Free Youth Pass
Starting in September, youth ride transit for free!
Starting Sept. 1, 2022, riders 18 and younger can take transit for free thanks to Move Ahead Washington, a statewide transportation funding package. We’re very excited to welcome more youth to the freedom of transit.
Your passport to the Puget Sound
Across the Puget Sound region, youth will be able to ride free on any of the following transit agencies. (Free youth transit starts on Sept. 1, 2022 unless otherwise noted.)
- Community Transit
- Starting July 1, 2022: Everett Transit
- King County Metro
- King County Water Taxi
- Kitsap Ferries
- Kitsap Transit
- Pierce Transit
- Sound Transit
Starting Oct. 1, 2022: Washington State Ferries (including cyclists, pedestrians and vehicle passengers, but not vehicles)
How it works
All youth will be able to ride transit for free. Riders age 13 and older are encouraged to show one of the following to the driver, if they have it:
- Youth ORCA Card (Please tap on/off. The card will not expire if it’s registered and youth have until June 30, 2023 to register their card.)
- Current High School or Middle School Student ID
For the next few months, youth who do not have one of these can still board for free.In 2023 and beyond, youth will be directed to get a Free Youth Transit Pass that allows them to tap a card—or eventually their smartphone—to access transit across the region for free.
How this came to be
The Washington State Legislature passed the Move Ahead Washington transportation package. As part of this package, transit agencies are awarded new Transit Support Grants, provided they meet certain conditions, including adopting a policy that passengers 18 years of age and younger may ride free of charge on any mode operated by the transit agency.
On July 11, the Pierce Transit’s Board of Commissioners voted to approve the Free Youth Transit Pass, which allows passengers ages 18 and under to RIDE FREE on all Pierce Transit services starting September 1, 2022.
This means free rides to get to school, meet up with friends, get to work, go shopping… where will your Free Youth Transit Pass take you?
Visit this page again as the school year approaches to find out how to get your Free Youth Transit Pass.