PCS Changes for FY2027: New $181 Per Diem and What Else Changed

The fiscal year rolled over on 1 October 2026 and took a handful of PCS numbers with it. None of it came with a formation announcement. Some of it is a few dollars a day. One piece, the household goods claim deadline, can cost you the full value of a broken dresser if you go by the number most people still repeat.

This is every PCS change for FY2027 and the late-summer JTR updates, checked against DTMO, the Personal Property Activity and each service's own guidance, current as of 6 October 2026.

The short answer:

• PCS per diem is now $181 a day ($113 lodging + $68 M&IE) for travel on or after 1 October 2026. It was $178.
• Household goods claims: report damage within 180 days of delivery, then file the full claim within 9 months, or 12 months if your shipment was picked up on or after 15 May 2026. The old "75 days" number is wrong.
• New 60-day TLE option when international shipping restrictions keep your household goods from reaching you on a CONUS move (approval required).
• The services are cutting discretionary moves, 10% in FY2027 and rising to 50% by FY2030. That changes how many orders get cut, not what you are paid on the orders you have.
• MALT ($0.235/mile) and DLA did not change. DLA's next update is 1 January 2027.

What changed for FY2027 PCS moves, at a glance

FY2027 per diem rate: $181 a day starting 1 October 2026

When you drive to your new duty station, you get MALT for the miles plus a flat per diem for each authorized travel day. That flat rate is the standard CONUS per diem rate, and GSA raised it for FY2027:

DTMO confirms the standard rate of $181 ($113 lodging, $68 M&IE) for FY2027. The meals tiers did not move; they are not due for review until FY2028.

💡 The travel date decides it, not your orders. Same rule as the July MALT change. A drive from 29 September to 2 October is paid at $178 for the September days and $181 for the October days. If Finance prices the whole trip at $178 because your orders are dated in August, that is the error to catch.

Quick math: what the new rate is worth

Travel days for a POV move follow the JTR rule: one day for the first 400 miles, then divide the official distance by 350 and add a day if the remainder is 51 miles or more.

• Single member, 2,000 miles (6 travel days): 6 x $181 = $1,086, up $18 from $1,068.
• Member, spouse and two kids (ages 14 and 8), 1,200 miles (4 travel days): $181 + $135.75 + $135.75 + $90.50 = $543 a day, x 4 = $2,172, up $36 from $2,136.

Not life-changing. But it is your money, and it only shows up if the voucher uses the right rate. Run your own numbers with the free MALT and travel days calculator.

It also nudges your TLE ceiling

TLE pays your actual lodging cost up to a percentage of the local per diem rate. In a standard-rate area, the higher per diem raises the ceiling slightly:

• Member alone (65%): about $117.65/night, up from $115.70.
• Member, spouse and two kids, one 12 or older and one under 12 (160%): $289.60/night, right under the $290 daily cap, which did not change.

High-cost areas have their own rates. The TLE calculator shows the standard-rate ceiling for your family size, and our TLE guide covers the rest.

Household goods claim deadlines: 180 days, then 9 or 12 months

This is the one worth five minutes of your time. A lot of checklists, including the one on this site until this week, still say you have 75 days to file a damage claim. That number is outdated, and it is wrong in both directions: it rushes some people and convinces others they already missed the window.

Here are the real deadlines, straight from the Personal Property Activity:

💡 Quick claim option: for minor damage spotted on delivery day, the mover can settle on the spot, up to $2,000, paid within five business days. Taking it waives any further claim on those specific items, so only accept it for things you are sure about.

One more: PPM shipments are not covered. If you move it yourself, you carry the risk. Our moving system changes guide covers how DPS and the Personal Property Activity work now that HomeSafe is gone.

New: 60 days of TLE when your household goods are stuck

Effective 20 August 2026 (MAP 29-26(R)), a CONUS PCS can get up to 60 days of TLE when you cannot receive your household goods because of international shipping restrictions. Your service has to verify that government housing is not available, and the request goes through your service's Military Advisory Panel member to PDTATAC for approval.

This is a request, not an automatic entitlement. If your goods are coming from overseas and stuck, ask Finance about it before your 21 standard TLE days run out, not after.

The separate housing-shortage TLE extensions (also up to 60 days) keep changing. Laughlin AFB, Edwards and Palmdale, NAS Fallon and Vandenberg SFB all had extensions issued or recertified between July and October, and every one has to be recertified every 90 days or it lapses. Never assume your base is on the list. Check your orders and the installation housing office.

PCS weight allowances, including warrant officers

The weight tables did not change this fall, but a lot of tables online are wrong, and ours was one of them. O-1 and O-2 get different allowances, and warrant officers get the same allowance as the matching O grade. Here is JTR Table 5-37:

Pro-gear sits outside these limits: 2,000 lbs for the member and 500 lbs for a spouse. And as of 1 September 2026 (MAP 51-26(I)), computer equipment used for homeschooling counts as professional books, papers and equipment, so homeschool families can document it as pro-gear instead of letting it eat their weight allowance.

💡 "With dependents" for weight is not the same test as for DLA. For weight, you count as "with dependents" if you have a dependent eligible to travel at government expense on this PCS. For DLA, the with-dependents rate depends on your dependents actually relocating.

Fewer PCS moves are coming in FY2027

A Pentagon memo from May 2025 ordered every service to cut its budget for discretionary PCS moves against the FY2026 level: 10% in FY2027, 30% in FY2028, 40% in FY2029 and 50% in FY2030. FY2027 started on 1 October, so this is now live.

Discretionary means career-broadening and school-related moves. Operational moves, overseas rotations and required training moves are not the target. The Army is furthest along, with more than 12,000 moves cut in FY2026 and more than 13,600 planned for FY2027, mostly through stabilization and doing professional military education by TDY and distance learning instead of a PCS. The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have said their reviews are ongoing without publishing numbers.

What it means for you: longer tours and fewer orders, not smaller allowances. If you already have orders, nothing in this memo changes your DLA, MALT, per diem, TLE or weight allowance.

Branch-by-branch PCS updates for fall 2026

Army

The move cuts above are the headline. Expect more stabilization offers and more PME without a PCS. Your entitlements on existing orders are unchanged.

Air Force and Space Force

The updated DAFI 36-3003 (26 February 2026) lets you take PCS permissive TDY in increments, between your losing and gaining stations and for pack-out and delivery days, instead of one block. It also states you can use at least 30 days of ordinary leave en route. Separately, the Special Leave Accrual transition ended 30 September 2026: anything above 90 days of combined leave was forfeited on 1 October, so check your LES if you were carrying a big balance.

Navy

No entitlement changes this fall. The MyNavy HR 2026 PCS Guide is the current reference, with updated overseas screening and travel card pages.

Marine Corps

No entitlement changes this fall. MARADMIN 147/26 is the current Marine Corps PCS assistance message for 2026 moves.

Coast Guard

The Coast Guard uses the same Personal Property Activity and DPS for household goods. Because it is funded through DHS, it can be hit by a DHS-only funding lapse, like the one from 14 February to 30 April 2026. During that lapse, PCS moves, shipments and travel stayed authorized, and the government travel card was approved for PCS expenses with limits raised to $20,000. The current stopgap funds the government through 11 December 2026, so watch the news in early December. The AY26 transfer window ran from 1 April to 1 October.

Smaller JTR changes from August to October 2026

• DD 1614 no longer required for electronic orders (CAP 55-26(I), 21 Sep). A printed copy of orders from an electronic travel system is a valid order if it has the required data.
• Hospice family travel (MAP 26-26(R), 9 Sep). Up to three family members can travel to visit a service member in hospice care with a prognosis of nine months or less.
• "Department of War" wording across JTR chapters (MAP/CAP 47-26(I) and earlier). Wording only, no change to any allowance.
• Self-propelled mobile homes driven over water (MAP 52-26(I), 1 Oct). Actual transportation costs can be reimbursed.
• Base name in the per diem tables: Joint Base Charleston, SC is now listed as Joint Base Lindsey Graham, SC (1 Sep).
• PPA call center hours went back to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central on 16 September now that peak season is over. The number is still 833-MIL-MOVE (833-645-6683).

Four PCS myths that are still going around

"Shipping a car overseas is only for E-7 and up." False. On most OCONUS moves, including to Alaska and Hawaii, the government ships one POV you own or lease. There is no rank requirement. Some countries restrict imports, so confirm your orders authorize it, then book through PCSmyPOV.com.

"The pet allowance covers all my pets." It covers one household pet per PCS order: up to $550 within CONUS, up to $2,000 OCONUS, and up to $4,000 only on orders from a high-risk rabies country with approval. You choose which pet to claim. Our pets guide has the details.

"Per diem depends on where you stop for the night." Not when you drive. POV travel days pay the flat $181 rate wherever you sleep. Locality rates matter for TLE and for flying.

"You have 75 days to file a moving claim." See above: 180 days to give notice, 9 or 12 months to file.

What did not change

• MALT: still $0.235 per mile, in effect since 1 July 2026 (full story).
• DLA: the 2026 table stands until the 2027 rates take effect on 1 January. E-5 with dependents is still $3,548.02. Run yours with the DLA calculator.
• TLE: 21 days CONUS-to-CONUS, 7 days CONUS-to-OCONUS at the losing station, $290 daily cap.
• PPM: 100% of the government constructed cost. The temporary 130% rate ended in September 2025.
• Enlisted weight allowances, pro-gear and pet caps.

What to do this week

1. Traveling in October or later? Make sure your per diem estimate and your voucher use $181, not $178.
2. Household goods delivered since May? Put two dates on your calendar: 180 days from delivery for the notice, and 9 or 12 months for the full claim.
3. HHG stuck overseas? Ask Finance about the 60-day TLE request before your standard days run out.
4. O-1, O-2 or warrant officer? Re-check your weight allowance against the table above before you plan a PPM or toss furniture.
5. Airman or Guardian? Plan your PTDY in pieces around pack-out and delivery.

If you would rather not do this by hand, PCS Copilot builds a free playbook with your DLA, MALT, per diem and weight allowance already worked out from your rank, dependents and orders, using the October 2026 rates.

Frequently asked questions

What is the PCS per diem rate for FY2027?

$181 per travel day for the member ($113 lodging plus $68 M&IE) for PCS travel by privately owned vehicle on or after 1 October 2026. Dependents 12 and older get 75% ($135.75) and dependents under 12 get 50% ($90.50). Travel through 30 September 2026 used $178.

Does the new per diem rate apply if my orders were issued before October?

Yes, if you travel on or after 1 October 2026. The date you actually travel decides the rate, not the date on your orders. A trip that crosses 1 October is paid at $178 for the September days and $181 for the October days.

How long do I have to file a household goods damage claim?

Give notice of loss or damage in DPS within 180 days of delivery. Then file the itemized claim within 9 months of delivery for full replacement value, or within 12 months if your shipment was picked up on or after 15 May 2026. The final deadline to file with your Military Claims Office is 2 years from delivery.

Did the MALT rate change on 1 October 2026?

No. MALT has been $0.235 per mile since 1 July 2026. The 1 October change was per diem.

Did DLA change for FY2027?

No. DLA changes on the calendar year, not the fiscal year. The 2026 rates apply until the 2027 table takes effect on 1 January 2027.

Can I get more than 21 days of TLE?

Sometimes. Up to 60 days can be authorized at installations with an approved housing shortage, and, since 20 August 2026, on a CONUS PCS when international shipping restrictions keep your household goods from reaching you. Both require approval, so ask Finance early.

What is the weight allowance for a warrant officer?

Warrant officers share the officer rows in JTR Table 5-37: W-1 matches O-1 (10,000 lbs without dependents, 12,000 with), W-2 matches O-2 (12,500 and 13,500), and W-3 to W-5 match O-3 to O-5.

Are PCS moves being cut in FY2027?

The services are cutting discretionary PCS moves by 10% in FY2027, rising to 50% by FY2030, measured against FY2026 budgets. It means fewer orders and longer tours. It does not reduce the allowances on orders you already hold.

Sources

• DTMO, CONUS per diem rate changes (FY2027 standard rate)
• DTMO, JTR change register (MAP 29-26(R), 51-26(I), 26-26(R), CAP 55-26(I), TLE recertifications)
• DTMO, mileage rates
• Personal Property Activity, the claims process, shipping your POV, personal property entitlements
• NAVSUP Household Goods, authorized weight allowance
• DTMO, pet transportation allowance FAQ
• Department of the Air Force, Military Leave Program update (DAFI 36-3003)
• Department of War, plan to cut the discretionary PCS budget in half
• U.S. Army, reducing PCS moves
• U.S. Coast Guard, PCSing during a funding lapse

Get this for your move

PCS Copilot generates a custom version of this for your exact rank, dependents and orders, with every figure on the October 2026 rates. It is free, takes a couple of minutes, and needs no account. Build your playbook.

Verify all dollar amounts with your local Finance office or MPF before counting on them. JTR rates update every year and sometimes mid-year. PCS Copilot is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military.