Section 8 Portability: How to Move Your Voucher
Quick answerIn the United States, as of October 2026, a tenant-based Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher can be moved ("ported") to any housing agency that runs a voucher program. Your current agency approves the move and sends your file on Form HUD-52665. The new agency cannot turn you away without HUD's written approval, issues its own voucher, and applies its own bedroom, payment and screening rules. Stay in your unit until the move is approved.
- 12 monthswait that applies only to families who lived outside the agency's area when they applied
- Two weeksHUD's expectation for the new agency's voucher once the paperwork is in order
- 30 calendar daysminimum the new agency's voucher must run past your old voucher's expiration date
- 10 business daystime an agency has to tell HUD it is denying moves for lack of funding
- 90 daysdeadline for the new agency's first bill, counted from your old voucher's expiration
The right, and its two limits
A voucher holder has a federal right to lease "anywhere in the United States, in the jurisdiction of a PHA with a tenant-based program," and two limits in the same rule can block it (24 CFR 982.353). The agency that issued your voucher is the initial PHA. The one where you are going is the receiving PHA.
- The 12-month rule for non-residentsif neither the head of household nor the spouse had a legal residence in the initial agency's area when the family first applied, the family "does not have any right to portability" for 12 months from admission. The agency "may choose to allow portability during this period" (982.353(c)). A family that applied where it lived is not covered.
- Leaving in violation of the leasethe initial agency "must not provide such portable assistance for a participant if the family has moved out of the assisted unit in violation of the lease" (982.353(b)).
HUD's own portability page words the first limit loosely ("they may have to live in the jurisdiction of the initial PHA for a year"), which is why "you must wait a year to port" is repeated as a rule for everyone.
Key pointNeither limit applies to a family moving to protect a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. See "Special vouchers" below for the conditions.
Local policy can add more. 24 CFR 982.354(c) lets an agency prohibit moves during the initial lease term and more than one move in a year.
- Chicago (CHA)one elective move in any 12-month period, and a formal briefing before a port-out (Administrative Plan, effective October 1, 2025, chapter 10).
- Philadelphia (PHA)a family with a Moving to Work voucher must verify an employment, education, safety or medical or disability need to port out (Administrative Plan, effective January 1, 2026, section 18.2.1).
- Los Angeles (HACLA)no portable voucher while the family owes HACLA money (Administrative Plan, January 2026, section 8.4).
A new voucher holder who has never leased a unit can also port, but must be income-eligible under the receiving area's limits. For a current participant, "income eligibility is not redetermined" (982.353(d)).
When a move can be denied for money
Your initial agency may deny a port for lack of funding only when the new agency will bill it and the move raises its cost (24 CFR 982.355(c)(5) and 982.354(e)(1)). HUD Notice PIH 2016-09, section 7, says all three of these conditions must hold.
- A higher cost area. the receiving agency has "higher payment standards or more generous subsidy standards." A move that costs the same or less cannot be denied for funding.
- The receiving agency is not absorbing. if it has confirmed it will absorb you, the initial agency "has no grounds to deny the portability move."
- A real shortfall. the agency "would be unable to avoid termination of current participants during the calendar year" within its budget and reserves.
The agency must notify its HUD field office in writing "within 10 business days" of deciding to deny such moves (982.354(e)(1)). The notice adds three protections.
- An agency may not deny moves for funding in order to admit new families from its waiting list.
- If it approves your move and then runs short, it may rescind the voucher only if you can still remain in your current unit.
- Once you have moved, "Initial PHAs may not impose a cap on the amount of HAP they will pay."
Watch outYour agency can deny a move when it lacks funding.Chicago's plan says CHA "will deny a family permission to move" when it lacks funding, for ports as well as local moves, and keeps the request open for 30 days. Ask your agency whether it is denying moves to higher-cost areas this year.
The procedure, step by step
Three parties act, in the order set by 24 CFR 982.355(c): you, the initial agency and the receiving agency. The rules that govern your voucher switch at step 6.
- 1YouTell the initial agency you want to move and name the location. If several agencies serve that area, the initial agency gives you their contacts and you choose one.
- 2Initial agencyDecides whether you are eligible to move under 982.353 and 982.354.
- 3Initial agency and receiving agencyThe initial agency asks, by email or another confirmed delivery method, whether the receiving agency will bill or absorb. The receiving agency answers in writing.
- 4Initial agencyIssues your voucher to move, tells you how to reach the receiving agency, and sends Form HUD-52665 (Family Portability Information), your latest Form HUD-50058 (Family Report) and the verifications behind it.
- 5YouContact the receiving agency promptly and follow its intake steps. Failing to do so "may result in denial or termination of the receiving PHA's voucher."
- 6Receiving agencySets your bedroom size under its own subsidy standards, may rescreen you, and issues its own voucher.
- 7YouFind a unit and submit a Request for Tenancy Approval to the receiving agency before its voucher expires.
- 8Receiving agencyTells the initial agency whether you leased, then bills it or absorbs you.
What it means: step 5 is yours, and step 3 is not. HUD says finding out whether the new agency will bill or absorb is "the responsibility of the initial PHA, not the family."
Source: 24 CFR 982.355(c)(1) to (16); form names from Form HUD-52665 (04/2023) and PIH 2016-09, section 9.h.
Your initial agency also has to give you a real contact. HUD says "simply referring the family to HUD or to a website" does not meet its duty (PIH 2016-09, section 9.f). To see which agencies cover a destination, use the VoucherMatch housing authority directory or HUD's PHA contact list.
How long it takes
No federal rule sets a total time for a port. The regulation fixes a few deadlines and leaves the rest at "promptly." VoucherMatch found no HUD document that gives an end-to-end figure.
- Before approving your movethe initial agency must ask the receiving agency whether it will bill or absorb (982.355(c)(3)).
- Within 10 business days of deciding to deny moves for fundingthe agency notifies its HUD field office (982.354(e)(1)).
- "Promptly"the initial agency sends your file, and you contact the receiving agency. No number of days is set (982.355(c)(7), (8)).
- Within two weeks of receiving Form HUD-52665 and the supporting documentsHUD "expects" the receiving agency to issue its voucher (PIH 2016-09, section 10.f).
- 30 calendar days after your initial voucher's expiration datethe earliest the receiving agency's voucher may expire (982.355(c)(13)).
- From the day you submit a Request for Tenancy Approval until the written decisionthe voucher clock stops (982.303(c)).
- 90 days after your initial voucher's expiration datethe receiving agency's first bill must reach the initial agency (PIH 2016-09, section 14.b).
- 30 calendar days after that bill arrivesthe initial agency pays, then by the fifth business day of each month (section 15.a).
What it means: these are separate clocks for single stages. They cannot be added into a total, because nothing limits how long the file transfer or your search takes.
Source: 24 CFR 982.355, 982.354 and 982.303; HUD Notice PIH 2016-09, issued June 6, 2016 and in effect until amended.
The two-week figure is HUD's expectation, written in a notice. The regulation says only that the receiving agency "must issue a voucher." The expectation holds "provided the information is in order, the family has contacted the receiving PHA, and the family complies with the receiving PHA's procedures."
ExampleHUD's own dates: if the initial voucher expires 10/30/2016, the receiving agency's voucher may not expire before 11/29/2016 and the first bill is due by 01/28/2017. By VoucherMatch's arithmetic on the same rules, an initial voucher expiring December 1, 2026 gives a receiving voucher that runs to at least December 31, 2026 and a billing deadline of March 1, 2027.
After that, the receiving agency's own extension policy applies (982.355(c)(14)). A voucher extension request letter should go in before the expiration date. If your initial voucher has already expired when you arrive, the receiving agency must ask the initial agency whether it will extend it.
How large housing agencies handle incoming ports
Agencies differ most on billing, rescreening and briefings, and each one's policy is in its administrative plan. This comparison is VoucherMatch's, from the plans in force on October 7, 2026.
| Agency | Absorb or bill | Rescreening | Briefing | Voucher timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City (NYCHA) | Bills the initial agency for all incoming ports since August 1, 2025 | Criminal background and sex offender checks, including members 16 or older | Appointment where the family is briefed and receives the voucher | Adds 30 calendar days to the initial voucher's expiration |
| Chicago (CHA) | Not stated in the plan | Criminal background check for each member 18 or older, under applicant screening | Briefing required | No port-in figure stated |
| Philadelphia (PHA) | May bill at first and absorb later; no standing choice stated | Criminal background and sex offender registry check on all adults; new income recertification for every incoming family | Briefing packet and verbal briefing | "Generally" within two weeks of the paperwork; will not process an expired initial voucher |
| Los Angeles (HACLA) | Absorbs under written agreements with other agencies, or to the extent the initial agency absorbs HACLA's families | Criminal history checks on all adults and live-in aides; denies a family that owes any housing agency money | Not stated in the portability chapter | Within two weeks if the file is in order; will not process with under 30 days left on the initial voucher |
| Phoenix | "Administering and billing all portable vouchers" since April 11, 2024 | Not stated on the page | Not stated on the page | Not stated on the page |
Source: NYCHA Administrative Plan, May 2026, section XXI, and NYCHA Portability; CHA Administrative Plan, effective October 1, 2025, section 10-I.C; Philadelphia Housing Authority Administrative Plan, effective January 1, 2026, section 18.3; HACLA Administrative Plan, January 2026, sections 8.5 and 8.10.2; City of Phoenix, Moving and Portability, undated web page, not a plan.
What it means: every agency here with a written policy runs its own criminal background check, so a clean file at home does not settle the question. "Not stated" means the document is silent, and the answer has to come from the agency.
Watch outGet an extension before porting to Los Angeles with little time left.HUD's notice says a receiving agency may not have a policy of refusing a family because a set number of days is not left on the initial voucher (PIH 2016-09, section 10.a). HACLA's January 2026 plan still has a 30-day floor. If you are porting to Los Angeles with little time left, ask your initial agency for an extension first.
A receiving agency "may not delay issuing the family a voucher" while it rescreens, and a family it refuses gets an informal review or hearing (PIH 2016-09, section 10.b). The grounds are the same ones covered in what disqualifies you from Section 8.
What can change at the other end
From step 6, "administration of the voucher must be in accordance with the receiving PHA's policies" (982.355(c)(10)), so your subsidy is recalculated under the new agency's rules.
- Voucher sizeit "must determine the family unit size" under its own subsidy standards (982.355(c)(12)). HUD's family handout gives the example of a three-bedroom voucher becoming a two-bedroom. See renting a bigger unit than your voucher size.
- Payment standardyour assistance "is determined in the same manner as for other families in the receiving PHA program" (982.355(e)(2)). The basic range is 90 to 110 percent of the local Fair Market Rent (24 CFR 982.503). Compare figures in what Section 8 pays for a two-bedroom in the 40 largest metros.
- Utility allowancethe new agency's schedule applies with its other policies. How the utility allowance works explains the effect on your share.
- Income reexaminationit may run one, but "may not delay issuing the family a voucher or otherwise delay approval of a unit" (982.355(c)(11)).
- Waiting listnot used. Its selection preferences "do not apply to the family" (982.355(c)(10)).
One cap follows you. When the new unit's gross rent is above the payment standard, your share at move-in "must not exceed 40 percent" of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.508).
Absorbing vs. billing, and why you should care
Billing and absorbing are the two ways the receiving agency can fund you, and the choice decides whether your old agency can refuse the move.
- Billingthe receiving agency runs your voucher and bills the initial agency for the full housing assistance payment, plus the lesser of 80 percent of the initial agency's administrative fee or 100 percent of its own (982.355(e)).
- Absorbingthe receiving agency pays from its own funds, if it has funding available (982.355(d)). It becomes your agency.
- Refusal: a move the receiving agency will absorb cannot be denied for funding. A billed move to a higher-cost area can.
- Reversal: an agency that says it will absorb "cannot reverse its decision at a later date without consent of the initial PHA" (982.355(c)(4)).
- Late billing: if the first bill misses the 90-day deadline, the receiving agency has to absorb you unless the initial agency accepts it late (PIH 2016-09, section 10.g).
You do not choose. Rely only on a dated statement like the two in the table above, or on the written answer your initial agency receives.
If you do not lease a unit, or want to move back
If you do not lease in the new area, the receiving agency sends you back to your initial agency, and your original voucher is the voucher of record again (PIH 2016-09, section 10.i).
- You decide not to lease therethe initial agency's policies apply again. More search time on its voucher is "at the discretion of the initial PHA."
- The voucher runs outthe receiving agency must tell the initial agency that no request for tenancy approval came in (982.355(c)(16)). HUD's notice says no informal hearing is required over a refusal to extend a voucher term.
- You already gave up your unitHUD's handout warns that arriving after the initial voucher expires means "you may lose your assistance."
- Moving back after being absorbedthe rules have no return procedure. The absorbing agency is now your initial PHA (24 CFR 982.4), so going back is a new port.
- Moving again while billedthe next agency becomes the receiving PHA and the first receiving agency drops out (982.355(e)(4)).
Special vouchers
Project-based, HUD-VASH and Family Self-Sufficiency families, and survivors of violence, each have their own rule.
- Project-based vouchersportability does not apply to them (24 CFR 983.2(b)). After one year of assistance, a family may end the lease and the agency "must offer the family the opportunity for continued tenant-based rental assistance." Contact the agency before giving notice. A family that leaves before one year gives up that opportunity (24 CFR 983.261). Section 8 vs. public housing vs. project-based explains the difference.
- HUD-VASHthe non-resident 12-month rule does not apply, and the receiving agency may not rescreen. The agency must consult the VA before approving a port. Beyond the VA facility's service area, another VA facility must be able to serve the veteran and the receiving agency must have a HUD-VASH voucher available (HUD notice of August 13, 2024, section F).
- Survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalkingthe 12-month rule, initial-lease-term and one-move-a-year policies do not apply when the move is needed for health or safety. A family that left in violation of the lease to escape imminent harm, and otherwise complied, may still port (982.353(b), (c)(4); 982.354(c)(2)(iii)).
- VAWA emergency transfer planseach agency's plan must describe how a tenant with tenant-based assistance can "move quickly with that assistance," and must be available on request (24 CFR 5.2005(e)).
- Family Self-Sufficiencyif the receiving agency has no FSS program, the family "may not continue participation," and the initial agency must discuss options that can include losing escrow (24 CFR 984.306).
Questions to ask both agencies before giving notice
Each question below matches a decision the rules leave to one agency. Get the answers in writing where you can.
- Did I apply as a non-resident, and if so, have 12 months passed since admission?
- Does your plan bar moves during my initial lease term, or more than one move a year?
- Are you denying moves to higher-cost areas for funding this year?
- Has the receiving agency said in writing that it will bill or absorb?
- What date does my voucher to move expire, and will you extend it if the transfer is slow?
- If I do not lease there, can I keep my assistance here?
- Who is the receiving agency's portability contact?
- What bedroom size will you issue for my household?
- What are your payment standard and utility allowance for that size?
- Do you rescreen incoming families, and on what grounds do you deny?
- Is a briefing required, and how soon can it be scheduled?
- How long is your voucher term, and how do I request an extension?
- Do you run an FSS or homeownership program that can take me?
Where it goes wrong
Ports fail most often on timing, and four habits prevent it.
- Stay put until the move is approved. Federal rules require notice to the agency and the owner before you move (982.354(d)).
- Contact the receiving agency yourself. Step 5 is your duty.
- Ask for an extension before the initial voucher runs out.
- Budget on the new numbers, then check units against the inspection checklist.
If a step stalls, cite the rule in writing. An agency that says it is "not taking ports" needs HUD's written approval, which HUD describes as "meant only for extreme circumstances" such as a declared disaster area (982.355(b); PIH 2016-09, section 10.a). HUD's portability mailbox "is no longer operational." Questions go to the local HUD field office.
If your destination is New York City or New Jersey
New York City has three Section 8 agencies, and each handles ports its own way. NYCHA has billed for all incoming ports since August 1, 2025.
- Into the city: how to port a Section 8 voucher into NYC compares NYCHA, HPD and the state's HCR.
- Out of the city: Section 8 transfer to another state from NYC has the NYCHA portal request, HPD's form and NYCHA's 180-day portability voucher.
- To New Jersey: keeping Section 8 when moving to New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my Section 8 voucher to another state? Yes. A tenant-based voucher can be used anywhere in the United States where a housing agency runs a voucher program. Your current agency must approve the move, and the new agency issues its own voucher under its own rules.
Do I have to wait a year before I can port? Only if neither the head of household nor the spouse lived in the agency's area when the family first applied.
- Even then: the agency may allow the move, and survivors of violence are exempt.
- Separately: your agency's plan may bar moves during your initial lease term.
How long does a Section 8 portability transfer take? No rule sets a total. HUD expects the new agency to issue its voucher within two weeks of a complete file, and that voucher must run at least 30 calendar days past your old voucher's expiration date.
Can the receiving housing authority refuse me? Not without HUD's written approval. It may rescreen you under its own policies and deny on the federal grounds, with a right to an informal review or hearing.
Can my housing authority deny my move? Yes, in limited cases.
- The non-resident 12-month period.
- A move out in violation of the lease.
- A local policy on initial lease terms or yearly moves.
- The program's general grounds for denial or termination.
- A billed move to a higher-cost area the agency cannot fund.
Will my voucher be the same size in the new city? Not necessarily. The receiving agency sets the bedroom size under its own subsidy standards, and its payment standard and utility allowance replace the old ones.
Do I have to apply to the new housing authority's waiting list? No. The receiving agency's waiting list is not used for a porting family. A family without a voucher is in a different position: see how to check any Section 8 waiting list.
Next step: look up the agency that covers your destination in the housing authority directory, ask it the questions above, then give your current agency the request in writing. When the new voucher is issued, browse Section 8 apartments by metro.
How this article was checked
Last checked: October 7, 2026, against 24 CFR 982.303, 982.353, 982.354, 982.355, 982.503, 982.508, 983.2, 983.261, 984.306 and 5.2005(e); HUD Notice PIH 2016-09; Form HUD-52665 (04/2023); HUD's portability page; HUD's August 13, 2024 HUD-VASH notice; the current administrative plans of the housing agencies in New York City (NYCHA), Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles; and the City of Phoenix portability page. General information, not legal advice.
Sources for this article (23)
- 24 CFR 982.353 (ecfr.gov)
- portability page (hud.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.354(c) (ecfr.gov)
- Administrative Plan (thecha.org)
- Administrative Plan (pha.phila.gov)
- Administrative Plan (hacla.org)
- 24 CFR 982.355(c)(5) (ecfr.gov)
- HUD Notice PIH 2016-09 (hud.gov)
- Form HUD-52665 (hud.gov)
- HUD's PHA contact list (hud.gov)
- 982.303 (ecfr.gov)
- NYCHA Administrative Plan (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA Portability (nyc.gov)
- City of Phoenix, Moving and Portability (phoenix.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.503 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.4 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 983.2(b) (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 983.261 (ecfr.gov)
- HUD notice of August 13, 2024 (federalregister.gov)
- 24 CFR 5.2005(e) (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 984.306 (ecfr.gov)
- local HUD field office (hud.gov)
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