Joint Base San Antonio: in-processing and housing basics for 2026
JBSA isn't one gate and one headquarters. Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph each handle sign-in a little differently. This page lays out the base-side steps at each location, the three military housing offices, 2026 BAH for San Antonio and the HUD rent benchmark for the ZIPs that cover the installations. For neighborhood-by-neighborhood detail, use the local guide at jbsaneighborhoods.com. This page stays on the base side of the move.
Sign-in differs by location
Everything in this section comes from Military OneSource, JBSA check-in procedures (read Oct 15, 2026).
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
Army officers sign the register at their assigned headquarters unit, and enlisted Soldiers sign in at the orderly room. Everyone signs in with the S-1, which calls to book the in-processing appointment. Military Personnel Division: 210-221-9274. Bring the in-processing survey, documents for your ERB/ORB review, your LES, a duty memorandum if one is required, the DA-31 signed by the approving authority, and your orders. Navy personnel sign in with their assigned command, and the command's admin office coordinates in-processing.
JBSA-Lackland
Report to your Commander's Support Staff. If your unit has none, go to Customer Service at 5161 Stewart St., Building 5616, Room 129 (210-671-9955). First-term Airmen must attend the First Term Airman Course within 45 days of arrival. The hand-carry list is long: at least 15 copies of orders, insurance policies, immunization records for children and pets, school records and transcripts, certified birth and marriage documents, Social Security cards (you'll need them for a Texas driver's license), vehicle purchase papers showing sales tax paid, registration, title and current licenses.
JBSA-Randolph
Report to your Commander's Support Staff with your sealed records, and the unit schedules in-processing. ID and CAC work goes through the Military Personnel Section by appointment. If you arrive after 4:30 p.m., on a weekend or on a holiday, report to the CSS the next duty day.
A round-the-clock visitor center operates at Lackland: Luke East Visitor Center, 2602 Luke Blvd by Gate 6, open 24 hours daily, 210-671-6174 (same source). Gate hours for the other JBSA locations weren't available from an official page this pass, so check the JBSA website before your first drive in.
Three housing offices, one phone list
JBSA has a Military Housing Office at each of the three main locations. The MHO helps with rental searches, reviews leases, and handles landlord disputes and discrimination complaints. Listings on HOMES.mil are screened by the MHO before they go live (Military OneSource, JBSA housing, read Oct 15, 2026).
| Location | MHO phone |
|---|---|
| Fort Sam Houston (3171 Zinn Rd, Bldg 1161; Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m.) | 210-221-0881 |
| Lackland | 210-671-1840 |
| Randolph | 830-483-9900 |
The MHO also advises carrying renter's insurance. A landlord's policy covers the building, not your belongings.
2026 BAH: one rate table for all three locations
ZIPs 78234 (Fort Sam Houston), 78236 (Lackland) and 78150 (Randolph) all map to the SAN ANTONIO, TX (TX285) housing area in the DoD 2026 ZIP file. An E-5 with dependents receives $1,869 and an E-5 without receives $1,500. Check an off-base ZIP in the calculator.
| Grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,728 | $1,359 |
| E-4 | $1,728 | $1,359 |
| E-5 | $1,869 | $1,500 |
| E-6 | $2,094 | $1,596 |
| E-7 | $2,112 | $1,731 |
| E-8 | $2,121 | $1,920 |
| E-9 | $2,157 | $1,977 |
| W-2 | $2,118 | $1,917 |
| O-1 | $1,905 | $1,584 |
| O-2 | $2,091 | $1,827 |
| O-3 | $2,127 | $2,007 |
| O-4 | $2,307 | $2,088 |
| O-5 | $2,457 | $2,100 |
Small Area FMRs differ by ZIP
San Antonio voucher programs use ZIP-level Small Area Fair Market Rents, so HUD's benchmark rent shifts from one installation ZIP to the next while BAH stays the same. The table shows those three ZIPs.
| ZIP / area | Place | BAH area | 2-BR FMR | 3-BR FMR | E-5 BAH (w/ dep) | BAH minus 3-BR FMR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78234 | ZIP 78234 | TX285 | $2,140 | $2,750 | $1,869 | $-881 |
| 78236 | ZIP 78236 | TX285 | $2,140 | $2,750 | $1,869 | $-881 |
| 78150 | ZIP 78150 | TX285 | $1,410 | $1,810 | $1,869 | $59 |
FMR source: HUD FY2026 FMR documentation. An FMR is HUD's estimate of a typical gross rent (rent plus utilities) used for housing vouchers; it is not a listing price.
Schools
The Lackland School Liaison is at 2361 Selfridge Ave, Building 8420, 210-671-8388 (Military OneSource, JBSA local schools, read Oct 15, 2026). Give the liaison a candidate address before you commit to a lease and ask which district and campus it is zoned to.
JBSA checklist
- Find out which JBSA location you report to. The sign-in office and the paperwork list depend on it.
- If you're headed to Lackland, print at least 15 copies of your orders.
- Pack Social Security cards for the Texas driver's license visit.
- Call the MHO at your location before you sign a lease, and ask for a lease review.
- Run any off-base ZIP through the BAH calculator.
- Compare neighborhoods on jbsaneighborhoods.com.