FAQS

Look at the upper right hand corner of your license. If it contains a star inside a circle (or for California residents, a star on a golden bear). If it does, your license is certified as Real ID and no further action is required. If you are unsure if your license is Real ID-compliant, please consult the Department of Homeland Security website at www.dhs.gov/real-id
To obtain a Real ID, you will need to go to your DMV and present an appropriate form of identification as defined by your state. For state-specific details, visit www.dhs.gov/real-id and select your state. You will be redirected to your state's DMV website where you can find additional information.
Due to pandemic Real ID requirement has been extended to May 3rd, 2023. After this time any individual with a driver's license that is not Real ID-compliant will need to present another acceptable form of identification, such as a valid U.S. passport, in order to board domestic flights.
An employee is in travel status when the employee is:
- Engaged in official State business
- At a distance of more than 35 miles from both their designated official station and their place of residence. Employees must obtain appropriate approvals prior to traveling.
Official Station is generally defined as the address of the office to which the employee is assigned. An employee can only have one official station. The designation of official station is determined by the University in the best interest of the State and not for the convenience of the employee. The purpose of the official station is to determine when the traveler is in travel status and eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses. *Travel between the employee's home and official station is considered commuting and is not reimbursable.*
Domestic Travel Restrictions:

The ban on travel to North Carolina and Indiana has been lifted. The ban on travel to Mississippi remains in effect. This travel ban applies to all travel funded by the State or certain Research Foundation sponsors.

Foreign Travel Restrictions:

As a first step in planning any trip abroad, please check the Travel Advisories for your intended destination:

U.S. Department of State Alerts and Warnings Travel Site

For information regarding Export Controls, please click HERE.
Day Trip Reimbursement: When an employee is in "travel status" for the day, the employee may be reimbursed for breakfast and/or dinner based on departure and return times. Travelers are entitled to reimbursement for breakfast if they leave before 7:00 AM and/or for dinner if they return after 7:00 PM. Travelers without meal receipts are reimbursed $5.00 for breakfast, and/or $12.00 for dinner. Travelers with meal receipts are reimbursed up to the maximum amount of the meal per diem allowance specified for the particular area related to the travel destination. The meal per diem allowance is apportioned for breakfast & dinner. Please click on the following link for current per diem meal allowance breakdown: https://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/guide/MyWebHelp/Content/XIII/4/D.htm

Day trip meal reimbursements are reportable as income to the IRS. Lunch is not reimbursable.
Non-Reimbursable Expenses include:

Personal, non-business related expenses such as speeding fines, parking tickets, laundry, entertainment (i.e. theater tickets, in-room movies, banquet tickets), early bird check-in charges, seat upgrades, or airline/trip insurance. Additionally, transportation to and from meals is not reimbursable. Trip insurance is allowed under RF and RF IDC Funded travel.