.png)
Read this first
There are two systems right now, not one
This is the single most confusing thing about a PCS in 2026, and most of what you will read online gets it wrong.
MilMove and DPS are both live. MilMove is the newer system, used for moves under the Global Household Goods Contract. DPS — the Defense Personal Property System — is the legacy system, used for moves under the older Tender of Service contract. The military is running both while the transition finishes.
You do not get to pick. Which system you use is determined by which contract your move falls under. Access to MilMove is by invitation based on that determination.
How to find out which one applies to you
Do not start by trying to create an account somewhere. Start at the Military OneSource personal property page and follow the link from there. You will answer a series of questions, and if your move is selected for MilMove you will be directed there automatically. If not, you will create a DPS account.
- MilMove — new system, access by invitation under the Global Household Goods Contract
- DPS — legacy system, Tender of Service contract
If you get stuck, the help desk is 833-MIL-MOVE (833-645-6683).
Household goods questions
What families ask about scheduling and shipping.
01
Not entirely. Both systems are currently in use. MilMove handles moves under the Global Household Goods Contract; DPS handles legacy Tender of Service moves. Access to MilMove is by invitation based on which contract applies to your move — it is not a choice you make.
02
It is the entry point for the military's household goods moving systems. Start from the Military OneSource personal property page, answer the questions, and you will be routed to MilMove or DPS depending on your move.
03
If it is your first move, or you are separating or retiring, yes — contact your transportation office before scheduling. If you want to do a personally procured move, yes. Otherwise it is strongly recommended but not always required.
04
Equipment, tools, references and uniforms genuinely needed for your professional duties. Up to 2,000 pounds for the servicemember and 500 pounds for the spouse, weighed separately from your household goods allowance. It must be identified as pro-gear at pickup.
05
When should I book my move?
The day you have orders in hand. Moving capacity is finite and peak season runs roughly May through August. Families who book late are the ones who end up doing an unplanned personally procured move.
Counseling: who has to, and who wants to
Two groups are required to contact their local transportation office before scheduling anything:
- First-time movers, and anyone separating or retiring from service
- Anyone who intends to do a personally procured move — a PPM, still widely called a DITY
Even if you are in neither group, counseling is worth the appointment. The transportation office is where you find out what your actual weight allowance is, whether your situation qualifies for anything unusual, and what documentation you will need to keep. It is available in person or by phone.
Weight allowances
Your allowance is set by rank, dependency status and move type. The specific numbers live in the Joint Travel Regulations, and branch-specific allowances can differ.
I am deliberately not publishing a weight table here. The JTR is republished monthly and policy can change mid-month, so any table on a realtor's website is a table waiting to be wrong. Get your number from your transportation office or the JTR itself.
What I can tell you is that going over your allowance is expensive and comes out of your pocket, and that the single most common cause is a garage nobody weighed mentally before the packers arrived.
Pro-gear does not count against you
Professional gear is weighed separately from your household goods allowance: up to 2,000 pounds for the servicemember and up to 500 pounds for the spouse. It has to be genuinely professional — tools, references, uniforms, equipment needed for your job — and it has to be identified and inventoried as pro-gear at pickup, not argued about afterward.
Things with their own rules
Firearms and ammunition, alcohol, and privately owned vehicles all have separate handling rules. Flat-panel televisions up to 75 inches ship without crating charges. If you own something unusual — a piano, a boat, a gun safe, a hobby that involves solvents — raise it at counseling rather than on pickup day.
Sources and further reading
- MilMove sign-in
- DPS (legacy) sign-in
- Military OneSource — PCS entitlements and pro-gear
- Joint Travel Regulations
- Army Family Readiness — Preparing For Your Move (MilMove vs DPS)
Last updated: September 2026. The MilMove/DPS dual-system arrangement is transitional and is expected to change. Confirm current guidance with your transportation office.
.png)