Disability Bus Pass: Eligibility, Fares, and Companion Rides

A disability bus pass is a reduced-fare or free transit card issued by your local transit agency to riders with a qualifying disability. Federal law sets the floor: any transit provider that takes Urbanized Area Formula Program money from the Federal Transit Administration has to cap fares for people with disabilities at no more than 50% of the peak fare during off-peak hours on fixed-route buses, trains, and ferries.¹ Many agencies go further, and some states offer completely free rides to qualifying low-income riders. You get the card by proving your disability with an accepted document and, in most systems, sitting for a photo.

Who Qualifies

The Federal Transit Administration defines an eligible person with a disability as someone who, because of illness, injury, age, or disability, cannot use mass transportation as effectively as a person not so affected. Local transit agencies can adopt broader definitions, and many do.²

Eligibility is not limited to physical or sensory disabilities. Agencies look at functional impact rather than a specific diagnosis, and mental health conditions can qualify. WMATA’s application defines mental illness as “a substantial disorder of thought, perception, orientation, or memory that impairs judgment and behavior,” and asks for certification from a licensed clinical psychologist or certified school psychologist with a DSM or ICD code.³ New York’s MTA lists “serious mental illness while receiving SSI” among its qualifying conditions.⁴ Federal ADA guidance is clear that agencies may not issue blanket denials based on the type of disability; each application gets an individual look.⁵

Documents Most Agencies Accept

The paperwork varies from city to city, but the same handful of documents shows up on nearly every application:

A Medicare card. Federal rules require covered transit agencies to accept it as proof at boarding, usually alongside a government photo ID. Medi-Cal and Medicaid cards generally are not accepted for this purpose.²⁶
Social Security proof of SSI or SSDI benefits, such as an award letter or benefit statement. Chicago’s RTA wants a printout from the Social Security Administration dated in the current year that contains the word “disabled.”⁷
A certification signed by a licensed healthcare professional. Most agencies accept physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and audiologists.⁸
A VA letter certifying a service-connected disability rating. The minimum rating differs: WMATA requires 60% or more, while Rhode Island’s RIPTA sets the bar at 40%.⁹¹⁰
Miscellaneous alternatives at some systems, including a California DMV disabled parking placard receipt, proof of enrollment in a special education program, or an ADA paratransit eligibility card from another region.¹¹

How to Apply

Most agencies let you apply online, by mail, or in person. LA Metro and its TAP card system accept online applications with uploaded photos and documentation, and mail the card within about 20 business days.¹² King County Metro in Seattle processes online applications in 7 to 10 days.⁸ Chicago’s RTA typically delivers permits in three to four weeks.⁷

New York’s MTA is an outlier. As of mid-2026 its online application for reduced-fare OMNY cards is unavailable, and mail-in applicants face waits of up to three months. In-person help is available at MTA Customer Service Centers for riders with disabilities.⁴

Card fees are small. LA Metro charges $2,¹² Honolulu charges $2,¹³ and RIPTA charges $10.¹⁴ The first card is free at King County Metro and in Everett, Washington’s regional system.⁸ Replacements cost more. WMATA charges $10 for the first replacement and $25 for each one after.⁹

What You’ll Pay With the Pass

Fifty percent off the base fare is the norm, though the details differ by city:

New York City (MTA): $1.50 for subway, Staten Island Railway, and local buses, half the $3.00 base fare. Express buses run $3.60, half of $7.25. Reduced fares are not honored during weekday peak periods, 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.⁴
Los Angeles (Metro): $0.75 base fare, $0.35 off-peak, with a $2.50 daily cap and a $5 weekly cap.¹²
Washington, D.C. (WMATA): 50% off Metrobus and Metrorail fares, plus half off the 7-Day Regional Bus Pass, extending to regional partners like Arlington Transit and Fairfax Connector.¹⁵
Chicago (RTA): About 50% off CTA buses, ‘L’ trains, Pace buses, and Metra trains.¹⁶

New York’s OMNY system layers on a fare cap: once a reduced-fare rider pays for 12 trips in a seven-day period, the rest of that week’s rides are free.⁴

Free Passes for Low-Income Riders

Some states and cities zero out the fare entirely if you meet an income test.

Illinois runs a Ride Free Transit Benefit through its Department on Aging, covering CTA, Metra, and Pace for seniors and people with disabilities. Income limits are $33,562 for a household of one, $44,533 for two, and $55,500 for three. You submit a Benefit Access Application every two years.¹⁷

Rhode Island’s RIPTA offers a no-fare bus pass to disabled riders whose household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. For a single-person household in 2025 that is $31,300. Riders who qualify on disability but earn above the threshold still get half-fare service off-peak.¹⁰

Kansas City’s RideKC program, run in partnership with United Way of Greater Kansas City, gives free single-day bus passes to people with disabilities who receive SSI, SSDI, or VA disability compensation, distributed through nonprofit partners on a first-come basis.¹⁸

How Long the Card Lasts

Validity varies. Honolulu’s permanent-disability HOLO cards renew every four years; temporary cards last only as long as your healthcare provider specifies.¹³ RIPTA cards are good for two years.¹⁴ In the San Francisco Bay Area, Clipper Access cards issued after January 2020 for permanent disabilities do not expire; older cards renew by mail or at a local processing location at no charge.¹⁹ In the Puget Sound region, permits for permanently disabled riders are valid indefinitely, while temporary permits last up to five years.²⁰

Cards generally do not auto-renew. Chicago’s RTA, for example, requires holders to reapply online or by mail when the card expires.²¹

Bringing an Attendant or Companion

Many systems let a personal care attendant ride free with the passholder. In New Jersey, personal assistants ride free when the person with a disability shows proper identification.²² Riders with a WMATA Metro Access ID can bring a personal care attendant or companion at no charge on Metrorail and Metrobus.²³ Oregon’s Lane Transit District allows PCAs to ride free with an endorsement on the rider’s card.²⁴

Using the Pass Across a Region

Some cards work across a whole metropolitan area. The Puget Sound Regional Reduced Fare Permit is honored by more than 15 transit systems, including King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Washington State Ferries. You get one card from any participating agency’s customer service office and can use it across the network.²⁰ LA Metro’s Reduced Fare TAP card is valid across 25 transit agencies in Los Angeles County.²⁵ Maryland’s MTA accepts disability IDs issued by other transit agencies when paired with a government photo ID.²⁶

Traveling? Some agencies extend courtesy to visitors. WMATA issues a 30-day courtesy card to riders who show a disability ID from another agency or a current letter from a healthcare provider.⁹

Not the Same as ADA Paratransit

A disability bus pass and ADA paratransit eligibility are separate programs. A reduced-fare pass lets you ride the regular fixed-route buses and trains at a discount, and the assessment is documentary: show a Medicare card, SSI letter, or physician certification and you get the card. ADA paratransit is a door-to-door, reservation-based service for people whose disabilities prevent them from using the fixed-route system at all, and eligibility is based on functional ability. The ADA sets three categories: people who cannot independently navigate the transit system, people who need an accessible vehicle on a route that lacks one, and people who cannot physically reach a bus stop because of distance, terrain, or other barriers.⁵

You can qualify for one, both, or neither. Being eligible for paratransit does not bar you from using the regular bus, and occasional fixed-route use does not disqualify you from paratransit.⁵

Keep the Card and Your ID on You

Reduced-fare riders generally have to carry their qualifying identification whenever they use the pass. In San Diego, failure to produce proof of eligibility when asked can result in a fine.⁶ California’s Antelope Valley Transit Authority has stated that special assistance passes “must be properly applied for, obtained, and then used every time upon boarding,” and that fare evasion can lead to fines of up to $250 under California Penal Code Section 640(c)(1) as well as suspension of rider privileges.²⁷ Providing false information on a Washington State Regional Reduced Fare Permit application is subject to criminal prosecution under state fraud statutes.²⁸

The federal half-fare rule covers fixed-route buses, trains, and ferries. It does not extend to ADA paratransit, which has its own fare rules under 49 C.F.R. Section 37.131(c).² To find the exact application form, fee, and validity period for your area, start with your local transit agency’s reduced-fare or accessibility page.

1
Federal Transit Administration. Are Transit Providers Required To Offer Reduced Transit Fares
2
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. Understanding Half-Fare/Reduced Fare Requirements
3
WMATA. Reduced Fare Accessible Application
4
MTA. Reduced Fare
5
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. ADA Transportation Guidelines – Eligibility
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San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Reduced Fares
7
City of Chicago 311. Apply for Reduced Fare Program (RTA)
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King County Metro. Regional Reduced Fare Permit
9
WMATA. Riders With Disabilities
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RIPTA. Reduced Fare Application With 2025 Poverty Guidelines
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TAP. Reduced Fare
12
LA Metro. Disability
13
City of Honolulu. Fares – Disability
14
RIPTA. Reduced Fare
15
WMATA. Fare Programs
16
RTA Chicago. Apply
17
Illinois Department on Aging. Ride Free Transit Benefit
18
United Way of Greater Kansas City. RideKC
19
Clipper. Renew or Replace
20
Everett Transit. Regional Reduced Fare Permit
21
RTA Chicago. Free and Reduced Fare Programs
22
New Jersey Department of Human Services. Transportation
23
WMATA. Metro Access
24
Lane Transit District. Accessibility
25
LA Metro. Seniors
26
Maryland Transit Administration. Disability Reduced Fare Program
27
AVTA. AVTA Addresses Growing Financial Impact of Bus Fare Evasion
28
ORCA. RRFP Application Packet