Human Resources Management Division

III. Travel Expenses En Route to Your New Duty Station

You and members of your immediate family may travel by personal vehicle or common carrier. If travel is by personal vehicle, you will be reimbursed .20 per mile driven by the most direct route per FTR Amend 2007-03 effective September 25, 2007.

These rates also apply to your househunting trip by personal vehicle. Reimbursement is also allowed for any necessary parking fees, ferry fares, and road, bridge, and tunnel tolls.

Reimbursement for the use of more than one personal vehicle is not allowed except under certain conditions. These conditions must be fully explained in your Transfer Questionnaire (FNM- 38C) and then on your expense voucher. The allowable conditions are:

If there are more members of your family than can reasonably be transported, together with luggage, in one personal vehicle.
If, because of age or physical condition of a family member, special accommodations are necessary for travel of that member of your family in one personal vehicle and a second personal vehicle is required for travel of other members of your family.
If you must report to your new duty station before travel is underway by members of your family who may delay their travel for acceptable reasons; for example, completion of a school term, sale of property, settlement of personal business affairs, disposal or shipment of your household goods and personal effects, or unavailability of any housing at your new duty station.
If a member of your family must travel separately and between different points other than for your own authorized travel. For example, a student away at college.
If, before your official reporting date, your family members must travel to the new duty station for acceptable reasons, such as to enroll children in school at the beginning of the school term.

Final En route Travel

Daily per diem expenses for you, your spouse, and for other members of your family final en route travel will be allowed as shown below. However, NRCS cannot pay per diem for members of your family if you are newly appointed to Federal service or you are in training under the Government Employees Training Act. Taxes for lodging are to be claimed as miscellaneous expense. Meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) include laundry, cleaning, tips, etc.

For Transfer Within the 48 States (effective 10-1-07)

Daily lodging amount = $70.00
Daily M&IE rate = $39.00
Maximum per diem = $109.00

If your spouse travels with you: 75% of your rate ($81.75). If your spouse travels alone, the daily per diem rate is the same as for you. For your children 12 years or older, the per diem rate is 75% of your rate ($81.75). For your children under 12 years of age, their rate is 50% ($54.50) of your rate. 75% of the M&IE rate applies for partial travel days on the first and last day of travel. Receipts are required for lodging.

You must travel an average of 300 miles each day. An exception to this rule may be made when your travel is delayed or interrupted for reasons clearly beyond your control, such as acts of God, restrictions by government authorities, road detours, you are physically handicapped or a family member becomes ill. In such cases per diem may be allowed for the period of the delay or for a shorter but more reasonable period as determined by NRCS officials. You must provide a statement on your expense voucher fully explaining the reasons which made your delay necessary. Daily per diem expenses are not allowed for advance househunting trips or for final transfer travel en route of 12 hours or less in a calendar day. For travel of more than 12 hours in a calendar day each member of your family uses a fraction of your M&IE rate. Apply the fractions shown above in these cases.

For Transfer Outside the 48 United States

The maximum relocation per diem will be stated in your travel authorization, this rate is determined by the locale involved (i.e., Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, etc.,) from civilian personnel per diem bulletins or travel regulations (government civilians, foreign areas). Your claim is computed using the lodging-plus per diem system as stated above for transfers within CONUS.

The percentage of per diem for your spouse and children are the same as for the U.S. If your spouse accompanies you, your spouse is authorized 75% of your rate. If your spouse travels alone, the daily per diem rate is the same as for you. For other member of your family — 75% of the daily per diem rate you receive is available for each member age 12 or older, and 50% of the daily rate you receive for children under 12 years of age.

The term "family" or "family member" means any of the following persons who are members of your household at the time you report for duty at your new duty station:

Your spouse
Your children or your spouse's children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support. The term "children" includes natural offspring, stepchildren, adopted children, grandchildren, legal minor wards, or other dependent children who are under you or your spouse's legal guardianship, and a child born after your effective date of transfer when the travel of your expectant spouse to the new duty station is delayed because of advanced stages of pregnancy, or other reasons acceptable to your new NRCS administrative officer.
Dependent parents (including step- and legally adoptive parents) of you or your spouse, and dependent brothers and sisters (including step and legally adopted brothers and sisters) of you or your spouse who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support. If your immediate family includes parents, brothers, or sisters, contact your new administrative officer to obtain dependent status criteria before incurring any expenses.

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