PCS move to Joint Base Lindsey Graham (Charleston)

Joint Base Charleston was renamed Joint Base Lindsey Graham on August 10, 2026, so you may see either name. After you get orders, contact your local transportation office for counseling, then book your household goods shipment in the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) or plan a personally procured move (PPM). Once you arrive, the Military and Family Readiness Center (843-963-4406) and the Fleet and Family Support Center (843-794-7480) are the base's newcomer contacts.

Joint Base Charleston is now Joint Base Lindsey Graham

On August 10, 2026, Joint Base Charleston was officially renamed Joint Base Lindsey Graham, S.C. As of our November 2026 check, the base website was still at its jbcharleston address.

Newcomer contacts on the base's welcome page:

Military and Family Readiness Center (Air Force): Building 500, 843-963-4406.
Fleet and Family Support Center (Navy): 843-794-7480.
Inns of Charleston (Building 362): the 24-hour arrival point for Air Force personnel. Staff can help you reach your sponsor or unit.

The base's Relocation Assistance Program offers PCS support, relocation workshops, Plan My Move and Military Installations directory access, a loan closet of household items where offered, and help with in-transit emergencies.

The newcomer page links to a Household Goods page, but we couldn't confirm a phone number for the base's household goods office. Ask the readiness center or family support center to connect you.

How a PCS move gets booked

These steps come from Military OneSource:

Get counseling. After you have orders, contact your local transportation office. First-time movers, separating members and retirees must do this before scheduling.
Schedule in DPS. Create your shipment in the Defense Personal Property System and pick dates within a seven-day pickup window. The transportation office reviews it and assigns a moving company.
Choose your move type. It can be a government-arranged household goods move or a personally procured move (PPM). You can split your weight allowance between the two.

For help with DPS or MilMove, call 833-MIL-MOVE (833-645-6683).

Doing a PPM

In a PPM, you move yourself or hire your own mover. The government pays an incentive based on its own best-value cost and the weight you actually move, up to your allowance, and you keep any savings. Most branches offer advances of up to 60%. Under a member-elected PPM you can receive up to 100% of the Government Constructed Cost.

You need transportation office approval and orders before you start. Keep every weight ticket and receipt.

If you hire your own mover, Military OneSource lists warning signs: very low quotes, being contacted by a broker instead of the mover, cash or electronic deposits demanded upfront, and unmarked trucks. It says to hire a mover registered with FMCSA.

Pro tip before you pay any deposit to a mover for a PPM, confirm the company is registered with FMCSA, as Military OneSource advises. Our Charleston moving cost guide shows what local movers and labor-only crews charge.

If you're clearing out before you leave the area, residents can drop furniture and junk for free at the Charleston County convenience centers, the Berkeley County centers or the Dorchester County sites.

South Carolina license and car steps

Driver's license: the SCDMV says new residents must apply for an SC license within 45 days of moving here.
Registering without an SC license: you fill out Form TI-006C. Being active-duty military in SC is one of the conditions that qualifies.
Car tax first: SC requires you to pay your county's vehicle property tax before the SCDMV will register the car.
Dorchester County: its out-of-state tag ordinance doesn't apply to active-duty military.

Our guide to SC driver's licenses and car tax for new residents has the full order and fees.

Summer PCS season weather

Summer is Charleston's hottest and wettest stretch. At Charleston International Airport, average highs are 88.5°F in June, 91.3°F in July and 89.8°F in August, and June through September each average about 6 to 7 inches of rain. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10. Read our guide to moving in hurricane season before you pick dates, and our new-resident checklist for utilities and voter registration.

Frequently asked questions

Is Joint Base Charleston the same as Joint Base Lindsey Graham?

Yes. Joint Base Charleston was officially renamed Joint Base Lindsey Graham, S.C. on August 10, 2026. As of November 2026, the base website was still at its old jbcharleston address.

Do military members have to get a South Carolina driver's license?

The SCDMV's 45-day rule applies to new residents. Active-duty military stationed in SC can register a vehicle without an SC license by filling out Form TI-006C. Ask your base's newcomer office if you're unsure which rules apply to you.

How much of the PPM payment can I keep?

Military OneSource says the government pays an incentive based on its own best-value cost and the weight you actually move, up to your allowance, and you keep any savings. Under a member-elected PPM you can receive up to 100% of the Government Constructed Cost.

Who handles household goods at Joint Base Lindsey Graham?

The base's newcomer page links to a Household Goods page, but we couldn't confirm that office's phone number. Call the Military and Family Readiness Center at 843-963-4406 or the Fleet and Family Support Center at 843-794-7480 and ask to be connected.

Bottom line

Get transportation office counseling as soon as you have orders, book your DPS dates or plan your PPM, and keep every weight ticket and receipt. Once you're in Charleston, check in with the base's newcomer office, then handle your SC license and car registration.

How do we know this?

We check every rule, address and hour on this page against the official source, and re-check on a schedule. Spot something out of date? Tell us.