Civilian PCS Frequently Asked Questions

Check with your agency regarding policies for the use of your government credit card for civilian PCS travel. Please also be aware that your claim payment date and credit card payment due date may not coincide. Also note that most civilian PCS travel is taxable and more than likely you will receive less money from your claim than you charged to the government credit card. You are responsible for any and all amounts charged to your government issued travel credit card including any late fees and/or penalties.

We strongly recommend that you save every document (i.e., receipts, bill of sale, invoices, etc.) for every incurred expense in your civilian PCS move; these may be needed for reimbursement and/or tax purposes. A properly completed DD Form 1351-2 (Travel Voucher or Sub voucher) must accompany every request for payment. Be sure to keep a copy of anything you submit, as well as a copy of all settled vouchers, for your records.

You are eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance if you are an employee who is authorized to transfer, and in addition:
(a) Both your old and new official stations are located within the United States;
(b) You are not assigned to Government or other prearranged housing at your new official station; and
(c) Your old and new official stations are 75 or more miles apart (as measured by map distance) via a usually traveled surface route.

New appointees and employees assigned under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4109) are not eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance.

You will receive a househunting trip expenses allowance if:
(a) Your agency authorized you to perform a househunting trip in advance of the travel (the agency authorization must specify the mode of transportation and the period of time allowed for the trip);
(b) You have signed a service agreement;
(c) Your agency has established, and informed you of, the date you are to report to your new official station; and
(d) You meet any additional conditions your agency has established.

Yes, however, your reimbursement will be limited to the cost that would have been incurred if you and your spouse had traveled together on one round trip.

You may begin your househunting trip as soon as your agency has notified you of your transfer and issued a travel authorization for a househunting trip. To take maximum advantage of your trip, however, it is very important that you become familiar as quickly as you can with your new official station area (e.g., housing market conditions, school locations, etc.). If you are selling your residence at your old official station, you should not begin your househunting trip until you have a current appraisal of the value of the residence so that you can more accurately determine the appropriate price range of residences to consider during your househunting trip.

FOR	YOUR HOUSEHUNTINGTRIP MUST BE COMPLETE BY
You	The day before reporting to your new official station.
Your Spouse	The earlier of: (a) the day before your family relocates to your new official station OR (b) the day before the maximum time for beginning allowable travel expires

Your agency will authorize you to travel by the transportation mode(s) (e.g., airline, train, or privately owned automobile) it determines to be advantageous to the Government. Your agency will pay for your transportation expenses by the authorized mode(s). If you travel by any other mode(s), your agency will pay your transportation expenses not to exceed the cost of transportation by the authorized mode(s).

Yes, if your Lump Sum househunting amount is more than adequate to cover your househunting expenses any balance belongs to you.

Yes, you are required to provide the itinerary of air schedule to include the transportation cost, if flying. You are also required to provide receipts for any reimbursable expense of $75 or more.

Yes, the reimbursement is limited to the round trip constructive taxi cost. You will need to indicate on your claim the amount a taxi would have cost to and from the airport. What taxi company?

Yes, per diem for your immediate family members cannot be authorized if you are:
(a) A new appointee;
(b) Assigned to posts of duty outside CONUS returning to place of actual residence for separation; or
(c) Being relocated under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4109).

No; for per diem purposes, you and your spouse are considered to be traveling together if you travel on the same days along the same general route by using more than one POV.

Per Diem allowance is reimbursed based on the lesser of the result of:

a.  Allowing 1 day of travel time for each 350 miles of official distance between the old and new PDS or authorized points.  If the access is 51 miles or more after dividing the total number of miles by 350, one additional day of travel is allowed.  When the total offical distance is 400 miles or less, 1 day's trave time is allowed.

b.  Actual travel time in full days (e.g. 9 days and 3 hours is 10 days)

Yes, your agency may authorize exceptions to the daily minimum driving distance when there is a delay beyond your control such as acts of God, restrictions by Governmental authorities, or other acceptable reasons; e.g., a physical handicap or special needs. Your agency must have a designated approving official authorize the exception.

Yes, the weight on any PBP&E is generally part of and not in addition to the 18,000 pound HHG weight limitation. However, if the weight of any PBP&E causes the lot to exceed 18,000 pounds, the PBP&E may be transported to the new duty station as an administrative expense of the agency. Authorization for such shipment is granted solely at the discretion of the agency and subject to its policies governing such shipment.

No, the 18,000 pound HHG weight limitation is mandated by statute and cannot be exceeded. Shipments of PBP&E as an administrative expense to the agency are not subject to the HHG maximum weight allowance.

Household goods may be transported and stored in multiple lots, however, your maximum HHG weight allowance is based upon shipping and storing all HHG as one lot.

Yes. The disadvantages to using the commuted rate method for transporting HHG, PBP&E and temporary storage are that the:
(a) Government cannot take advantage of any special rates that may be offered only to Government shipments;
(b) Commuted rate method does not apply to intrastate moves; and
(c) Commuted rate method may not fully reimburse your out-of-pocket expenses.

Your agency is responsible for making all the necessary arrangements for transporting HHG, PBP&E, and temporary storage, including but not limited to packing/unpacking, crating/uncrating, pickup/delivery, weighing, line-haul, etc., under the actual expense method. Your agency will issue a Bill of Lading or any other shipping document with all charges billed directly to the agency. Any cost or weight in excess of 18,000 pounds will be at your expense. If the shipment exceeds the maximum weight, the Government will pay the total charges and the employee will reimburse the Government for the cost of transportation and other charges applicable to the excess weight.

To reduce the Government's overall relocation costs by allowing transportation of a POV to your official station within CONUS when it is advantageous and cost effective to the Government, and to improve our overall effectiveness if you are transferred or otherwise reassigned to a post of duty at which it is in the interest of the Government for you to have use of a POV for personal transportation.

Only a passenger automobile, station wagon, light truck, or other similar vehicle that will be used primarily for personal transportation may be authorized to transport, and if necessary store under emergency circumstances. You may not transport or store a trailer, airplane, or any vehicle intended for commercial use.

When your agency authorizes transportation of your POV, it will pay for all necessary and customary expenses directly related to the transportation of the POV, including crating and packing expenses, shipping charges, and port charges for readying the POV for shipment at the port of embarkation, and for use at the port of debarkation.

Your agency will pay all necessary storage expenses, including but not limited to readying the POV for storage, local transportation to point of storage, storage, readying the POV for use after storage, and local transportation from the point of storage. Insurance on the POV is at your expense, unless it is included in the expenses allowed by this paragraph.

You are eligible for a TQSE allowance if you are an employee who is authorized to transfer; and
(a) Your new official station is located within the United States; and
(b) Your old and new official stations are 50 miles or more apart (as measured by map distance) via a usually traveled surface route.

New appointees, employees assigned under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4109), and employees returning from an overseas assignment for the purpose of separation are not eligible for a TQSE allowance.

No, your agency determines whether it is in the Government's interest to pay TQSE.

Yes. For example, if you must vacate your home at the old official station and report to the new official station and your family remains behind until the end of the school year, you may need to occupy temporary quarters at the new official station while your family occupies temporary quarters at the old official station.

No, you may not receive a TQSE allowance under this part when you transfer to an area outside the United States. However, you may qualify for a comparable allowance under the Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas) prescribed by the Department of State.

No, the eligibility period for which you are authorized to claim actual TQSE reimbursement for yourself and for each member of your immediate family must run concurrently.

No, you will not receive additional TQSE reimbursement if the Lump Sum amount is not adequate to cover your TQSE.

Yes, if your Lump Sum TQSE amount is more than adequate to cover your TQSE expenses any balance belongs to you.

No, your agency must not authorize an advance of funds for MEA.

Yes, a MEA cannot be used to reimburse:
(a) Costs or expenses incurred which exceed maximums provided by statute or in this subtitle;
(b) Costs or expenses incurred but which are disallowed elsewhere in this subtitle;
(c) Costs reimbursed under other provisions of law or regulations;
(d) Costs or expenses incurred for reasons of personal taste or preference and not required because of the move;
(e) Losses covered by insurance;
(f) Fines or other penalties imposed upon the employee or members of his/her immediate family;
(g) Judgments, court costs, and similar expenses growing out of civil actions; or
(h) Any other expenses brought about by circumstances, factors, or actions in which the move to a new duty station was not the proximate cause.

No, you do not have to sell the residence at your old official station to be eligible for residence purchase transactions at your new official station.

Your claim for reimbursement should be submitted to your agency as soon as possible after the transaction occurred. Under 31 U.S.C. § 3702(b) a claim must be submitted within six years of accrual.  However, the settlement dates for the sale and purchase or lease termination transactions for which reimbursement is requested must occur not later than 1 year after the day you report for duty at your new official station.

Note: If your effective date of transfer was before 1 Aug 2011, you have two years to execute your entitlements.  if your effective date of transfers was 1 Aug 2011 or later, the time to execute the entitlement is reduced to one year.

An extension may be granted only if extenuating circumstances prevented the employee from completing the sale, purchase and/or lease termination transactions within the initial 1-year period and that the delayed transactions are reasonably related to the PCS. (CBCA 2092-Relo, 13 October 2010)

No, losses incurred due to market conditions or prices at your old and new duty station are not reimbursable when incurred by you due to:
(a) Failure to sell a residence at the old official station at the price asked, or at its current appraised value, or at its original cost; or
(b) Failure to buy a dwelling at the new official station at a price comparable to the selling price of the residence at the old official station; or
(c) Any losses that are similar in nature to (a) or (b).

If the employee violates his/her service agreement, no residence transaction expenses will be paid, and any amounts paid prior to such violation shall be a debt due the United States until they are paid by the employee.

To request reimbursement for settlement of an unexpired lease, you must itemize expenses (list all expenses separately) on a travel voucher and submit the voucher to your agency.

When you share a lease with someone else you will be reimbursed on a pro rata basis for that portion of the lease that you are responsible for.

You are eligible to receive an allowance for overseas tour renewal travel if:
(a) You are on an overseas assignment, and you have completed your tour of duty and satisfactorily completed your service agreement time period; and
(b) You are on an overseas assignment and you have signed a new service agreement to remain at your overseas post or to transfer to another overseas post of duty; or
(c) You meet the requirements and are eligible for tour renewal travel from Alaska or Hawaii

If you travel to another overseas location (instead of the U.S.), you will be reimbursed only if your actual residence is within that country in which you are taking your leave, and then you will only be reimbursed your authorized travel and transportation expenses. You will have to pay any expense(s) above your authorized amount.

No, you are not required to spend time at your actual place of residence to receive reimbursement if you travel to another place in the U.S. (other than your actual place of residence).

(a) If you are stationed in a foreign area or in an area other than Alaska or Hawaii, your agency may reimburse you for one overseas tour renewal trip for each time you complete your service agreement, which is related to your post of duty.
(b) For recruiting and retention purposes of consecutive tours served within Alaska and Hawaii, your agency may reimburse you a maximum of two round trips which must begin within 5 years after the date of your first tour.

You will be reimbursed the transportation costs you actually incur, not to exceed what it would have cost to transport your POV from your authorized origin to the authorized destination.

Yes, if conditions change at your post of duty such that use of your POV no longer is in the interest of the Government, or if you separate from Government service prior to completion of your service agreement for reasons beyond your control and acceptable to your agency, your agency may authorize return transportation to your authorized destination. When the return transportation is based on changed conditions, you are still required to complete your service agreement. If you do not, you will be required to repay the transportation costs.

In addition to your travel, and that of your dependents, if applicable, the personnel office issuing the PCS travel authorization determines which of the following you may be authorized:
a. FTA- Foreign Transfer Allowance up to 10 days stateside prior to departure Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
b. TQSA - Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance is a State Department allowance after arriving OCONUS, similar to TQSE in CONUS (DSSR)
c. TQSE - when PCSing to CONUS, it can be utilized upon vacating the OCONUS or CONUS residence while waiting for HHG to be shipped, and continued upon arrival in CONUS
d. Advance of pay (salary) issued by the servicing payroll office (DSSR)
e. POV shipment for 1 vehicle if advantageous to the Government
f. HHG shipment via GBL (or actual expense NTE GBL)
g. Passport and visa fees, cost of birth cirtificates, currency conversion fees, travel related check cashing fees, and charges for inoculations which cannot be obtained through a Federal dispensary

A real estate sale allowance can be paid upon completion of the overseas tour when returning to a different United States (or non-foreign overseas location like Hawaii or Guam) location than the one from which you left.

No.