Does Texas have an official mileage reimbursement rate?
Yes for state travel. Textravel publishes the automobile rate state employees are paid, and it changed from 72.5 cents per mile to 76 cents per mile on July 1, 2026.
Texas rules guide
Texas Mileage Reimbursement Rules
Texas mileage reimbursement guide distinguishing state-travel rates from private employer policies and claim documentation.
Guide by MileagePilotUpdated Oct 16, 2026
Short answer
Texas pays a published figure to state travelers: Textravel lists 72.5 cents per mile for a privately owned automobile from January 1 through June 30, 2026 and 76 cents per mile from July 1, because it republishes the federal figure when the IRS moves it. Texas has no statute that makes a private employer reimburse work mileage, so a private-sector claim is settled by the employer's written policy, with those same two figures as the usual benchmark.
At a glance
- Textravel, the Comptroller's travel site, pays 72.5 cents per mile for a privately owned automobile from January 1 through June 30, 2026 and 76 cents per mile from July 1 through December 31, 2026.
- Texas has an official state-travel framework with route, documentation and commuting limits, and it governs state business travel rather than private employment.
- In the private sector, mileage terms in Texas come from the employer's expense policy or agreement rather than from a reimbursement statute.
- Eligible miles are business miles: travel between worksites or to a client counts, the ordinary commute does not.
What Texas publishes for 2026
The Comptroller's Textravel pages set the schedule state employees and officials are paid for travel on official state business, and the automobile rate moves when the federal figure does. The same pages carry rates for aircraft and for the other travel costs a trip generates.
Nothing in that schedule binds a private employer. A Texas company may pay the federal rate, a different cents-per-mile figure, a flat vehicle allowance or nothing at all, as long as unreimbursed job costs do not push pay below the federal minimum wage.
| Period | Automobile mileage (state travel) | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 - June 30, 2026 | 72.5 cents per mile | Texas Comptroller, Textravel current rates |
| July 1 - December 31, 2026 | 76 cents per mile | Texas Comptroller, Textravel current rates |
Textravel automobile mileage for state business in 2026, across the mid-year federal change.
State Travel Rules vs Private Employer Policy
State employees
Texas Government Code and Comptroller travel rules govern state-business reimbursement, including documentation and restrictions on home-to-work travel.
Private employers
A private-employer workflow usually starts with policy, not statute. If the employer reimburses mileage, the form, log, and rate rule should be spelled out in writing.
Commuting
Commute miles are the first thing to exclude. Texas state-travel rules also explicitly limit reimbursement between residence and place of employment except in narrow circumstances.
What to keep in the claim packet
- Point-to-point mileage or a consistent mapping method.
- Trip purpose and destination for each business leg.
- Clear separation between commuting and reimbursable business travel.
- The reimbursement form, manager approval, and any policy note on parking or tolls.
Official references
Texas Comptroller: Mileage in Personal Vehicle
Official documentation and commuting restrictions for Texas state-business mileage reimbursement.
Texas Comptroller: Current travel rates
Lists automobile mileage for Jan 1-Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 1-Dec 31, 2026 for state travel.
U.S. Department of Labor FOH Chapter 30
Official wage-and-hour enforcement guidance often used to evaluate vehicle-expense impact on wage compliance.
Common questions
Which Texas rate applies to a trip that crossed July 1, 2026?
Split the trip by date. Miles driven through June 30 price at 72.5 cents per mile and miles from July 1 at 76 cents per mile, which is how the state schedule and an employer following the federal benchmark both read the year.
Does that Texas rate automatically control every private employer?
No. A private employer may use a company policy or the IRS benchmark. The key point is to separate state-travel rules from a general employment claim.
Continue with tools
Calculate estimated reimbursement, review official rate tables, or download log templates.