Your PCS Mileage Rate Went Up Mid-Year
The MALT rate rose from $0.205 to $0.235 a mile on 1 July 2026. Here is what it adds to a real move, and which rate your voucher is actually paid at.
The bottom line up front
- 1.The MALT rate for PCS driving is $0.235 per mile effective 1 July 2026, up from $0.205.
- 2.The rate in effect on the date travel BEGINS is the one you are paid (JTR par. 050203) — not the filing date.
- 3.Worth roughly $15 to $90 more per authorized vehicle on a typical CONUS move, and double that with two POVs.
- 4.It is not the TDY rate: driving a POV on TDY pays $0.76 per mile on the same date, because MALT is built from the IRS moving rate.
Mileage rates for military travel usually change once a year, on 1 January, and then stay put. 2026 is one of the exceptions. On 1 July 2026 the MALT rate — the per-mile allowance you are paid for driving your own vehicle on a PCS — went from $0.205 to $0.235 per mile. DTMO has published the new figure, and it applies now.
It is a small change per mile and an easy one to miss, but it is real money on a long move, and it is the kind of thing a finance office can settle at the wrong rate.
What actually changed
The mid-year adjustment started with the IRS. In Announcement 2026-11 (Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-29, 13 July 2026), the IRS modified its original 2026 rates notice and raised the optional standard mileage rates, citing increases in the price of fuel. DTMO then published the matching military rates:
| Rate | From 1 Jan 2026 | From 1 Jul 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| MALT (PCS driving) | $0.205 / mile | **$0.235 / mile** |
| TDY travel, POV car | $0.725 / mile | $0.76 / mile |
| Other mileage rate | $0.205 / mile | $0.235 / mile |
MALT is set from the IRS moving rate, not the business rate, which is why it is so much lower than the TDY figure. The moving-mileage methodology covers variable operating costs — fuel, wear — and not the full cost of owning the vehicle.
What it is worth on a real move
The increase is three cents a mile. Applied to the official distances people actually drive on a PCS, with one authorized vehicle:
| Official distance | Old rate | New rate | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 miles | $102.50 | $117.50 | +$15.00 |
| 1,000 miles | $205.00 | $235.00 | +$30.00 |
| 1,500 miles | $307.50 | $352.50 | +$45.00 |
| 2,000 miles | $410.00 | $470.00 | +$60.00 |
| 2,500 miles | $512.50 | $587.50 | +$75.00 |
| 3,000 miles | $615.00 | $705.00 | +$90.00 |
A second authorized POV doubles it. A family driving two cars 2,500 miles collects $1,175.00 in MALT instead of $1,025.00 — $150 more than the same move in June.
Keep it in proportion
MALT is usually the smaller half of PCS travel pay. On a 3,000-mile move you are authorized 9 travel days, and MALT Plus per diem pays a flat $178 for every one of them — $1,602, against $705 in mileage. The raise is worth having, but per diem and travel-day counting are where the big errors live.
Which rate your voucher gets
This is the part that catches people. Under JTR par. 050203, the rate that applies is the one in effect on the date your PCS travel begins — not the date you file the voucher, and not the date finance settles it.
- Travel that began on or after 1 July 2026 is paid at $0.235 per mile.
- Travel that began before 1 July 2026 is paid at $0.205 per mile, even if you filed in August.
Check a summer move carefully
If you drove in late June and filed in July or August, $0.205 is the correct rate and a settlement at $0.235 would be an overpayment you may have to give back. If you drove in July or later and your voucher settled at $0.205, you are short — 3 cents times your official DTOD distance, times each authorized vehicle. Take the DTMO rate table and your orders back to finance.
Checking your own number
MALT is one of the few military pay figures you can verify exactly, because none of the inputs are discretionary. It is the official DTOD distance between the two duty stations — not your odometer, not a maps app — multiplied by the rate, multiplied by the number of authorized vehicles. Passenger count does not change it.
Worked example
Example: 1,800-mile PCS, one POV, travel begins 15 July 2026
The same drive begun on 30 June would have paid $369.00. Travel days: 1,800 ÷ 350 = 5 with a remainder of 50, and 50 is under the 51-mile threshold, so no extra day is added — 5 days. One more mile would have made it 6. Run your own trip through the calculator to confirm.
The MALT and Per Diem Calculator uses the current $0.235 rate and handles the travel-day formula and dependent percentages. If you are weighing a DITY, the PPM Profit Calculator folds the same mileage into the move-payment math, and DLA is a separate lump sum on top of both.
The bottom line
PCS mileage is $0.235 a mile from 1 July 2026, up three cents. On a typical CONUS move that is $15 to $90 more per vehicle. The number that matters is the date your travel started, so if you moved this summer, check which side of 1 July you fall on before you accept the settlement.
Sources
- DTMO Mileage Rates table — MALT $0.235/mile, TDY POV car $0.76/mile, Other $0.235/mile, all effective 1 July 2026
- IRS Announcement 2026-11, "Optional Standard Mileage Rates" (Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-29, 13 July 2026) — modifies Notice 2026-10; business 76 cents, medical and moving 23.5 cents, effective 1 July 2026
- JTR par. 050203 — POV mileage, second POV, and the rate in effect on the date travel begins
- JTR par. 050205-A — PCS travel-day formula (400-mile threshold, 350 miles per day, 51-mile remainder)
Figures reflect 2026 rates and regulations. This guide is general information, not personalized financial or tax advice. Always verify with your finance office or a tax professional before making a decision. How we research and source: our methodology.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What is the MALT rate right now?
- $0.235 per mile per authorized POV, effective 1 July 2026. It was $0.205 from 1 January 2026. DTMO publishes the rate for the JTR.
- I drove in June but filed in August. Which rate do I get?
- $0.205. Under JTR par. 050203 the rate in effect on the date PCS travel begins is the one that applies, regardless of when the voucher is filed or settled.
- Why is the PCS rate only 23.5 cents when TDY driving pays 76 cents?
- They are built from different IRS figures. MALT uses the optional standard mileage rate for moving, which covers variable operating costs such as fuel and wear. The TDY rate uses the business rate, which reflects the full cost of operating a vehicle including depreciation and insurance.
- Does the rate change with how many people are in the car?
- No. MALT is paid per authorized vehicle, not per traveler. Up to two POVs can be authorized for a PCS, and each earns its own MALT over the same official distance. Per diem is what attaches to each traveler.
- Will the rate change again in January 2027?
- A 1 January adjustment is the normal pattern, and the mid-year increase does not lock the rate in. Check the DTMO mileage rates table before budgeting a move that starts in 2027 rather than assuming 23.5 cents carries over.
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Run your own numbers
REF: Military Toolkit Guides, effective 2026
Official 2026 DoD, DFAS, DTMO, IRS, and VA sources. See each guide’s Sources list
Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.