Base guide

Presidio of Monterey

5 min read

  • 10 sections
  • 10 sources
On this page
  1. Coming from Basic Training: plan your family's move for after week four
  2. Checking in
  3. Housing: get on the list as soon as you have orders
  4. The off-post market
  5. Medical care: the clinic is for active duty
  6. Schools
  7. Child care and pets
  8. Vehicles
  9. Legal assistance
  10. Before you bring your family

The Presidio of Monterey is in the city of Monterey on the California coast, home to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, and the majority of students and permanent party military personnel live in military housing about 8 miles away at the Ord Military Community, on part of the former Fort Ord, according to the MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview of the Presidio.

Coming from Basic Training: plan your family’s move for after week four

Soldiers reporting to DLI as their first long-term assignment after Basic Combat Training “will not be permitted off the installation until they reach Phase IV of their Initial Entry Training”, which means their first four weeks on post, living in the barracks, per the Presidio’s MilitaryINSTALLATIONS page. Depending on your branch, you may not be allowed to wear civilian clothes or drive your own vehicle during that time. Married Soldiers in this situation are strongly encouraged to move their families to the Presidio after those first four weeks, rather than before or during them. Service members coming directly from basic training are not assigned sponsors, per the check-in page.

Checking in

During duty hours, the check-in page says, report to Taylor Hall, Building 616, at the corner of Lawton and Rifle Range Roads near the Franklin Street Gate; after hours, report to your service’s duty office. The PVT. Bolio Gate is open 24/7 for vehicles and pedestrians. Each service has its own process:

  • Army: Soldiers arriving after duty hours report to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion Staff Duty, Building 630 (831-402-4839).
  • Air Force: Members of the 311th or 314th Training Squadron check in with the Commander’s Support Staff in Building 627B, Room 185, from 7 to 9 a.m. on weekdays (831-242-5115).
  • Marines: All Marines attending DLI or the Naval Postgraduate School report to the Marine Corps Detachment, which receives new joins 24 hours a day; the check-in uniform is Service “A.”
  • Navy: Staff and students report to the Center for Information Dominance Unit quarterdeck, Building 629A, Rifle Range Road, staffed 24/7, with orders in hand.

Bring a copy of your orders; National Guard and Reserve members need 10 copies, all amendments and their Title 10 or Title 32 orders. Married members bring originals and copies of their marriage certificate and their dependents’ birth certificates. Every incoming service member attends the Joint Services In-processing Brief on a Tuesday morning, and spouses are encouraged to attend.

Housing: get on the list as soon as you have orders

There are just over 3,000 military family housing units at The Parks at Monterey Bay, assigned by rank band and family size, with bedrooms based on the number, age and gender of your children, per the government housing page. Homes are typically assigned first come, first served; if there is a waitlist, your place depends on your application date, your detachment date and your bedroom requirement. The installation’s advice is to contact The Parks at Monterey Bay (831-644-0400) to get on the housing list as soon as you receive your orders. Be prepared to pay prorated rent, based on the Monterey BAH rate, when you sign the lease.

If you receive Basic Allowance for Housing, you must report to the Housing Services Office, Building 4250 on General Jim Moore Boulevard at the Ord Military Community, on arrival and before making any permanent on- or off-post living arrangements. Enlisted single service members E1 to E5 are required to live in the barracks; if you are married but traveling unaccompanied, check with your unit before signing for a home.

The off-post market

The installation calls Monterey-area housing “among the most expensive in the country”, says affordable off-post housing is limited and, as listed in October 2026, gives rents ranging from $2,856 for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment to $5,200 for a house. The page adds that most landlords do not accept pets, and those that do charge $150 to $700 in extra deposits plus a monthly fee; expect to pay first and last month’s rent up front, or a deposit plus rent.

Medical care: the clinic is for active duty

The Presidio of Monterey Army Health Clinic, 473 Cabrillo St., Building 422 (800-404-4506), serves active-duty members only, except for pediatricians who see children on post through TRICARE, per the health care page. Family members and retirees get their care from local providers, including the Pediatric Medical Home Clinic and Family Medicine Clinic at 201 Ninth St., third floor, in Marina (appointments 866-957-2256). Three hospitals in the Monterey community provide necessary services, and specialty referrals go to David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, about 140 miles away. The one dental clinic on the Presidio is for active duty; the page recommends the TRICARE Dental Program for family members.

Schools

“There are no Department of Defense Education Activity schools in the area”, the education page says. The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District serves all military housing areas and the cities of Monterey, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Marina and Sand City, and students must live in the attendance area or be approved for an inter-district transfer. Ask the installation’s School Liaison which school serves the housing you are offered.

Child care and pets

The Monterey Road Child Development Center at the Ord Military Community takes children from 6 weeks through 5 years for full-day, part-day and hourly care (831-583-1050), per the child care page. The Presidio has no veterinary services on the installation, so you will need a civilian veterinarian. Pets living in The Parks at Monterey Bay must be registered with the housing office, residents may keep up to four pets, and some breeds are not permitted in housing or on the installation; ask The Parks for the complete list, per the shipping pets page.

Vehicles

California law requires liability insurance, a valid license and a properly registered vehicle. Nonresident military personnel may drive in California with valid home-state plates until those plates expire, and registrations can be renewed in the home state or in California, per the motor vehicles page. A family member does not need a California license as long as the home-state license stays valid and the family member does not establish California residency.

The Staff Judge Advocate’s office is on Kit Carson Road, Building 275 (831-242-6387), per the legal assistance page.

Before you bring your family

If you are coming from Basic Training, plan your family’s arrival for after your first four weeks. Whatever your path, call The Parks at Monterey Bay as soon as you have orders, and if you draw BAH, see the Housing Services Office before you sign anything.

Sources

installations.militaryonesource.mil