Meals for employees in travel status may be reimbursable if they qualify for either
per diems or
meal allowances. Per diems and meal allowances cannot be mixed on the same trip or day:
Per Diems
- An employee is eligible for meal per diems if:
- The travel included an overnight stay; or
- The travel period is 18 or more continuous hours.
- Effective February 1, 2024 meal per diems should be verified through the GSA Per Diem rates based on location using fractional parts of the day. Prior to this date, meal per diems used a flat rate of $44 per day for in-state travel and $48 per day for out-of-state travel.
- Days are defined as a unit of time from midnight through 11:59.
- Per diems for fractional parts of a day are calculated in quarters, as shown in the below charts.
GSA Per Diem Rates effective October 1, 2024
Incidentals per diem of $5 are not reimbursable.
Day of Departure
| Depart Between Hours of |
Per Diem Allowance $68-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $74-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $80-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $86-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $92-$5 |
| Midnight-5:59 a.m. |
$63 |
$69 |
$75 |
$81 |
$87 |
| 6-11:59 a.m. |
$47.25 |
$51.75 |
$56.25 |
$60.75 |
$65.25 |
| Noon-5:59 p.m. |
$31.50 |
$34.50 |
$37.50 |
$40.50 |
$43.50 |
| 6-11:59 p.m. |
$15.75 |
$17.25 |
$18.75 |
$20.25 |
$21.75 |
Day of Return
| Return Between Hours of |
Per Diem Allowance |
| Midnight-5:59 a.m. |
$15.75 |
$17.25 |
$18.75 |
$20.25 |
$21.75 |
| 6-11:59 a.m. |
$31.50 |
$34.50 |
$37.50 |
$40.50 |
$43.50 |
| Noon-5:59 p.m. |
$47.25 |
$51.75 |
$56.25 |
$60.75 |
$65.25 |
| 6-11:59 p.m. |
$63 |
$69 |
$75 |
$81 |
$87 |
Note: meals provided should be deducted from requested per diem
Meal Type
| Breakfast |
$16 |
$18 |
$20 |
$22 |
$23 |
| Lunch |
$19 |
$20 |
$22 |
$23 |
$26 |
| Dinner |
$28 |
$31 |
$33 |
$36 |
$38 |
GSA Per Diem Rates Effective February 1, 2024 Through September 30, 2024.
Incidentals per diem of $5 not reimbursable.
Day of Departure
| Depart Between Hours of |
Per Diem Allowance $59-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $64-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $69-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $74-$5 |
Per Diem Allowance $79-$5 |
| Midnight-5:59 a.m. |
$54 |
$59 |
$64 |
$69 |
$74 |
| 6-11:59 a.m. |
$40.50 |
$44.25 |
$48 |
$51.75 |
$55.50 |
| Noon-5:59 p.m. |
$27 |
$29.50 |
$32 |
$34.50 |
$37 |
| 6-11:59 p.m. |
$13.50 |
$14.75 |
$16 |
$17.25 |
$18.50 |
Day of Return
| Return Between Hours of |
Per Diem Allowance |
| Midnight-5:59 a.m. |
$13.50 |
$14.75 |
$16 |
$17.25 |
$18.50 |
| 6-11:59 a.m. |
$27 |
$29.50 |
$32 |
$34.50 |
$37 |
| Noon-5:59 p.m. |
$40.50 |
$44.25 |
$48 |
$51.75 |
$55.50 |
| 6.-11:59 p.m. |
$54 |
$59 |
$64 |
$69 |
$74 |
Note: meals provided should be deducted from the requested per diem.
Per Diem rates effective January 20, 2023, through January 31, 2024
When the cost of meals for approved conferences is a part of the registration fee the traveler shall deduct the following amounts from the per diem or per meal allowance: Meal allowance - if a traveler is not eligible for a per diem, the traveler may submit a detailed meal receipt and be eligible for breakfast and dinner, including gratuities, up to the maximum meal allowances as shown in above tables. A meal allowance may be given for breakfast or dinner if:
- Breakfast – the traveler leaves headquarters or residence (if reporting directly to the destination) at or before 6 a.m. and works for more than ten consecutive hours.
- Dinner – the traveler works for more than ten consecutive hours and arrives back at headquarters or residence (if reporting directly from the destination) at or after 7 p.m. If an employee commences travel after cthe lose of business but before 6:30 p.m., dinner reimbursement is allowed if the traveler would not be eligible for per diem.
Meal Type
| Breakfast |
$13 |
$14 |
$16 |
$17 |
$18 |
| Lunch |
$15 |
$16 |
$17 |
$18 |
$20 |
| Dinner |
$26 |
$29 |
$31 |
$34 |
$36 |
Day of Departure
|
| Depart Between Hours of |
Per Diem Allowance (within Illinois) |
Per Diem Allowance (outside Illinois) |
| Midnight-5:59 a.m. |
$44 |
$48 |
| 6-11:59 a.m. |
$33 |
$36 |
| Noon-5:59 p.m. |
$22 |
$24 |
| 6-11:59 p.m. |
$ 11 |
$ 12 |
Day of Return
|
| Return Between Hours of |
Per Diem Allowance (within Illinois) |
Per Diem Allowance (outside Illinois) |
| Midnight-5:59 a.m. |
$ 11 |
$ 12 |
| 6-11:59 a.m. |
$22 |
$24 |
| Noon-5:59 p.m. |
$33 |
$36 |
| 6-11:59 p.m. |
$44 |
$48 |
Meal Type
| Meal type |
In-state |
Out-of-state |
| Breakfast |
$8.50 |
$9.50 |
| Lunch |
$12.50 |
$13.50 |
| Dinner |
$23 |
$25 |