM better than a government HHG move?

A PPM is better when you can control labor, equipment, weight tickets, and costs without exceeding the government’s constructed payment. Government-arranged HHG is usually better when you cannot absorb upfront expenses or manage contractors. A partial PPM lets you carry essential property while the government carrier moves the rest.

What documents do I need for a PPM reimbursement?

Your transportation office commonly requires DD Form 2278, DD Form 3166, certified empty and full weight tickets, vehicle registration, and applicable moving receipts. Requirements vary by service and move configuration. Submit the package within 45 days of the planned move start date, and retain a complete copy of everything provided.

Can I receive DLA before I leave?

You may request a DLA advance through the losing installation finance office 10–15 days before the move. Commander approval is required, and payment before departure is not guaranteed. An approved advance equals 80% of the estimated DLA; finance handles the remaining amount after you file the required reimbursement documentation.

What should I do during my first week at the new duty station?

Report where and when your orders direct, obtain the required arrival endorsement, and complete the gaining checklist. Personnel must gain you to the unit, while finance commonly needs DD Form 1351-2, orders, amendments, itinerary, and receipts. Also update housing, DPS delivery information, medical enrollment, DEERS, and local vehicle records.