Washington Mileage Reimbursement: What Seattle Employers Owe You in 2026

Washington has no statewide mileage reimbursement requirement. But if you work inside Seattle city limits, your employer must reimburse business expenses, including mileage, under the Seattle Wage Theft Ordinance. Outside Seattle, reimbursement is voluntary unless unreimbursed costs push your pay below the state minimum wage.

Source: Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 14.20 (Wage Theft Ordinance); Washington Department of Labor & Industries.

The Seattle Rule

Seattle's Wage Theft Ordinance requires employers to pay all compensation owed to employees on a regular pay day. The ordinance defines compensation to include wages, tips, and reimbursements for employer expenses. If you drive your personal vehicle for work inside Seattle city limits, the cost is an employer expense, and your employer must pay it back.

Three things matter for coverage:

• The work happens inside Seattle city limits. Driving for a Seattle-based employer counts only if your work is performed within the city. A delivery route that crosses into Bellevue or Tukwila falls outside the rule for that portion.
• You are a W-2 employee. Independent contractors are not covered by the wage-theft framework. If you are 1099, your remedy is the federal mileage deduction on Schedule C.
• The expense is incurred for the employer's benefit. Commuting from home to your regular workplace does not count. Driving between job sites, to client visits, or for required errands does.

Outside Seattle: The Minimum Wage Floor

Washington's statewide minimum wage for 2026 is $17.13 per hour, the highest of any U.S. state. Seattle is higher at $21.30 per hour, applied uniformly across all employer sizes since January 2025.

There is no general state-level reimbursement statute. But unreimbursed business expenses cannot legally push your effective hourly pay below the applicable minimum wage. If you spend $30 a day on gas and vehicle wear for work and your employer pays you exactly minimum wage, your real take-home is below the floor. The shortfall is the employer's responsibility.

At Washington's $17.13 per hour, an employee driving 40 unreimbursed business miles per day loses roughly $29 in vehicle costs at the IRS rate. For lower-wage workers, that is enough to trigger the minimum wage protection.

How Your Employer Can Reimburse

Three approaches comply with the Seattle ordinance and the minimum wage floor:

• Cents per mile. You log business miles, your employer pays a per-mile rate. Most employers benchmark to the IRS rate (72.5¢/mile for 2026). The IRS rate is not a legal requirement in Washington, but it is the cleanest defensible benchmark.
• Actual expense reimbursement. You keep receipts for gas, insurance, and maintenance. Your employer reimburses the business-use portion based on a logged business-use percentage.
• Lump-sum allowance. A flat monthly stipend that reasonably covers your costs. To stay defensible, the allowance should be revisited as gas prices and vehicle costs change.

Whichever method your employer picks, you need a mileage log. The reimbursement is calculated against business miles you can prove.

How to Track Your Miles

Keep a contemporaneous log. The IRS requires records be made as trips happen, not reconstructed at year-end. The minimum data points are date, starting and ending location, business purpose, and miles driven. A spreadsheet works. An app works better, especially for hourly workers who would otherwise lose income while logging trips. See our mileage log requirements guide for the full list.

What If Your Employer Refuses

Inside Seattle, file a complaint with the Office of Labor Standards. The agency investigates wage theft claims, including unreimbursed expenses, and can order back pay, interest, and civil penalties. Filing is free for the worker.

Outside Seattle, your remedy is narrower. You can file a wage complaint with the Washington Department of Labor & Industries if unreimbursed costs pushed you below minimum wage. For pure mileage reimbursement disputes with no minimum-wage angle, the path is civil court or a contract-based claim.

If you are 1099 instead of W-2, none of this applies. Your remedy is the federal mileage deduction on your Washington self-employed mileage guide.

FAQ

Does Washington require employers to reimburse mileage?

Statewide, no. Inside Seattle city limits, yes. The Seattle Wage Theft Ordinance requires employers to reimburse business expenses, including mileage, on every regular pay day.

What is Washington's minimum wage in 2026?

$17.13 per hour statewide. $21.30 per hour in Seattle, applied uniformly to all employer sizes since January 2025.

Can my employer require me to use my own car without paying mileage?

Inside Seattle, no. Outside Seattle, yes, as long as your effective pay after vehicle costs does not fall below the minimum wage. If it does, the employer must cover the shortfall.

What if I drive into Seattle for work but my employer is based in Bellevue?

The Seattle ordinance covers work performed within Seattle city limits, regardless of where the employer is based. Miles driven inside the city qualify. Miles driven outside the city do not.

How do I file a complaint for unreimbursed mileage in Seattle?

File with the Seattle Office of Labor Standards. The agency takes wage theft complaints, including unreimbursed business expenses, and investigates without cost to the worker.

Does this apply to gig workers and independent contractors?

No. The wage-theft framework applies to W-2 employees. If you are a 1099 contractor, you cannot file a wage claim, but you can deduct your business mileage on your federal Schedule C return.

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