Non-Temporary Storage (NTS): The Long-Term PCS Storage Rules

Orders to Japan, a remote tour, or a set of government quarters half the size of your current house all raise the same question: what happens to everything that is not coming with you? Non-temporary storage is the military's answer. Non-temporary storage, almost always shortened to NTS, holds your household goods at government expense for the length of your tour rather than for a set number of days.

It is not the same benefit as storage in transit, the rules are stricter than most families expect, and one detail surprises nearly everyone: the weight you put in NTS still counts against your total allowance.

What NTS Is

NTS is long-term storage authorized in place of shipping your property. According to the Navy's NTS briefing on JTR 5212, the benefit covers packing, crating, unpacking, uncrating, transportation, and other necessary services. The Joint Travel Regulations, or JTR, is the rulebook that governs military travel and transportation entitlements.

The Defense Department's NTS fact sheet, updated March 2026, describes two broad situations where it is authorized: a move to an overseas or remote location that limits what you can ship, and personnel who are retiring or separating and do not yet have a final home address.

One hard truth up front. NTS facilities are not required to be climate controlled. That single sentence should shape what you decide to store.

NTS vs. SIT: The Difference That Matters

These two get mixed up constantly, and the mistake is expensive.

The two can also convert into each other. Items already in SIT can move to NTS if you receive new orders authorizing storage, and NTS can convert to SIT if you get orders authorizing shipment. When NTS converts to SIT, storage beyond 180 days becomes your bill. Our storage in transit guide covers the 90-day clock in detail.

NTS holds goods for a tour; SIT holds them for a move. Source: JTR 5212 through 5234 as summarized by NAVSUP and the DoD NTS fact sheet.

The Weight Allowance Trap

Here is the detail people get wrong most often, including some advice you will find online.

NTS weight is not free. The Navy's briefing on JTR 5212 states plainly that the combined weight of all shipments cannot exceed your weight allowance, or the member is responsible for all excess costs. Luke Air Force Base's personal property office puts it as a formula: household goods, plus unaccompanied baggage, plus NTS, plus any personally procured move must all fit inside the total weight you are authorized.

So if your rank allows 12,000 pounds and you ship 9,000 to Japan, you have 3,000 pounds of NTS left, not a fresh 12,000. Check your number against our 2026 PCS weight allowance by rank before you decide what goes into the crate, and remember that a personally procured move draws from the same total.

The movers will not track this for you. You are responsible for staying under your allowance.

When NTS Is and Is Not Authorized

NTS tied to housing has a clear line down the middle. Per JTR 5222, it may be authorized when:

• You must vacate government or privatized housing because you are separating or retiring
• Housing authorizes it because of a reassignment for unfit occupancy
• Your household goods cannot fit in your assigned government quarters, and housing authorizes NTS

It may not be authorized when:

• You request it for your own convenience
• You accept housing too small to hold your property
• You leave government or privatized housing for personal reasons

Other authorized situations include orders to a remote location in the continental United States, an assignment pending Dependent Entry Approval for an overseas location, and a period when you are awaiting final orders to a permanent duty station. NTS cannot be used for the return of dependents from overseas, and shipping from one NTS facility to another is prohibited.

Trying to decide between storing a houseful of furniture and selling the house it sits in? That is a real estate question as much as a logistics one. Talk with a VeteranPCS agent in your current state before your pack-out date. It costs nothing.

What You Cannot Put in NTS

Because the facilities are not climate controlled, the exclusion list is longer than a normal shipment.

• All food and liquid items, including canned, dried, and hermetically sealed food and spices
• Consumable liquids of any kind
• All lithium batteries
• Ammunition, which cannot be stored even if the firearm can

Firearms and gun safes can be stored, with conditions. They cannot be locked without giving the moving company the combination or keys, all ammunition must be removed before packers arrive, and the make, model, year, serial number, and caliber must be written on your inventory. Prepare firearms for long-term storage the way the manufacturer recommends first. Claims get denied when preparation was skipped.

Plastic totes are a common surprise. Everything entering NTS has to be in an approved fiberboard box. If your tote fits inside one, it can be stored as is. If it does not, the crew will unpack it and repack the contents.

Time Limits and Extensions

NTS begins on the date the shipment is ordered into storage and continues as long as the qualifying situation exists. The end date depends on why you are storing.

• PCS with temporary duty en route: NTS ends when you report to the new command.
• CONUS to overseas, or overseas to overseas: NTS ends at the reporting date of your next orders back to the continental United States.
• Separating: NTS expires 180 days from the separation date.
• Retiring: NTS expires one year from the retirement date.

If your tour is extended or you PCS to another overseas assignment, you must give your transportation office a copy of the new orders. Skip that step and the storage cost can convert to your personal expense, which also puts any later loss or damage claim at risk.

Extensions are possible but formal. Submit a written request with supporting documents, such as orders extending your tour, before the current authorization expires. The personal property shipping office approves it after review. A late request is a much harder conversation than an early one.

For an overseas move, pair this with our overseas PCS guide so the storage decision and the shipping decision get made together.

Loss and Damage on an NTS Shipment

The claims process for NTS runs differently from a regular household goods shipment. On delivery day the NTS moving company gives you a DP3 Notification of Loss or Damage At Delivery form, and you inspect the items together before signing. If something is missing, the company must start a tracer immediately and tell you the result within 30 days.

For anything you find later, the deadlines follow the same 2026 structure as other shipments. Submit the after-delivery notification within 180 days, then file the final claim within nine months of delivery for shipments picked up before May 15, 2026, or within 12 months for shipments picked up on or after that date. Note that NTS claims are not filed in the Defense Personal Property System; they go directly to the moving company. Our PCS damage claim guide walks through the evidence you need either way.

Residential damage is separate again. If the crew damages your home, you must notify the NTS moving company and provide your contact information within seven calendar days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does NTS count against my PCS weight allowance?

Yes. Household goods, unaccompanied baggage, NTS, and a personally procured move all draw from the same authorized total. Going over means you pay the excess costs.

How long can my things stay in NTS?

As long as the qualifying situation lasts. For separating members it expires 180 days from separation, and for retirees one year from retirement.

Is NTS climate controlled?

No. Facilities are not required to be climate controlled, which is why liquids, food, and lithium batteries are prohibited and why sensitive items are better off going with you.

Can I get some items out of NTS early?

You can request withdrawal in place of continued storage, but items you withdraw cannot be stored or shipped again unless you receive new orders.

Where will my NTS be stored?

In a facility near your origin location, chosen by the transportation office. Shipments returning from overseas are stored at a facility determined by your service.

The Bottom Line

NTS is a genuinely useful benefit for an overseas or remote tour, as long as you treat it as part of one weight budget instead of a bonus. Store the furniture, keep the fragile and irreplaceable things with you, and calendar the expiration date the day the crate closes. When the tour ends and you are ready to put down roots, connect with a VeteranPCS agent or lender in the state you are headed to. Know someone about to pack out for an overseas tour? Send this along.

This content is for informational purposes. Consult a professional for personal financial decisions.