Do You Have to Pay Caregivers for Travel Time Between Clients?
Yes. Under the FLSA, drive time between clients during the workday is hours worked. What counts, what doesn't, how to pay it, and how mileage fits in.
By Caregiver Scheduling Team ·
Yes. Time a caregiver spends driving from one client’s home to another during the workday is hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 CFR 785.38). It has to be paid, it counts toward the 40-hour overtime threshold, and together with visit pay it has to come to at least minimum wage. The commute from home to the first client and from the last client back home is usually not hours worked.
What counts as paid travel time?
| Trip | Paid? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Caregiver’s home → first client | Usually no | Ordinary commute (29 CFR 785.35) |
| Client A → Client B, same day | Yes | Travel that is part of the day’s work |
| Client → office for a required meeting → client | Yes | Travel during the workday |
| Driving a client to an appointment | Yes | It’s care time, and the caregiver is working |
| Long gap between visits, caregiver free to go home | Usually no | Off-duty time if fully relieved and the gap is long enough to use for themselves |
| Last client → caregiver’s home | Usually no | Ordinary commute |
The gray area is a split shift. If a caregiver has a two-hour gap between a morning and an afternoon client, knows that in advance and can use the time as they like, it’s generally off-duty. A 20-minute gap is not.
How do agencies pay travel time?
You can pay travel at the caregiver’s visit rate or at a separate, lower rate, as long as:
- the caregiver is told the rate in writing in advance,
- total pay for the week divided by total hours worked, including travel, is at least the minimum wage, and
- travel pay is included when you calculate the regular rate for overtime. See home care overtime rules.
Some agencies pay a flat amount per trip between clients. That’s allowed only if it covers the actual time at or above minimum wage, so you still have to know the time.
Do you have to reimburse mileage?
Federal law doesn’t require mileage reimbursement directly. But under the FLSA’s “free and clear” rule, vehicle costs the caregiver bears for your business can’t push their pay below the minimum wage (29 CFR 531.35). For caregivers paid close to minimum wage, unreimbursed miles can create a violation.
Some states go further. California requires employers to reimburse necessary business expenses (Labor Code 2802), and Illinois has a similar expense-reimbursement law.
Most agencies reimburse at or below the IRS business rate, which keeps the payment non-taxable. For 2026 the IRS rate is 72.5 cents a mile for January–June and 76 cents a mile from July 1.
What travel time costs a typical agency
Take a caregiver with four visits a day, 15 minutes and 6 miles between each, five days a week:
| Item | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Paid travel time (3 trips × 15 min × 5 days) | 3.75 hours |
| Travel pay at $17/hour | $63.75 |
| Mileage (3 × 6 miles × 5 days = 90 miles) at $0.76 | $68.40 |
| Total travel cost per caregiver | $132.15 |
Across 20 caregivers that’s about $137,000 a year. Cutting average drive time between visits from 15 minutes to 10 saves about a third of the time portion.
How to reduce paid travel time
- Cluster clients by area when you assign caregivers, and keep it that way when you fill call-outs.
- Order each caregiver’s day on a map rather than by start time alone.
- Avoid zig-zag schedules where a caregiver crosses town twice in a day.
- Bill a minimum visit length, so short visits cover the travel around them. See how much to charge for home care.
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
Route optimization puts each caregiver’s day in an efficient order on a map, and open shifts appear on the same map so you can fill them with someone nearby. When a visit moves, the route updates. Verified check-in and check-out times show the real gaps between visits. Timesheets that take travel time from those records instead of estimates are coming soon. $199/month for up to 10 caregivers or $299/month for up to 50, free for 30 days.
FAQ
Is travel time between clients considered hours worked? Yes, when it happens during the workday. It’s paid and it counts toward overtime.
Can I pay a lower rate for drive time? Yes, if you tell the caregiver in advance, the week’s pay averages at least minimum wage, and you include it in the overtime regular rate.
Do I have to pay for the commute to the first client? Generally no, unless the caregiver first has to report to the office or pick something up for work.
Do I have to pay mileage? Not under federal law, unless unreimbursed costs pull pay below minimum wage. Some states, including California and Illinois, require reimbursement.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Check your state’s wage and hour rules.