Travel Reimbursement Rates

Click the items below to expand sections with information pertinent to the standard mileage and lodging rates as well as the meal reimbursement rates. (Lodging rates are updated October 1st and mileage rates are updated January 1st.)

Mileage Reimbursement Rate

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, which is up 3 cents from the midyear increase that set the rate for the second half of 2022. (The rate for any mileage over 1,000 miles in a given calendar month is three cents less per mile, MCA 2-18-503.)

Track your mileage around Montana via Google Maps, Map Quest, Bing Maps, or OpenStreetMaps.

(Download the MACo travel expense voucher here.)

Meal Reimbursement Rates

In-State Meal Rates (Updated April 11, 2023 via HB 13)

  • $8.25 for the morning meal
  • $9.25 for the midday meal
  • $16.00 for the evening meal

Out-of-State Meal Rates 

Current October 2023 – September 2024

  • $13 for the morning meal
  • $15 for the midday meal
  • $26 for the evening meal

Previous October 2022 – September 2023

  • $13 for the morning meal
  • $15 for the midday meal
  • $26 for the evening meal

CURRENT Motel/Hotel Room Reimbursement Rates - October 2023 - September 2024

Effective October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024

The information listed here was obtained from the U.S. General Services Administration. Click here for further explanation of the numbers below.

State Rate for Lodging

The standard in-state lodging reimbursement rate is $107 plus tax, except for those communities listed below.

1-0340.25 IN-STATE TRAVEL – LODGING REIMBURSEMENT RATES AT ACTUAL COST SUBJECT TO FEDERAL PER DIEM CAP

Except as provided for in section 1-0340.30, you are eligible to be reimbursed your actual out-of-pocket lodging expenses, not to exceed the federal per diem room rate for the location involved, plus the taxes on the allowable cost, for any location in Montana.

Please see the table below for the federal per diem room rates for Montana (October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024).

Cities not appearing below may be located within a county for which rates are listed.

To determine the county in which a city is located, visit the following page on our website:  https://www.mtcounties.org/counties/cities-towns-communities/

Primary Destination
County
Max Lodging
(exc. taxes)
M&IE
Max Per Diem Rate
First & Last Day
Standard Rate

Applies for all locations without specified rates.

$107 $59 $157 $44.25
Big Sky
West Yellowstone
Gardiner
(Oct. 1 – May 31)

Gallatin/Park

$171 $79 $250 $59.25
Big Sky
West Yellowstone
Gardiner

(June 1 – Sept. 30)

Gallatin/Park

$293 $79 $372 $59.25
Helena

Lewis & Clark

$122 $64 $186 $48.00
Kalispell
Whitefish
(Oct. 1 – June 30)

Flathead

$132 $64 $196 $48.00
Kalispell
Whitefish
(July 1 – Aug. 31)

Flathead

$243 $64 $307 $48.00
Kalispell
Whitefish
(Sept. 1 – Sept. 30)

Flathead

$132 $64 $196 $48.00
Missoula
(Oct. 1 – May 31)
Missoula $126 $69 $195 $51.75
Missoula
(June 1 – Sept. 30)
Missoula $194 $69 $263 $51.75

* NOTE: Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations.

** Meals and Incidental (cabs, parking meters, etc.) Expenses, see Breakdown of M&IE Expenses for important information on first and last days of travel.  M&IE are expenses that the federal government reimburses without receipt but it doesn’t apply in Montana, because the meal rates are set in statute (MCA 2-18-501).

PREVIOUS Motel/Hotel Room Reimbursement Rates - October 2022 - September 2023

Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023

The information listed here was obtained from the U.S. General Services Administration. Click here for further explanation of the numbers below.

Primary Destination
County
Max Lodging
(exc. taxes)
M&IE
Max Per Diem Rate
First & Last Day
Standard Rate

Applies for all locations without specified rates.

$98 $59 $157 $44.25
Big Sky
West Yellowstone
Gardiner
(Oct. 1 – May 31)

Gallatin/Park

$151 $79 $230 $59.25
Big Sky
West Yellowstone
Gardiner

(June 1 – Sept. 30)

Gallatin/Park

$279 $79 $358 $59.25
Helena

Lewis & Clark

$107 $64 $171 $48.00
Kalispell
Whitefish
(Oct. 1 – June 30)

Flathead

$118 $64 $182 $48.00
Kalispell
Whitefish
(July 1 – Aug. 31)

Flathead

$243 $64 $307 $48.00
Kalispell
Whitefish
(Sept. 1 – Sept. 30)

Flathead

$118 $64 $182 $48.00
Missoula
(Oct. 1 – May 31)
Missoula $106 $69 $175 $51.75
Missoula
(June 1 – Sept. 30)
Missoula $167 $69 $236 $51.75

* NOTE: Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations.

** Meals and Incidental (cabs, parking meters, etc.) Expenses, see Breakdown of M&IE Expenses for important information on first and last days of travel.  M&IE are expenses that the federal government reimburses without receipt but it doesn’t apply in Montana, because the meal rates are set in statute (MCA 2-18-501).

Additional Resources