Hawaii PCS Checklist: 90 Days Out Through Your First 30 Days

The Most Complete Hawaii PCS Guide on the Web

Updated November 2026. By Tony Kawaguchi, REALTOR, The Kawaguchi Group, eXp Realty.

Quick answer: Start housing, a VA conversation if you may buy, pet paperwork, and a vehicle-shipping check as soon as orders are in view. Hawaii uses BAH, not OHA. After you arrive, the gaining housing office administers Temporary Lodging Allowance, or TLA. Temporary Lodging Expense, or TLE, is the CONUS temporary-lodging allowance. Dogs and cats must meet Hawaii Department of Agriculture rabies import rules or can be quarantined for up to 120 days. This is a planning checklist, not official orders or a guarantee of any allowance.

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I'm Tony Kawaguchi, and I've been selling in Hawaii since 2005. A Hawaii PCS has a lot of moving parts that are easy to start too late: a FAVN waiting period for a dog or cat, a POV appointment, a housing-office check-in, and, if you want to buy, a VA loan that still has to clear Hawaii condo or leasehold rules. This page is the sequence I walk people through, from 90 days out through the first 30 days after you report. For the wider picture, start at the Hawaii PCS Guide. Ryan Adams, a 13-year Army veteran on our team, is often a good first conversation about the military side of the move while I work the housing search.

Oahu base housing guides

Call me at (808) 201-3577 or send me a message with your report date and gaining command, and we can put this timeline on your calendar.

90 Days Out

This is the planning window. If your orders dropped later than this, start the same items the day you get them and tell me what is already in motion.

  • Read the Hawaii PCS Guide and the off-base guide for your gaining installation. Drive times on the Oahu commute-times page are estimates, not live traffic.
  • Start an advance on-base housing application if you want privatized housing, and create free accounts on HOMES.mil and the Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN) for off-base rentals. U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii's official guide points arriving Soldiers to both sites. An advance Army or Marine application can start the file, but official guidance is that a house is not offered until you sign in or report. At Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, an advance application does not by itself place you on the wait list.
  • Look up your official BAH on the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup. Hawaii uses BAH, not OHA. I do not quote a dollar rate here; unofficial tables go stale. Our Hawaii BAH Rates explains how to use the official calculator.
  • If you may buy, request a Certificate of Eligibility and talk with a VA-experienced lender. A COE is not a loan approval. See VA home loans in Hawaii for entitlement, funding fees, approved condos, and leasehold.
  • Start pet paperwork if a dog or cat is coming. Official Hawaii Department of Agriculture rules are on the Animal Quarantine Information page. The waiting periods alone can eat a month after a passing FAVN test.
  • Contact your local transportation office about household-goods and privately owned vehicle entitlements. Do not assume a second car will ship at government expense.

60 Days Out

This is when appointments and documents need to be real, not just on a list.

  • If you have a government-paid POV entitlement, schedule turn-in through the official PCSmyPOV portal after your transportation office confirms you are eligible. USTRANSCOM's Defense Personal Property Program is the official program. Follow current turn-in rules on that portal; I will not invent fuel-level or recall requirements here.
  • Submit pet applications and supporting documents. The official page allows online filing through the Hawaii Pet Owner Portal, and it still accepts mailed applications. For the lower direct-airport-release fee, and a smoother arrival, the official page says documents need to be received by the Animal Quarantine Station 10 days or more before arrival.
  • If you are buying, keep pre-approval current and start looking at properties I have already screened for VA condo approval and leasehold issues. If you are renting, we can narrow areas near the gate so you are not choosing a hotel-neighborhood on arrival day.
  • Note the gaining housing office and, if you have not already, submit the advance housing application that office or the privatized partner asks for (orders, a current leave-and-earnings statement, and, where required, DD Form 1746). For Army housing on Oahu, the official Housing Services Office page is the starting point, including TLA information. Other branches should use their official housing office page or the links in the matching base guide.

30 Days Out

Confirm the items that can strand a pet, a car, or a first-night hotel plan.

  • Confirm that any required 30-day waiting periods after a passing FAVN test and after the most recent rabies vaccination will be complete before the pet's arrival date. Pay published fees only after you have checked the official page, because fees can change.
  • Finish or confirm the POV turn-in appointment, and keep login access so you can track the shipment later.
  • Set a temporary lodging plan. After you arrive in Hawaii, TLA is administered by the gaining housing office. Ask that office about approved lodging and what documents they require. Do not rely on a third-party hotel list. Army Hawaii's official guide says vacation rentals, timeshares, MWR cabins, and bed-and-breakfasts are not authorized, and that you should book an approved hotel directly, not through an outside website.
  • Lock household-goods dates with your transportation office, and keep a small arrival kit with you in case the shipment is late.
  • Download the PCS-to-Hawaii Guide if you want the longer checklist in one file, and send me your report date so I can have a short list of areas or listings ready.

Arrival Week

The first days are about check-in, temporary lodging, and not guessing on allowances.

  • Report as your orders require, then check in with the gaining housing office promptly. Army Hawaii's official guide says you must report to housing within 7 workdays after your reporting date, even if you do not intend to live on post. Army arrivals should also sign in at the U.S. Army Hawaii Liaison Desk near baggage claim 19 at the airport so TLA and in-processing can start. Official DTMO guidance is that you seek permanent housing as soon as possible after arrival. Unexcused delay can affect TLA.
  • If you need temporary lodging, use the process and any approved-lodging list your housing office gives you. Keep itemized, paid receipts. Army Hawaii offers a virtual Arrival TLA brief at 9:00 a.m. on weekdays; the office says it is encouraged, not mandatory. Local Army handouts describe an initial 30-day TLA period, with a possible extension up to 60 days if housing is secured and the move-in date requires it. I still want you to confirm the day count and any Navy Lodge or non-availability rule with the office that will stamp your claim.
  • If a pet is arriving, follow the Department of Agriculture inspection or pickup instructions. Direct airport release is not automatic just because you applied.
  • Your POV may arrive later than you do. Official program guidance is to wait for the Vehicle Processing Center to notify you that the vehicle is ready, then schedule pickup through PCSmyPOV. Do not treat a tracking update alone as a pickup window.
  • If you want off-base housing, send me a message as soon as you know whether you are renting or buying. I can work the search while you finish in-processing.

The First 30 Days

This is the stretch when TLA, a rental, or a VA purchase has to turn into a place you can actually occupy.

  • Stay in close contact with the housing office while you look. If you are buying, we keep the VA lender, condo approval, and leasehold review on the same calendar as your report date. If you are renting, we weigh commute estimates against what you can actually get under your BAH and lease timing.
  • Have the housing office review an off-base lease before you sign it or send a large deposit. Army, Navy, and Air Force housing offices on Oahu all list lease review among their services. Look for a military clause if you want one, and do not sign a separate form that waives your rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The lease does not need a military clause for those federal rights to apply; official Justice Department guidance is on ending a residential lease early.
  • If you are on Army TLA, official local guidance is to secure housing during the initial 30-day period. That can be a signed off-post lease, a housing offer letter from a privatized partner, or a signed purchase agreement. If you have not secured housing by then, ask the Housing Services Office what search documentation they need to consider a further memo.
  • When the VPC says your car is ready, schedule pickup through the official portal and bring the documents the program lists. Confirm any pickup deadline on that portal rather than from memory.
  • For vehicle registration, insurance, and driver's license questions, use official State of Hawaii and City and County of Honolulu sources, or the guidance your command hands out. I will not invent a day count for registration.
  • Revisit BAH only on the official DTMO calculator if your status changes. Compare the official figure with rent or a full purchase payment, including taxes, insurance, and any association or lease rent. There is no single right answer for every tour length.

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Pets: Hawaii Rabies Import Rules

I am not the Department of Agriculture, and this is not a substitute for the official checklist. The facts below are from the official Animal Quarantine Information page of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, now the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, checked November 14, 2026. Confirm every step there before you book a flight for a pet.

Hawaii is rabies-free. All dogs and cats, regardless of age, must comply with the state's dog and cat import requirements under Chapter 4-29, Hawaii Administrative Rules. Pets that meet the pre- and post-arrival requirements may qualify for the 5 Day Or Less program, which can include direct release at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport after inspection. Pets that do not meet those requirements can be quarantined for up to 120 days upon arrival.

Official direct-release requirements on that page include a minimum 30-day waiting period after a successful FAVN rabies antibody test, and a minimum 30-day waiting period after the most recent rabies vaccination, before the pet arrives in Hawaii. The same official page states that proof of two rabies vaccinations within the required timeframe and a passing FAVN test are required, and it directs owners to the official checklists for the remaining details, including microchip and health-certificate items. A newborn puppy or kitten is often about six months old by the time preparations for the 5 Day Or Less program can be completed.

Fees are published on that official page and can change, so confirm them before you pay. As of the November 14, 2026 check, direct airport release in Honolulu was listed at $185 when documents are received and qualified 10 days or more before arrival, and $244 when they are not. The 5 Day Or Less fee was listed at $244. You can apply online through the Hawaii Pet Owner Portal or by mail. For neighbor-island arrivals, the official page requires a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit and an approved local inspection veterinarian.

Our shipping, car, and pets guide covers the move logistics in one place. I still send every pet owner back to the official Department of Agriculture page before they travel.

Shipping a Car: The Official DoD POV Program

A Hawaii PCS is an overseas move for vehicle shipping. If you are entitled to ship a privately owned vehicle at government expense, that entitlement is typically limited to one POV. Your transportation office, not a website, confirms whether you have it. The official program sits under USTRANSCOM's Defense Personal Property Program. You request, track, and schedule turn-in or pickup through PCSmyPOV.

Do not treat contractor advice or old installation articles as current turn-in rules. Use the official portal and your transportation office for documents, vehicle condition, and pickup timing. If you want to ship a second vehicle at your own expense, get that cost from a carrier and compare it with buying a car here after you arrive. I will not invent that number. Practical packing and timing notes are also on our shipping and pets guide.

Housing Office, TLA, and TLE

Two official allowances get mixed up on a Hawaii PCS, so I keep them separate.

Temporary Lodging Expense, or TLE, is the DTMO allowance that partially reimburses lodging and meals while you occupy temporary lodging in the CONUS during a PCS. Official DTMO guidance says the number of authorized days is 7 or 21, depending on the location of the new permanent duty station, as set out in the Joint Travel Regulations. I do not assign your day count for you.

Temporary Lodging Allowance, or TLA, is the official allowance intended to partially pay higher-than-normal expenses while occupying temporary lodging at an OCONUS permanent duty station, including upon initial arrival while you wait for government quarters or arrange private-sector housing. Hawaii housing offices administer TLA after you arrive. Official DTMO guidance says members must seek permanent housing as soon as possible, and that unexcused failure to search diligently can end TLA. Amounts are computed from official percentage tables; I will not invent a daily rate.

Check in with the gaining housing office as soon as you can. Army Hawaii's official "Move With Aloha" guide says to report to housing within 7 workdays after your reporting date in Hawaii, even if you plan to live off post, and to contact the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Housing Services Office as soon as you have orders. That office is in Building 556, 344 Heard Ave., Schofield Barracks, at (808) 787-7700, and it offers weekday virtual TLA briefs. Use the official housing office for your own branch if you are not going through that office. Navy families at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam start at the Housing Service Center, (808) 474-1820, and Air Force families at the Hickam Housing Management Office, (808) 312-0199 or (808) 590-1402. Marine families use the MCBH Family Housing Office, (808) 496-2676. Ask them about TLA authorization, approved lodging, and the documents they want, such as orders and itemized receipts.

For off-base listings, register on HOMES.mil, the official Department of War rental-referral site, and on the Automated Housing Referral Network. Both are free for searchers, and landlords may list at no cost. Have the housing office review a lease before you sign it. Official Justice Department guidance is that a military clause is not required for Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lease-termination rights, and Military OneSource warns you not to sign a waiver of those rights. I am not a lawyer; use the housing office and legal assistance for the document in front of you. More detail on each installation is in the base guides below.

VA Loans, BAH, and the Base Guides

If you may buy, keep the VA loans in Hawaii guide next to this checklist. Get the COE early, use a VA-experienced lender, and have me check condo approval and leasehold before you offer. If you are comparing rent and a purchase, use your official BAH figure from the DTMO calculator and the explanations on the Hawaii BAH Rates. Then use the base guide that matches your command, and treat commute times as estimates.

Oahu base housing guides

For the broader move, see moving to Hawaii, what to know before you move, and the Hawaii cost of living page. I still want the report date and the gaining command first, because those two facts change the rest of the plan.

Hawaii PCS Checklist FAQ

When should I start planning housing for a Hawaii PCS?

As soon as you have orders, or even a firm report date. Ninety days out is a realistic start for a VA pre-approval, an off-base search, and pet paperwork, because a passing FAVN test has a 30-day waiting period. I also like to compare areas near your gaining command early, using commute estimates rather than last-minute listings. Call me at (808) 201-3577 and we can set the sequence.

Do dogs and cats have to be quarantined when they arrive in Hawaii?

Hawaii is rabies-free. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture requires all dogs and cats to meet official import rules. Pets that meet the 5 Day Or Less requirements may qualify for direct release at Honolulu's airport after inspection. Pets that do not can be quarantined for up to 120 days. Start the paperwork months ahead, and confirm current steps and fees on the official Animal Quarantine Information page.

Will the government ship my car to Hawaii?

If you have a government-paid POV entitlement, the official DoD program can ship one privately owned vehicle to or from an overseas location, including Hawaii. Your transportation office confirms whether you have that entitlement. Appointments, turn-in, pickup, and tracking run through the official PCSmyPOV portal under USTRANSCOM's Defense Personal Property Program. I do not quote transit times or a second-car cost; confirm those with your transportation office.

What is the difference between TLA and TLE on a Hawaii PCS?

TLE is a DTMO allowance that partially reimburses temporary lodging in the CONUS during a PCS. TLA is the OCONUS allowance for temporary lodging at or after arrival at an overseas permanent duty station. Hawaii housing offices administer TLA after you arrive. Official DTMO guidance is that you must look for permanent housing promptly. Army Hawaii's local handouts describe an initial 30-day period that can run to 60 days if housing is secured; confirm the day count, approved lodging, and any receipt rules with the office that will stamp your claim, and with the official DTMO pages.

When should I start a VA loan if I want to buy on this tour?

Request a Certificate of Eligibility and talk with a VA-experienced lender as soon as orders are in view, ideally around 90 days out. I work that in parallel with the housing search. A COE is not a loan approval, and Hawaii condo and leasehold rules can stop an otherwise eligible buyer. See our VA loans in Hawaii guide, then call me so we can line up the lender and the areas near your base.

How do I find my BAH for a Hawaii PCS?

Hawaii uses BAH, not OHA. Look up your official rate on the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup using your duty zip code, pay grade, and dependent status. I will not quote a dollar amount here, because unofficial reprints go stale. Our Hawaii BAH Rates explains rate protection and how to use the official calculator.

What should I do during arrival week on a Hawaii PCS?

Check in with your command and the gaining housing office first. Army Hawaii's official guide says to report to housing within 7 workdays after your reporting date, even if you plan to live off post. If you need temporary lodging, TLA is administered locally, and official guidance is that you look for permanent housing promptly. Have the housing office review an off-base lease before you sign it. If a pet is arriving, follow the Department of Agriculture pickup or inspection instructions. I can start or continue an off-base search as soon as you know your report date and whether you are renting or buying.

Which off-base areas should I consider near my command?

It depends on the installation. I wrote separate guides for Schofield and Wheeler, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, MCB Hawaii Kaneohe Bay, and Camp Smith, Tripler, and Fort Shafter. Use those with our Oahu commute-times page; the drive times there are estimates, not live traffic. Tell me your gaining command and whether you are using a VA loan, and I will narrow the list.

Sources

This page is general information, not official military, legal, or veterinary advice, and it is not a guarantee of TLA, TLE, a POV shipment, pet release, loan approval, or housing. Confirm allowances, entitlements, and import rules with your transportation office, the gaining housing office, official DTMO pages, and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

When you have a report date, call me at (808) 201-3577 or send a message, and I will help you line up the housing search with this timeline.

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