California Workers’ Comp Medical Mileage: What Travel Counts and How to Document It

Use the DWC mileage forms for your travel dates to separate repeated treatment trips across the 2026 rate change.

Which Trips Qualify for Mileage Reimbursement

When a California work injury requires travel to doctors, specialists, physical therapists, or a pharmacy, transportation costs become an important part of your overall recovery plan. According to the California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), reasonable transportation expenses for work-injury medical treatment include mileage and may include parking fees and bridge tolls.

Document how each trip relates to treatment for the work injury. Treatment authorization and disputed care may require a separate review; a missing authorization is not a universal answer to every travel claim. Reimbursable destinations typically include visits to treating physicians, physical therapy sessions, medical evaluation facilities, hospitals, and pharmacies dispensing injury-related medications. The route taken must be a reasonable direct path between your home or workplace and the medical provider.

Certain travel is specifically excluded by California rules. Ordinary commuting to and from your job is not reimbursable, even if your injury makes commuting more difficult. Separate personal-errand mileage from the medical trip. If an appointment or expense is disputed, preserve the notice, treatment records and written explanation rather than assuming the label alone decides reimbursement. Because eligibility depends on specific claim circumstances, this guide provides general education rather than formal legal advice.

If you have questions about whether a provider or appointment has been authorized under your claim, see our detailed guide on medical treatment in California workers’ comp.

Current Mileage Rates and the Mid-Year Change

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) updates mileage reimbursement rates periodically to match state transportation adjustments. For 2026, a mid-year rate change took effect, meaning the reimbursement amount per mile depends entirely on the date the travel took place.

DWC’s January rate announcement and July rate announcement establish these 2026 travel rates:

• 72.5 cents per mile for travel occurring from January 1 through June 30, 2026
• 76 cents per mile for travel occurring on or after July 1, 2026

These distinct rate tiers apply regardless of when your original injury occurred. What determines the mileage rate is the date of the specific trip. For example, assume two qualifying physical-therapy round trips of 20 miles each: June 29 produces $14.50 in mileage; July 2 produces $15.20. The combined mileage request is $29.70, before eligible parking or tolls. Applying the July rate to both trips would overstate that example by 70 cents.

Because the state provides separate reimbursement forms for different time periods, submitting trips from different rate periods requires selecting the appropriate DWC mileage reimbursement forms matching your travel dates. Using the correct form prevents processing delays and helps ensure prompt evaluation of your expenses.

How to Build a Trip Log That Holds Up

Accurate and detailed recordkeeping is essential for recovering medical travel costs. Claims administrators review logs for completeness, so keeping contemporaneous entries after every trip is far more reliable than trying to reconstruct travel details weeks later.

Use this practical checklist to ensure every individual trip entry in your log contains necessary documentation:

• Date of travel: Record the exact day of travel to identify the correct rate tier and form.
• Origin and destination: Note your starting address and the provider’s complete clinic or pharmacy name and address.
• Purpose of visit: State the medical purpose, such as doctor visit, physical therapy session, or prescription collection.
• Total mileage: Document the starting and ending odometer readings or mapped round-trip distance.
• Parking and toll receipts: Keep itemized receipts or electronic transponder records for all parking fees and bridge tolls.
• Proof of visit: Retain appointment cards, visit summaries, or pharmacy receipts that show care was received.

For repeated therapy, check each trip against the attendance record; a scheduled visit that was canceled is not a completed trip. Keep separate totals for the two rate periods, parking and tolls. A second trip to the pharmacy should appear as its own actual route rather than an assumed extra round trip for every treatment date.

Submitting Your Claim and Following Up

Once you have compiled your travel log for a period, download the corresponding DWC mileage form. Fill out the trip details completely, attach clear copies of all parking receipts and toll records, and submit the package directly to your claims administrator.

How you submit your log package is just as important as the records themselves. Protect your submission by following these key administrative steps:

• Submit through verifiable delivery methods, such as certified mail, fax with transmission confirmation, or secure online claims portal.
• Retain a complete duplicate copy of the signed form and every attached receipt for your personal records.
• Log the exact date of submission and note the names of any insurance representatives you communicate with.
• Identify each unpaid trip or omitted parking charge when following up. DWC’s mileage form says to contact an Information and Assistance officer if travel costs are not paid within 60 days; that instruction is not a promise of an automatic penalty.

If reimbursement checks are significantly delayed, statutory interest or penalty rules may apply depending on the situation. For more information on payment delays, review our guide on late workers’ comp checks in California.

Because reimbursement eligibility depends on specific claim details, proper form selection, submission proof, and insurer processing procedures, these steps serve as general legal education rather than a legal guarantee. If travel expenses are denied or delayed without explanation, consulting a qualified workers’ compensation attorney can help clarify your options.