Dislocation Allowance

A dislocation allowance (DLA) partially reimburses a service member for expenses incurred when moving a household. The DLA is a flat amount and may be paid as a primary DLA, a secondary DLA, or a partial DLA, depending upon the circumstances of the household move.

A service member’s grade and dependency status on the permanent change of station (PCS) travel order’s effective date [PDF, 2 pages] determines the amount of the DLA.

Only one DLA payment is permitted in a fiscal year, unless the situation qualifies as an exception specified in the JTR, par. 050501 [PDF].

Secondary and Partial DLAs

Service members are eligible for a secondary DLA when a PCS order is amended, modified, canceled, or revoked. See JTR, par. 050507 [PDF] for more information or contact a servicing Finance Office with additional questions.

A partial DLA is a one-time payment paid at a flat rate for a qualifying event. Download current and archived partial DLA rates [PDF, 1 page] or refer to the JTR, par. 050508 [PDF] for more information.

Files contain primary and secondary rates.