PCS Weight Allowance by Rank
Your PCS weight allowance depends on your pay grade and whether you have dependents on the effective date of your PCS order. For enlisted, warrant and officer grades, JTR Table 5-37 runs from 5,000 lb (E-1 to E-3 without dependents) up to 18,000 lb (O-6 and above). It covers household goods shipped, unaccompanied baggage and household goods in storage.
The table below is Table 5-37 of the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), edition dated 10/01/2026. Use the calculator to find your row and compare an estimated shipment with it. For pay, see the military pay calculator and the 2026 military pay chart; for housing, the BAH calculator; for travel, the per diem calculator. Other PCS allowances: the dislocation allowance (DLA) and the temporary lodging expense (TLE) calculator.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Table checked against JTR section 0514 (edition 10/01/2026) on October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
PCS weight allowance calculator
The JTR lists only these positions: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Sergeant Major of the Army; Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard; Senior Enlisted Advisor to the National Guard Bureau.
Optional: check a shipment (estimate)
On a Government-arranged shipment, if only the gross weight is known, enter the gross weight less 50% (Table 5-39 method 4).
Do not include PBP&E, required medical equipment, gun safes or accompanied baggage: the JTR does not count them toward the allowance.
Example (sample inputs)
- Allowance (Table 5-37)
- 11,000 lb
Enter a shipment weight, unaccompanied baggage or storage weight to compare with the allowance.
This is an estimate. Your transportation office decides your allowance and the net weight of your shipment.
Under JTR 051306-A you must repay the cost of transporting HHG above your weight allowance unless you have specific authorization for an increased allowance (limited to 18,000 lb). "Over by" compares your total with Table 5-37 only; administrative weight limits, a higher authorization or Table 5-38 can change your threshold.
PCS weight allowance chart (JTR Table 5-37)
PCS and NTS weight allowances in pounds, as printed in the JTR. Officer grades are written O-10, O-5 and so on. The table has no separate rows for O-1E, O-2E or O-3E.
| Row | Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O-10 to O-6 | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| 2 | O-5 or W-5 | 17,500 | 16,000 |
| 3 | O-4 or W-4 | 17,000 | 14,000 |
| 4 | O-3 or W-3 | 14,500 | 13,000 |
| 5 | O-2 or W-2 | 13,500 | 12,500 |
| 6 | O-1, W-1, or Service Academy Graduate | 12,000 | 10,000 |
| 7 | E-9 | 15,000 | 13,000 |
| 8 | E-8 | 14,000 | 12,000 |
| 9 | E-7 | 13,000 | 11,000 |
| 10 | E-6 | 11,000 | 8,000 |
| 11 | E-5 | 9,000 | 7,000 |
| 12 | E-4 | 8,000 | 7,000 |
| 13 | E-3 to E-1 | 8,000 | 5,000 |
| 14 | Aviation Cadet | 8,000 | 7,000 |
| 15 | Service Academy Cadet or Midshipman | 350 (one value for both) | |
Senior enlisted advisors have their own figures: 17,000 lb with dependents or 14,000 lb without (see below).
How the weight allowance works
“The authorized PCS weight allowance is normally determined by a Service member's pay grade on the effective date of the PCS order, and whether the Service member has dependents on the effective date of the PCS order.”
What counts toward the allowance
“The weight allowance for a Service member authorized in this table is the total combined weight of any HHG shipped, plus any unaccompanied baggage shipped, and any HHG in storage.”
“The weight of PBP&E, required medical equipment, and gun safes are not included in the HHG weight allowance authorized.”
“The weight of accompanied baggage or excess accompanied baggage is also not included in the authorized weight allowance.”
Who has dependents
“[…] a Service member with dependents is one who has a dependent eligible to travel at Government expense due to a PCS, regardless if the dependent actually travels.”
“For a Service member's first PCS after either the death of all of the Service member's dependents, or a divorce that leaves the Service member with no dependents eligible to travel at Government expense, the Service member's weight allowance remains at the with-dependent rate.”
Appointed to a higher pay grade
“A Service member appointed from either an enlisted or warrant officer pay grade to a commissioned officer pay grade, or from an enlisted pay grade to a warrant officer pay grade, is authorized the greater of the weight allowance for the pay grade held on the effective date of the PCS order or for the pay grade held when the appointment was accepted.”
Senior enlisted advisors
The JTR gives special weights to these positions: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Sergeant Major of the Army; Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard; Senior Enlisted Advisor to the National Guard Bureau. The JTR lists only these positions.
“[…] is authorized a weight allowance of 17,000 pounds with dependents or 14,000 pounds without dependents for a PCS order issued on or after receiving notice of selection to that position.”
OCONUS administrative weight limits
“The weight allowances can be administratively restricted at a PDS OCONUS based on factors at that location.”
“[…] the Service member is authorized HHG transportation to a designated place or to NTS for the remainder of the HHG weight allowance in Table 5-37 that could not be shipped to the new PDS.”
The weights for each location are in the DTMO document Administrative Household Goods (HHG) Weight Allowance Locations (PDF). This page does not list them. The limits do not apply to a member whose weight allowance is under 2,500 lb, among other cases listed in the JTR.
Exceptions to an administrative limit
A member may ask for an exception through the Secretarial Process when the listed weight is not enough.
“The combined weights of the HHG shipped and those in NTS cannot exceed the Service member's weight allowance authorized in Table 5-37.”
The JTR lists these among the circumstances in which an exception may be granted:
- Items normally furnished by the Government at the new PDS are unavailable. The administrative weight allowance is increased in an amount equal to the weight of personally owned substitute furnishings.
- A Service member is assigned to a consecutive overseas tour (COT) from an unrestricted-weight location to an administrative-weight-limitation location. The Secretarial Process review must ensure that the HHG transportation does not result in extra costs to the Government.
- A Service member extends a tour for 1 year or longer within the same weight limitation location.
- A Service member departs from an administrative-weight-limitation location and he or she had acquired additional furnishings through marriage after assignment to that location. A Service member who acquires a dependent after the effective date of the PCS order to an administrative-weight-limitation location is not authorized transportation for the acquired dependent's HHG or an increase in the weight allowance to that PDS OCONUS.
- The Service determines that circumstances exist that would cause undue hardship if the administrative weight limit is enforced.
Higher weight allowance (above Table 5-37)
“No general policy statements are permitted and higher weight allowances will be authorized only on an individual basis.”
Any increase must meet all of these requirements: pay grade O-5 or below; a total HHG weight of no more than 18,000 lb; and a written determination of significant hardship.
“Must be authorized only for a Service member in the pay grade O-5 or below.”
“Is limited to a total HHG weight of 18,000 pounds.”
“Must be documented in a written determination from the approval authority that failure to increase the Service member's weight allowance would create a significant hardship to the Service member or dependent.”
Married to another Service member (Table 5-38, condensed)
Table 5-38 covers moves to a location with an administrative weight allowance when both spouses have PCS orders. Rows are shown in the JTR wording, condensed to the situation and the result.
| Row | If | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Both Service members are currently assigned to the same PDS, or a nearby PDS in the same area where they jointly occupy a residence, and their new orders are both to the same PDS or nearby PDSs where they will jointly occupy a residence, | The couple is limited to one administrative weight allowance based on the higher-ranking Service member's weight allowance. |
| 2 | Both Service members are currently assigned to the same PDS or nearby PDSs where they jointly occupy a residence, but new orders are to different PDSs where they will occupy separate residences, | Each Service member is individually authorized an administrative weight allowance. |
| 3 | Both Service members are currently assigned to different PDSs and occupy separate residences, and the new orders are to the same or nearby PDSs where they will jointly occupy a residence, | Each Service member is individually authorized an administrative weight allowance. |
| 4 | A Service member is married to another Service member, | Each Service member is authorized unaccompanied baggage transportation, transportation of PBP&E, transportation of required medical equipment, and transportation of gun safes, if all other criteria are met. |
| 5 | One spouse is a Service member and the other spouse is a civilian employee, | The Service member's administrative weight allowance is based on the higher PCS HHG weight allowance. See par. 051402-A (FTR §302-7.2) for the civilian employee's HHG allowance. |
Separately, two married Service members may combine their Table 5-37 allowances for HHG transportation and NTS when each has a PCS order between duty stations where they keep joint residences within commuting distance.
Unaccompanied baggage
“Unaccompanied baggage is part of the Service member's authorized HHG weight allowance.”
Where the new duty station has an HHG administrative weight limit, unaccompanied baggage is the lesser of that limit or one of these:
- 2,000 lb for an active-duty member with command-sponsored family members, for the whole family.
- 10% of the authorized weight allowance for an unaccompanied active-duty member normally assigned to furnished Government quarters.
- 2,000 lb for an unaccompanied active-duty member not normally assigned to furnished bachelor enlisted or bachelor officer quarters.
Expedited transportation
“Unaccompanied baggage transportation is authorized by an expedited transportation mode when necessary to enable the Service member to carry out assigned duties or to prevent undue hardship on the Service member or a dependent.”
For unaccompanied baggage sent by expedited commercial air, the JTR sets a separate cap, and the rest can go by regular methods:
“The unaccompanied baggage, including any PBP&E, is limited to a maximum of 1,000 pounds when transported by commercial air.”
“If unaccompanied baggage is shipped by expedited commercial air, the remaining weight, limited to the unaccompanied baggage weight allowance authorized in this paragraph, may be shipped by regular transportation methods.”
Net weight of a shipment (Table 5-39, condensed)
The allowance is measured in net weight. The calculator uses method 3 (less 10% from the weight on the shipping documents) and method 8 (7 lb per cubic foot). Methods 4 to 7 apply to unaccompanied baggage and direct procurement shipments and are not in the calculator.
| Row | Method | When | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Actual Weight | Weigh HHG and unaccompanied baggage before packing. | The HHG weight allowances are the actual weight of unpacked and uncrated HHG and unaccompanied baggage. |
| 2 | Government-Arranged Transportation | The transporter weighs the HHG and unaccompanied baggage with the internal packing materials. | When the unpacked and uncrated HHG actual weight is known, use the Actual Weight method. |
| 3 | Government-Arranged Transportation | The transporter weighs the HHG and unaccompanied baggage with the internal packing materials. | When unpacked and uncrated HHG actual weight is not known, subtract 10% of the net weight shown on the shipping documents. |
| 4 | Unaccompanied Baggage: Government-Arranged Transportation | Net weight of unaccompanied baggage is not known. | Subtract 50% from the gross weight shown on the shipping document. |
| 5 | Direct Procurement Method: Standard Overseas Shipping Boxes | When only the loaded-container gross weight and shipping container weights are known, | Subtract 20% from the difference between the loaded container gross weight and the empty container stenciled weight. |
| 6 | Direct Procurement Method: Standard Overseas Shipping Boxes | When only the shipment gross weight is shown on the shipping document, | Reduce the gross weight by 50%. |
| 7 | Direct Procurement Method: Crated | Actual weight of the unpacked and uncrated HHG is unknown. | Subtract 50% from the weight upon which transportation charges are based. |
| 8 | Not Applicable | HHG and unaccompanied baggage is not weighed and the weight is unobtainable. | Compute the weight at 7 pounds per cubic foot for all shipments. |
“The appropriate official (ordinarily the Transportation Officer) may deviate from these allowances on the rare occasion when, through no fault of the Service member, the shipment tare weight exceeds the allowances in Table 5-39.”
PCS weight allowance questions
What is the PCS weight allowance?
Your PCS weight allowance depends on your pay grade and whether you have dependents on the effective date of your PCS order. For enlisted, warrant and officer grades, JTR Table 5-37 runs from 5,000 lb (E-1 to E-3 without dependents) up to 18,000 lb (O-6 and above). It covers household goods shipped, unaccompanied baggage and household goods in storage. Your transportation office applies it to your orders.
What is the PCS weight allowance for an E-6?
The Table 5-37 allowance for E-6 is 11,000 lb with dependents and 8,000 lb without dependents. That total covers household goods shipped, unaccompanied baggage and household goods in storage, and uses the pay grade on the effective date of the PCS order. Dependents count only if you have a dependent eligible to travel at Government expense; the JTR says that applies regardless of whether the dependent actually travels.
What is the PCS weight allowance for each enlisted grade, E-1 to E-9?
With dependents / without dependents, in pounds: E-1 8,000 / 5,000; E-2 8,000 / 5,000; E-3 8,000 / 5,000; E-4 8,000 / 7,000; E-5 9,000 / 7,000; E-6 11,000 / 8,000; E-7 13,000 / 11,000; E-8 14,000 / 12,000; E-9 15,000 / 13,000. Source: JTR Table 5-37.
Is the PCS weight allowance different for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force or Coast Guard?
Table 5-37 has no branch column. It is organized by pay grade and by whether the member has dependents, so a Navy E-6 and an Army E-6 look up the same row. The JTR is the Joint Travel Regulations, and the table does not list the services separately. Your own service and transportation office handle the order and any service-specific rules.
What is the Army PCS weight allowance by rank?
The JTR table has no Army column, so soldiers use the same pay-grade rows as everyone else: for example an E-5 is 9,000 lb with dependents and 7,000 lb without, and an O-3 is 14,500 lb with dependents and 13,000 lb without. The Sergeant Major of the Army is one of the senior enlisted advisors covered by a separate rule: 17,000 lb with dependents or 14,000 lb without.
What is the PCS weight allowance for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard?
The same table: Table 5-37 is by pay grade and dependents, with no branch column. Pick your pay grade on the effective date of the PCS order in the lookup above. The senior enlisted advisor rule names the top enlisted positions of the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard along with the Army, and the advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Guard Bureau.
Is the PCS weight allowance chart different in 2025 and 2026?
The table on this page is from the JTR edition dated 10/01/2026. We did not compare it with earlier editions, so this page does not say how it relates to any earlier year. Check the current JTR on the DTMO site before you rely on a figure.
Who counts as having dependents for the weight allowance?
A Service member with dependents is one who has a dependent eligible to travel at Government expense due to a PCS, regardless if the dependent actually travels. After the death of all dependents, or a divorce that leaves no dependents eligible to travel at Government expense, the member's first PCS keeps the with-dependent rate.
Does my PBP&E, medical equipment or gun safe count against the allowance?
No. The JTR says the weight of PBP&E, required medical equipment and gun safes is not included in the authorized HHG weight allowance, and neither is accompanied baggage or excess accompanied baggage. Unaccompanied baggage and household goods in storage do count.
Is the PCS weight allowance different overseas (OCONUS)?
It can be lower. The JTR lets the services restrict the allowance at an OCONUS duty station because of factors at that location, such as whether HHG is supplied, limited housing space or limited storage. The remainder of your Table 5-37 allowance that cannot go to the new station can be shipped to a designated place or put in storage. The Administrative HHG Weight Allowance Locations list gives the weights by location.
Can I get more than the weight allowance in the table?
Only on an individual basis, and only for a member in pay grade O-5 or below, up to a total of 18,000 lb, with a written determination from the approval authority that failure to increase the allowance would create a significant hardship to the member or dependent.
How do I work out the net weight of my shipment?
JTR Table 5-39 gives the methods. If the transporter weighed the shipment with internal packing materials and the unpacked weight is not known, the table subtracts 10% of the weight shown on the shipping documents. If the goods are not weighed and the weight cannot be obtained, it computes 7 lb per cubic foot. Other methods apply to unaccompanied baggage and direct procurement shipments.
What if I go over my weight allowance?
Under JTR par. 051306-A, you must repay the Service for the cost of transporting HHG above your weight allowance unless you have specific authorization for an increased allowance, which is limited to 18,000 lb. Excess costs include all transportation costs the Government paid to move the HHG, such as storage and accessorial services. You are financially responsible even if the Transportation Officer did not notify you before the move, and erroneous advice, or lack of advice, from a Government agent does not create an entitlement to more weight. Table 5-36 sets how the excess cost is determined for each kind of shipment; your transportation office computes the amount.
My spouse is also in the military. Do we get two allowances?
The JTR lets two Service members married to each other combine their Table 5-37 allowances for HHG transportation and storage when each has a PCS order between duty stations where they keep a joint residence within commuting distance. Where an OCONUS administrative limit applies, Table 5-38 decides whether the couple gets one or two administrative allowances.