The 2026 GSA mileage rate for a privately owned automobile used on official federal business is 72.5 cents per mile, up from 70 cents in 2025. The rate took effect January 1, 2026, and runs through December 31, 2026, under GSA Bulletin FTR 26-02.1U.S. General Services Administration. GSA Bulletin FTR 26-02
2026 Rates at a Glance
- Privately owned automobile: 72.5 cents per mile
- Privately owned motorcycle: 70.5 cents per mile
- Privately owned airplane: $1.78 per mile
- Automobile when a government vehicle was available: 20.5 cents per mile
- Relocation (moving purposes): 20.5 cents per mile
These figures apply government-wide to civilian federal travel and relocation performed during the 2026 calendar year.1U.S. General Services Administration. GSA Bulletin FTR 26-02 The automobile rate matches the IRS standard business mileage rate for 2026, which the IRS announced in late 2025.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Sets 2026 Business Standard Mileage Rate at 72.5 Cents Per Mile
When You Get the Reduced 20.5-Cent Rate
The rate you receive turns on one question: was a government-owned vehicle available for your trip? If none was offered, you get the full 72.5 cents per mile. If your agency made a fleet vehicle available and you chose to drive your own car instead, the rate drops to 20.5 cents per mile.1U.S. General Services Administration. GSA Bulletin FTR 26-02
The reduced rate covers only the operating costs you actually incur, such as fuel and wear. It strips out the ownership costs like depreciation and insurance that the full rate builds in, because the government is treating the fleet vehicle as a cost-free option you declined. If you did not know a fleet vehicle was available, or if it was technically available but impractical for your trip, raise the issue with your approving official before you travel. Written authorization for your personal vehicle ahead of time protects your reimbursement.
What the Per-Mile Rate Covers
The mileage rate is a single figure designed to absorb the full cost of owning and operating your vehicle. You cannot claim any of these separately, because they are already built into the rate:
- Fuel, whether gasoline, diesel, or electric charging
- Oil, grease, antifreeze, repairs, and replacement parts
- Depreciation on the vehicle
- Personal automobile insurance
- State and federal taxes on the vehicle
That list comes from the Federal Travel Regulation’s table of non-reimbursable expenses at 41 CFR 301-10.302.3eCFR. 41 CFR 301-10.302 – Allowable Expenses Beyond POV Mileage Rate If your car breaks down during a business trip, towing and repair costs come out of your own pocket.
What You Can Claim on Top
Certain costs fall outside the mileage rate and can be reimbursed separately. Parking fees, bridge and tunnel tolls, road tolls, and ferry fees all qualify. For airplane travelers, parking, landing, and tie-down fees are also separately reimbursable.3eCFR. 41 CFR 301-10.302 – Allowable Expenses Beyond POV Mileage Rate Keep receipts; your agency will need documentation.
Traffic violations, parking tickets, and speeding fines are never reimbursable, even during official travel. Towing costs that result from those violations are also excluded.
Commuting Does Not Count
Driving between your home and your regular office is commuting, and the Federal Travel Regulation does not reimburse it. The mileage rate applies to official travel only.4eCFR. 41 CFR Part 301-10 – Transportation Expenses
A narrow exception exists when you leave from home on a temporary duty assignment that requires overnight lodging. In that case, your agency may reimburse mileage from your residence to your office on the day you depart and from your office back to your residence on the day you return. Outside that scenario, home-to-office travel stays on your dime.
Relocation Mileage
If you are relocating to a new duty station, the mileage rate is 20.5 cents per mile for 2026. This is the same figure as the reduced rate for when a government vehicle is available, and it compensates only for the operating cost of the drive itself, not full ownership costs.5U.S. General Services Administration. Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates In military and defense contexts, this figure is sometimes called MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation).
Filing the Claim
Most civilian agencies process mileage claims through the E-Gov Travel Service 2 (ETS2) system. Your agency will point you to the platform it uses.6U.S. General Services Administration. E-Gov Travel Services Highlights Whichever system you file through, each mileage claim needs the date of travel, the locations you traveled between (city and state), the distance driven, the type of vehicle used, and the official business purpose. When multiple employees ride together, only the driver claims mileage.
Deadlines
File your travel voucher within five working days of completing the trip. If you are on continuous travel status, submit claims at least every 30 days. Your agency can set a shorter deadline, so check your internal policy.7eCFR. 41 CFR Part 301-52 – Claiming Reimbursement Missing the deadline does not automatically forfeit your claim, but it slows processing and can draw extra scrutiny from your approving official.