Colorado Per Diem Allowance

Calculate Colorado’s per diem rate based on GSA guidelines to simplify your business travels.

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From the bustling business hub of Denver to the tech centers in Boulder and the world-renowned mountain resorts of Vail and Aspen, Colorado is a major destination for corporate and official travel. Managing expenses in a state with such varied and often high costs requires a clear and compliant per diem policy. 

Per diem, a daily allowance for lodging, meals,and incidental expenses, is the federal standard and a best practice for private businesses. This guide will provide a detailed overview of Colorado's per diem rates, crucial state laws that mandate expense reimbursement,

Colorado Per Diem Rates

Per diem rates for official travel in Colorado are set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). These rates vary significantly across the state to reflect the different costs of lodging and meals, especially between the Front Range cities and the mountain resort communities.

For Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025), key rates are broken down as follows:

Major Metro Areas 

Colorado's main business and population centers have specific, seasonal rates.

  • Denver / Aurora (Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, & Jefferson Counties):
    • M&IE: $92 per day
    • Lodging: Seasonal, with rates of $215 (Oct, Apr-Sep) and $165 (Nov-Mar).
    • The first and last day of travel M&IE rate is $69.00.
  • Boulder (Boulder & Broomfield Counties):
    • M&IE: $80 per day
    • Lodging: Seasonal, with rates of $173 (Oct, Apr-Sep) and $125 (Nov-Mar).

Tourist and High-Cost Areas 

The world-renowned mountain resorts have some of the highest and most seasonal per diem rates in the country.

  • Vail (Eagle County):
    • M&IE: $92 per day
    • Lodging: Highly seasonal, with a peak rate of $397 per night (December-March) and an off-season rate of $201.
  • Aspen (Pitkin County):
    • M&IE: $92 per day
    • Lodging: Highly seasonal, with a peak rate of $407 per night (December-March) and an off-season rate of $207.

Standard CONUS Rate 

For any county in Colorado not specifically listed as a Non-Standard Area (NSA), the standard CONUS rate applies. For FY 2025, this rate is $178 ($110 for lodging and $68 for M&IE).

Colorado Per Diem Rate Calculator

To find the precise per diem allowance for your trip anywhere in Colorado, our calculator provides instant, accurate results based on the official GSA schedule.

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Your per diem allowance

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*For the first and last day of travel, M&lE spend is limited to 75% of its normal, daily allowance.

Colorado GSA Lodging Rates

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Some Important Colorado Per Diem Laws

Colorado has some of the strongest employee protection laws in the country regarding wages and expenses, which private employers must follow.

  • Mandatory Expense Reimbursement: Unlike many states, Colorado law requires employers to reimburse employees for necessary business-related travel expenses. The Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order, the state's primary wage and hour rulebook, explicitly states that travel time is work time and travel expenses—such as lodging and transportation for overnight trips—must be paid by the employer.
  • Minimum Wage: Colorado has a state minimum wage that is higher than the federal standard. As of January 1, 2025, the state minimum wage is $14.81 per hour. This provides a high floor of protection, as unreimbursed expenses cannot cause an employee's effective wage to fall below this rate.
  • Meal and Rest Periods: The COMPS Order also mandates that employers provide a 30-minute unpaid meal break for shifts longer than five hours and paid 10-minute rest periods for every four hours of work, further highlighting the state's pro-employee stance.

Colorado Per Diem Laws vs Federal Law

The legal framework in Colorado is unique because both state and federal laws play a significant role. While federal law sets the per diem rates, Colorado law mandates that employers must reimburse expenses.

Primary Applicability

  • Federal Law (GSA): Mandatory for all U.S. federal government employees on official business in Colorado.
  • Colorado Law (COMPS Order): Mandatory for almost all private-sector employees in Colorado, requiring employers to reimburse necessary business expenses.

Rate Setting and Usage

  • Federal Law (GSA): The GSA sets specific, non-negotiable per diem rates for various locations in Colorado that federal agencies must use.
  • Colorado Law: The state does not set its own per diem rates, but it does require reimbursement. Therefore, employers must use a method—like paying actual costs or using a per diem system—that fully covers the employee's necessary expenses. Using the GSA rates is a very common and highly defensible way to meet this legal requirement.

Legal Foundation

  • Federal Law (GSA): A comprehensive regulatory system designed to standardize and control government travel costs.
  • Colorado Law: A protective framework ensuring employees are not forced to subsidize their employer’s business operations by paying for travel out of their own pockets.

How Fyle Can Automate Per Diem and Expense Tracking

Given Colorado's mandatory reimbursement laws and varied, high-cost travel destinations, an automated expense management system is not just a convenience—it's a critical compliance tool. Fyle’s platform ensures your company meets its legal obligations while simplifying the process for everyone.

Fyle helps you master Colorado per diem and expense tracking:

  • Ensure Full Compliance: With Colorado law requiring reimbursement, Fyle helps you create an accountable plan. It automatically applies the correct GSA rates for any destination, from Denver to Vail, ensuring your per diem policy is fair, consistent, and meets legal standards.
  • Automated and Accurate Rate Calculation: Fyle eliminates manual errors by instantly calculating the correct per diem based on travel location and dates, including Colorado's complex seasonal rates for mountain resorts and the 75% M&IE rule.
  • Effortless Expense Submissions: Empower your employees to report expenses in real-time. A simple photo of a receipt from Fyle’s mobile app or a forwarded email is all it takes to create an expense entry, making compliance easy for your traveling team.
  • Proactive Policy Enforcement: Build your travel policy directly into Fyle. The platform acts as your first line of defense, checking every expense against your rules before submission, preventing out-of-policy spend and reducing the burden on your finance team.
  • IRS-Compliant Mileage Tracking: For employees driving across the state, Fyle’s Google Maps-powered mileage tracker offers an easy and accurate way to log trips, ensuring compliant records for reimbursement.
  • Direct Accounting Integration: Fyle syncs seamlessly with all major accounting software, including NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage Intacct. All approved per diem and travel data flows directly into your general ledger, saving time and ensuring financial accuracy.

With Fyle, you can confidently manage your Colorado travel expense process, ensuring you meet your legal obligations while providing a modern, hassle-free experience for your employees.

Colorado Meals and Incidental Rates

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The content on this page is for informational use. As legal standards and per diem rates are subject to change, users should verify current details with official GSA or government resources. This information does not serve as financial or legal counsel.