Out-of-State Travel Forms
Out-of-State Travel Procedures
"Out-of-state travel" is defined as: traveling to destinations outside of Maryland and Washington D.C. Attendance at events outside of Maryland/D.C. (conferences, training, etc.) requires specific forms and documentation be submitted by Staff and Consumers for review and approval. Providing a general "estimate" without the accompanying documents referenced below will not be accepted.
Employees
The following forms are required for Employees traveling out of state:
To reduce some of the paperwork, the
DORS In-State Staff Training Application is
NOT required when submitting Out-of-State Travel requests.
IMPORTANT: All forms and documentation are due to the DORS Staff Development office two months in advance of the event.
The required supplemental information and documentation is as follows (as applicable):
Airfare: Print a list of flight and airfares to/from the destination, and highlight the cost of the flights you are using to list in the "AIRFARE" areas of the forms.
Note: Actually making those airline reservations will be managed by Headquarters.
Lodging: Print out the per-night cost of the hotel (including taxes) associated with the conference/event you wish to attend. Multiply the cost by the number of nights, and enter this in the "LODGING" area of the forms.
Meals: Partially fill-out page 1 of the
Expense & Mileage Reimbursement Form
, indicating the dates you will be out of state, the meals for which you will (likely) be requesting reimbursement, and the maximum amount you are allowed to request for each meal. The current standard max rates can be found on the
Employee Reimbursement Forms, Policy & Procedures page. Make sure to account for
High Cost Metropolitan Area Meal Rates as published on the Maryland Department of Budget & Management website. Enter the total meal cost in the "MEALS" area of the forms.
Registration Fees: Print out the registration cost to attend the conference/event, as well as information about the event itself.
Do not include fees to attend banquets, social events associated with the conference, or fees to join a professional organization. You may include a cost to receive Continuing Education Hours/Units, if this is a separate cost. Enter the total cost in the "REGISTRATION" area of the forms.
Car Rental: It is unusual for DORS to approve a car rental. Discuss with your Supervisor/Manager before entering anything in this area. If you believe you need a car rental, please print out the information regarding the car rental agency in the Conference area, the type of car, multiply by the number of days, and enter the total coast in the "CAR RENTAL" area of the form.
Note: Actually reserving the car will be managed by Headquarters.
Other Transportation/Other/Miscellaneous: These areas can be used to estimate taxi/shuttle/Uber/Lyft rides to and from an airport, to and from the event location (if applicable), and parking fees. Whatever you reference, include printed documentation. If you are driving to the location, and using your own car, include the "Private Vehicle Travel Log" page along with Page 1 of the
Expense & Mileage Reimbursement Form. This will provide the travel reimbursement amount to be included in the "OTHER TRANSPORTATION," "OTHER," or "MISCELLANEOUS" areas of the forms.
NOTE: The
Expense & Mileage Reimbursement Form Page 1 and Private Vehicle Travel Log page you may include with this packet are for the Out-of-State Travel request only, and should
not be submitted as your final Travel Reimbursement request at the end of the month.
All other information on the
Out-of-State Travel Request and the
Out-of-State Travel Addendum For Employee Professional Development remain the same.
Consumers
When requesting out-of-state travel for Consumers, the
Out-of-State Travel Addendum for Consumers or for Employee Travel NOT for Professional Development
is required along with the
Out-of-State Travel Request.
The required supplemental documentation listed in the "Employees" section above also applies to these types of requests, and to this form.
Funding
NOTE: Documentation is required, even when there is no cost to DORS. For example, if you are a guest speaker at a Conference, and your Registration fee is paid/waived, you will enter the actual cost, and include appropriate documentation (i.e., email from the conference organizer).
On the "SOURCE OF FUNDING" line, indicate the organization paying the expenses. If only a portion of the expenses are covered, such as the registration but not the hotel, please indicate both the organization paying the partial expense and "Federal VR Basic Support" or "Social Security Administration," as appropriate. Including a memo which outlines the expense details is helpful.
Out-of-State Travel Form Examples
Below are an example of an Out-of-State Travel request, with accompanying documentation. If the meals are
High Cost or there are expenses listed next to "OTHER TRANSPORTATION" or "OTHER" on the form, a very brief, written description is requested.
If more than one staff member from your office is requesting to attend the event, it is helpful to provide a written narrative explaining why attendance at the conference/event is being requested.
