Louisiana Per Diem Allowance

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

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From the vibrant streets of New Orleans' French Quarter to the critical energy corridors along the Gulf Coast, Louisiana offers a diverse landscape for business travel. For any company with employees on the move, a clear understanding of per diem rates is essential for managing expenses efficiently and staying compliant.

Per diem, a daily allowance for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses, offers a streamlined alternative to tracking actual costs. This guide provides a comprehensive look at the federal per diem rates for Louisiana, clarifies important state laws, and shows how you can automate the entire process.

Louisiana Per Diem Rate

Per diem rates for official travel in Louisiana are set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). These federal rates are mandatory for federal employees and serve as a common benchmark for private sector companies creating an IRS-compliant travel reimbursement policy.

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

Major business and tourism centers

Louisiana's primary destinations have specific Non-Standard Area (NSA) rates that are higher than the standard U.S. rate.

  • New Orleans (Orleans and Jefferson Parishes):
    • M&IE: $80 per day
    • Lodging: Seasonal, with rates ranging from $133 to $179 per night.
  • Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish):
    • M&IE: $51 per day
    • Lodging: A flat rate of $110 per night.

The first and last day of travel, the M&IE rate is $60.00 for New Orleans and $55.50 for Baton Rouge.

Other notable locations

It's important to note that many of Louisiana's key regional hubs are not designated as high-cost areas and therefore use the Standard CONUS Rate.

  • Lafayette (Lafayette Parish): The heart of Cajun Country and a key business center, Lafayette is covered by the Standard CONUS Rate.

Standard CONUS Rate

For any parish in Louisiana not specifically listed by the GSA—including key regional hubs like Lafayette—the standard CONUS rate applies. For FY 2025, this rate is $178 ($110 for lodging and $68 for M&IE).

Louisiana Per Diem Rate Calculator

Find the exact per diem allowance for your trip to Louisiana with our easy-to-use calculator. Select the fiscal year, choose your destination city or parish, and input your travel dates. The tool will instantly provide the correct lodging and M&IE rates based on the official GSA schedule.

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Your per diem allowance

Dates
Lodging (L)
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
Total (L + M&IE)
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Lodging (L)
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Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
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Total (L + M&IE)
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*For the first and last day of travel, M&lE spend is limited to 75% of its normal, daily allowance.

Louisiana GSA Lodging Rates

Financial year
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County
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Louisiana Meals and Incidental Rates

Financial year
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County
Daily M&IE Total
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Some Important Louisiana Per Diem Laws

While private companies often use GSA rates as a guide, it's crucial to know that Louisiana has its own distinct travel policy for state employees and that state law governs private employers.

  • Reimbursement As A Matter of Policy: Louisiana law does not require private employers to reimburse employees for business travel expenses. Because of this, having a clear, written, and consistently enforced travel and reimbursement policy is essential to avoid disputes and set clear expectations with employees.

  • Louisiana's State Travel Policy (PPM 49): The State of Louisiana has its own detailed travel policy for public employees, known as Policy and Procedure Memorandum 49 (PPM 49). This policy sets specific lodging and tiered meal reimbursement rates that are different from the federal GSA system. These rates are mandatory only for state employees.

Louisiana Per Diem Laws vs Federal Law

It's essential to distinguish between the federal GSA system and Louisiana's state policy, as they apply to different groups of people.

Primary applicability

  • Federal Law (GSA): Mandatory for all U.S. federal government employees on official business in Louisiana. It is also the common standard used by private businesses for an IRS-compliant accountable plan.
  • State of Louisiana Policy (PPM 49): Applies exclusively to Louisiana state government employees and does not govern private sector businesses.

Rate setting and usage

  • Federal Law (GSA): Sets seasonally-adjusted lodging rates and location-based M&IE rates for dozens of specific parishes in Louisiana.
  • State of Louisiana Policy (PPM 49): Historically has used its own tiered system for meal and lodging allowances based on location. As of 2022, it has moved to align more closely with GSA rates but maintains its own specific rules and documentation requirements.

Legal focus

  • Federal Law (GSA): Aims to create a uniform, fair-market system for reimbursing federal travel across the country.
  • State of Louisiana Policy (PPM 49): Designed to manage the state's budget and ensure a consistent and auditable process for its own employees' travel expenses.

How Fyle Can Automate Per Diem and Expense Tracking

Travel in Louisiana is diverse. You need an expense management system that’s as flexible as your business needs. Fyle is designed to handle the complexities of per diem and travel expenses with intelligent automation.

Here’s how Fyle simplifies your Louisiana expense management:

  • Flexible Policy Engine For Any Trip: Whether you use GSA rates for your sales team or have custom reimbursement rules for industrial projects, Fyle’s policy engine is fully customizable. Set your specific rates and rules, and Fyle will automatically enforce compliance.
  • Real-time Expense Capture: Empower your employees to report expenses on the go. A quick photo of a receipt from Fyle’s mobile app or a forwarded email is all it takes to create an expense entry, eliminating post-trip administrative work.
  • One-click Mileage Logs For Easy Travel: For employees driving between New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles, Fyle’s Google Maps-powered mileage tracker makes logging trips simple and accurate, ensuring compliant reimbursement without the hassle of manual logs.
  • Advanced Analytics For Project Spending: Get a clear view of your travel costs with Fyle's real-time analytics. Track spending by project, department, or location to make smarter budgeting decisions and understand the true cost of business activities.
  • Seamless Accounting And ERP Integration: Fyle connects directly with leading accounting systems like QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct, ensuring all approved expense data flows directly into your financial records without manual data entry.

With Fyle, you can master your Louisiana travel expenses, ensuring compliance and providing a world-class experience for your employees, no matter where their work takes them.

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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.