Fill Out DA Form 5960 in 2026
Start, stop, or update your basic housing allowance, and note life events like marriage or government quarters that change your BAQ or VHA eligibility.
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How to fill out a DA Form 5960
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Open the form
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Fill in your details
Complete every required field, including name, SSN, grade, and duty location.
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What is a DA Form 5960?
DA Form 5960 is the Army document soldiers use to start, stop, or change Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ) and Variable Housing Allowance (VHA). It confirms that housing pay matches a soldier's marital status, dependents, and duty location. During in-processing, soldiers must re-certify their housing allowance entitlement no matter their dependency status, and this form is how they do it. Signing it means certifying the details are accurate and agreeing to report any changes that affect pay, since errors can lead to nonpayment.
Key Takeaways
- DA Form 5960 sets Army housing allowance pay
- Soldiers file it to start, stop, or change BAQ/VHA
- Form requires certifying dependency status
What is a DA Form 5960 used for?
A service member uses this form to manage housing allowance entitlements and keep pay records current. Common reasons for filing include:
- Starting, adjusting, or stopping BAQ or VHA entitlement
- Re-certifying BAH entitlement during in-processing, no matter the dependency status
- Reporting life events like marriage or a dependent's death that change housing entitlement
- Proving dependent support or residence to establish BAH eligibility
- Updating details that affect the member's military pay record
What information is required on a DA Form 5960?
Name (Last, First, MI)
Enter the member's last name, first name, and middle initial in that order.
Social Security Number (SSN)
Enter the member's SSN so the Army can match the record for pay purposes.
Grade
Enter the member's current military rank at the time of filing.
Type of Action
Mark an X next to the reason for starting, stopping, or changing the allowance.
Duty Location
Enter the member's complete unit address for the current duty station.
Date (Effective Date of Action)
Enter the date the reported action takes effect for allowance purposes.
BAQ/BAH Type and Dependents/Sharers (Item 10)
Mark the allowance type and list sharer names, address, and mortgage or rent details.
Certification and Member's Signature/Date
Initial the dependent-support certification, then sign and date the completed form.
When is a DA Form 5960 due?
There's no single due date. File DA Form 5960 whenever your BAH or dependency status changes — after marriage, divorce, a birth, a PCS move, or a move on or off post. Soldiers also recertify their BAH entitlement each year during the annual Personnel and Finance Records Review, so timing follows life events and that yearly check rather than a fixed date.
Start your BAQ or VHA request
Open DA Form 5960, fill in your housing allowance details, and download the finished document, ready whenever you need it.
When is a DA Form 5960 not required?
You can skip the form when PCS orders already document the change at in-processing, since the orders stand in for it, or when an automated Army pay system entry records the update instead of paper. Soldiers with no BAQ or VHA entitlement change, such as no dependents or government quarters, have nothing to authorize.
What does a DA Form 5960 form look like
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