Military PCS Weight Allowance by Rank (2026)
Your authorized household goods (HHG) weight for a Permanent Change of Station move is determined entirely by your pay grade and whether you have dependents — not by how much furniture you own or how far you are moving. The Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), published by the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) at travel.dod.mil, set every pound figure in the table below. Knowing your exact entitlement before you contact a carrier — whether through a government shipment via the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) at move.mil or a Personally Procured Move (PPM) you arrange yourself — is the first step in protecting your reimbursement and avoiding excess-weight charges that come out of your own pocket.
This guide reproduces the current JTR HHG weight-allowance table, explains how the limits interact with PPM reimbursement, and covers the most common ways service members run into weight-related problems on a PCS.
HHG Weight Allowances by Pay Grade (JTR Table)
The figures below are sourced from the Joint Travel Regulations, Chapter 5 (Household Goods and Privately Owned Vehicle Transportation), which DTMO updates periodically. Always verify the current table at travel.dod.mil before scheduling your shipment, as Congress occasionally adjusts entitlements in the annual National Defense Authorization Act.
Weight allowances are expressed in pounds and apply to all uniformed services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard). Reserve component members on orders that authorize HHG movement use the same table.
| Pay Grade | Without Dependents (lbs) | With Dependents (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| E-2 | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| E-3 | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| E-4 | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| E-5 | 7,000 | 9,000 |
| E-6 | 8,000 | 11,000 |
| E-7 | 11,000 | 13,000 |
| E-8 | 12,000 | 14,000 |
| E-9 | 13,000 | 15,000 |
| W-1 | 10,000 | 13,000 |
| W-2 | 12,000 | 13,000 |
| W-3 | 13,000 | 14,000 |
| W-4 | 14,000 | 15,000 |
| W-5 | 16,000 | 17,500 |
| O-1 | 8,000 | 11,000 |
| O-2 | 8,000 | 11,000 |
| O-3 | 9,000 | 13,000 |
| O-4 | 12,000 | 14,000 |
| O-5 | 13,000 | 15,000 |
| O-6 | 14,000 | 17,000 |
| O-7 | 14,000 | 17,000 |
| O-8 | 14,000 | 17,000 |
| O-9 | 15,000 | 17,500 |
| O-10 | 18,000 | 18,000 |
Source: Joint Travel Regulations, Chapter 5, Table 5-37 (or current equivalent). Verify the live table at travel.dod.mil before scheduling any shipment. DTMO — the Defense Travel Management Office — is the authoritative issuing body for all JTR content.
What counts as "with dependents": A dependent for JTR purposes is typically a spouse, a child under 21, or a qualifying other dependent recognized under DoD Instruction 1342.19. Your installation Transportation Office (TO) confirms dependent status for your specific orders. If you have any dependents authorized on your orders, you qualify for the higher allowance.
Pro-Dono Shipment: O-6 and above with 20 or more years of service may be authorized an additional Pro-Dono (professional books, papers, and equipment) weight allowance of up to 1,000 pounds on top of the table figures. Confirm this with your TO — it is not automatic.
How the Weight Allowance Interacts With a PPM (Personally Procured Move)
For a government-arranged HHG shipment through DPS, the weight allowance sets the ceiling above which the government will not pay. Excess weight is billed back to the service member at the government's cost-to-move rate — so exceeding your entitlement on a government shipment is an out-of-pocket expense, not a bureaucratic technicality.
For a Personally Procured Move, the mechanics are slightly different but the cap is the same. Under a PPM, the government reimburses you a percentage of what it would have cost them to move your authorized weight and distance. The reimbursement is calculated using the lesser of your actual weight or your authorized weight — so if your household goods come in at 12,000 pounds but your entitlement is 9,000 pounds, the government calculates reimbursement on 9,000 pounds only. You pay the carrier for whatever they move; the government reimburses based on the authorized figure.
This makes knowing your exact allowance before you contract a civilian mover critical on a PPM. If you over-move, you absorb the difference.
Weight documentation for PPM reimbursement: The government requires certified weight tickets — one empty (tare) and one loaded (gross) — to calculate your PPM reimbursement. Your installation TO specifies the certified scale requirements. DTMO guidance on PPM documentation is available at travel.dod.mil and through the DPS customer service portal at move.mil.
For a full breakdown of the PPM reimbursement formula, see /newsroom/dity-ppm-move-weight-allowance-2026.
What Does Not Count Against Your Weight Allowance
Not everything loaded on a moving truck counts toward your authorized weight. The JTR excludes several categories, which can meaningfully affect how you plan your shipment.
Excluded items (do not count toward HHG weight allowance):
- Unaccompanied baggage (UAB): Service members are authorized a separate UAB shipment of essential items (clothing, immediate household necessities) that ships faster than the main HHG lot. UAB weight is tracked separately. E-1 through O-3 without dependents typically receive 350 lbs UAB; with dependents and for higher grades, the limit varies — confirm with your TO.
- Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) shipment: Vehicles ship under a separate entitlement and are not counted in your HHG weight.
- Boat and trailer: Authorized under some orders as a separate entitlement — not folded into HHG weight.
- Pro-Dono (O-6+ with 20+ years): As noted above, this is an add-on, not counted against the table figure.
- Fuel in vehicles and certain hazmat items: These cannot ship in an HHG lot at all, regardless of weight.
Items that DO count (common surprises):
- Patio furniture, outdoor grills, lawn equipment
- Riding lawn mowers (if fuel is drained)
- Weightlifting equipment
- Boxes of books (books are heavy — 20 boxes of books can add 600-800 lbs)
- Large appliances you bring (even if the new duty station provides appliances)
If you are borderline on weight, a pre-move weigh-in at a certified scale — before packing day — gives you a baseline and lets you make deliberate decisions about what to sell, store, or ship separately.
Partial PPM: Splitting Government and Personally Arranged Shipments
A service member can combine a government-arranged shipment (through DPS) with a PPM for the same PCS. This is called a partial PPM. The combined weight of both shipments cannot exceed your authorized allowance — the entitlement does not double.
For example: an O-4 with dependents is authorized 14,000 pounds. If the government-arranged DPS shipment weighs 10,000 pounds and the PPM portion weighs 5,000 pounds, the total is 15,000 pounds — 1,000 pounds over entitlement. The service member would owe excess-weight charges on the 1,000-pound overage.
Coordinate both shipments through your installation TO before booking anything. Your TO tracks the weight of the DPS portion and can advise on the remaining PPM headroom.
For help finding and vetting a civilian carrier for the PPM portion, see /newsroom/moving-concierge-for-military-pcs.
Personally Procured Move: Vetting the Civilian Carrier
When you arrange a PPM, you hire a civilian mover entirely outside the DPS framework. The government provides no carrier; you are responsible for finding one, verifying their credentials, and signing the contract.
FMCSA SAFER (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) is the mandatory first stop. Every interstate mover is required to carry an active USDOT number and MC number — both must show "ACTIVE" status in SAFER. A carrier operating on a revoked number has no valid insurance for your shipment. Check the complaint history in the FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov for patterns of weight inflation, cargo damage, or delivery disputes.
For the full carrier verification process, see the mover vetting checklist.
Minimum documentation before loading:
| Document | What to verify |
|---|---|
| USDOT + MC number (from SAFER) | Both statuses show ACTIVE; household goods authority confirmed |
| Cargo insurance certificate | Coverage amount adequate for the value of your goods |
| Binding or not-to-exceed estimate | Price locked in writing before any item is loaded |
| Certified scale plan | Carrier confirms they will provide certified weight tickets for tare and gross |
| Bill of Lading | Issued at pickup; includes delivery window, declared valuation, and itemized pricing |
If you need a vetted carrier identified and pre-screened without spending hours on SAFER yourself, /concierge is where MovingRated handles that work on your behalf. You contract and pay the carrier directly; we vet the credentials and gather the estimates.
Excess Weight: What Happens If You Go Over
Exceeding your authorized weight allowance on a PCS has real financial consequences. The mechanism differs slightly between a government shipment and a PPM.
Government shipment (DPS/HHG): The TSP weighs your shipment at origin and destination. If the actual weight exceeds your JTR entitlement, you are billed for the excess at the government's carrier rate — typically calculated per hundredweight (cwt) at the applicable rate for your lane. The charge comes via your TO after delivery. There is no waiver process for genuine excess weight; you owe it.
PPM: The government calculates your reimbursement on the lesser of actual or authorized weight. If you move more than you are entitled to, your reimbursement is capped at your authorized pounds — so you pay the carrier for extra pounds that the government will not reimburse.
Practical steps to avoid excess weight:
- Get a pre-move estimate (not for pricing — for weight). Ask the civilian mover you are considering to do an inventory and give you an estimated weight before you commit.
- Compare that estimate to your JTR entitlement from the table above.
- If you are within 10-15% of your limit, consider decluttering, selling large items at origin, or placing borderline items in storage rather than shipping.
- After loading, get the certified tare and gross tickets immediately. If the gross weight at your authorized cap, do not add items.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my PCS weight allowance if I am an E-5 without dependents? Under the current Joint Travel Regulations table published by DTMO at travel.dod.mil, an E-5 without dependents is authorized 7,000 pounds for a household goods (HHG) shipment. With dependents, the allowance increases to 9,000 pounds. These figures apply to both government-arranged DPS shipments and Personally Procured Moves.
Does my weight allowance increase when I get promoted during a PCS? Your weight entitlement is determined by your pay grade at the time of your PCS orders — specifically, the grade reflected on your orders. If you are promoted between the date orders are issued and the actual move, consult your installation Transportation Office. In most cases, the TO can authorize the higher entitlement if the promotion is documented and effective before shipment. Do not assume the higher allowance applies automatically.
What happens if the TSP weighs my shipment and it is over my entitlement? If your government-arranged shipment (through DPS) comes in over your authorized weight, you will receive a bill from your TO for the excess. The charge is based on the government's carrier rate for your lane and the number of excess pounds. The bill is typically issued weeks after delivery. You cannot dispute the weight itself if both tare and gross were certified — but you can request to witness the weigh-in, which is your right. Contact your installation TO immediately if you believe the weights were recorded incorrectly.
Does a PPM reimbursement cover the full cost of my civilian mover? Not necessarily. PPM reimbursement is calculated as a percentage of what the government would have paid to move your authorized weight over your authorized distance — not as reimbursement of your actual mover bill. If your mover charges more than the government's rate, you absorb the difference. If they charge less, you keep the surplus. This is why PPM savings (or losses) vary considerably by lane, season, and carrier. DTMO publishes the rate tables used in the calculation; your TO can run the numbers for your specific orders. See /newsroom/dity-ppm-move-weight-allowance-2026 for a detailed walkthrough.
Is my weight allowance the same for an overseas PCS? Overseas PCS weight allowances generally follow the same JTR table, but the specific rules for joint-weight shipments, Unaccompanied Baggage allowances, and what can legally be shipped to certain overseas locations vary by destination and status of forces agreement (SOFA). Confirm the specific allowances with your installation TO for any OCONUS PCS — the table above covers the CONUS framework.
Can I store some of my household goods at government expense if I go over my weight allowance? No. Storage-in-transit (SIT) authorized under JTR Chapter 5 is for temporary storage when housing is not yet available at your destination — it is not a weight-management tool. SIT does not increase your weight entitlement. If you have more goods than your entitlement covers, you pay for the excess or leave items behind.
Where do I find the most current JTR weight allowance table? The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) publishes the current JTR at travel.dod.mil. The HHG weight allowances are in Chapter 5. The table is periodically updated, particularly after the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Your installation Transportation Office can also provide the current entitlement for your specific orders and pay grade — that is the authoritative confirmation for your particular move.
Ready to Arrange the Civilian Portion of Your Move?
If your PCS includes a Personally Procured Move or you need a civilian carrier for off-base storage drayage, a separate family member relocation, or specialty items outside your HHG shipment, MovingRated vets movers and gathers binding quotes on your behalf. You review screened options and contract directly with the carrier you choose — we work for you, not for any moving company.
Use the cost calculator for a ballpark on your route, or visit /concierge to share your move details and get a screened carrier recommendation. For a full overview of how the military PCS process works and where civilian assistance fits in, see /newsroom/moving-concierge-for-military-pcs.