King County Metro Free and Reduced Fares

Youth, income-qualified riders, seniors, Medicare cardholders, and people with disabilities can receive free or reduced transit through ORCA programs.

Eligible King County Metro free-fare or reduced-fare rider

Entitlement facts

Benefit type: Government benefit. A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route. Taxonomy definition →
What it unlocks: Free fares for youth age 18 and younger, $1 fares for many ORCA LIFT and reduced-fare riders, and a no-cost annual pass for people enrolled in qualifying benefit programs.
Who qualifies: Eligible King County Metro free-fare or reduced-fare rider
Requirements: Meet the current youth, income, age, Medicare, disability, or state-benefit criteria and obtain the applicable Youth ORCA, ORCA LIFT, RRFP, or subsidized annual-pass credential.
How to activate: Use the Reduced Fare Portal or current ORCA process to apply for the appropriate card and tap it when riding.
Cost basis: Variable by provider or eligibility. The user's out-of-pocket cost cannot be represented by one fixed amount because it depends on provider policy, income, household, geography, selected service, coverage group, subsidy amount, or the underlying program. It may be free, reduced, sliding-scale, or partly paid.
Cost and fees: Eligible riders travel free or pay the published reduced fare; card and replacement terms vary.
Geography: US, Seattle and King County, Washington
Personalization: Published eligibility is not described as individually targeted.

EVIDENCE / 2 SOURCES

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

Check the provider's final terms immediately before applying, depositing funds, spending, or changing a paid relationship.

01King County Metro Reduced Faresprovider↗02King County Metro Fare Educationprovider↗

MACHINE RECORD

{
  "id": "seattle-king-county-metro-free-reduced-fares",
  "name": "King County Metro Free and Reduced Fares",
  "provider": "King County Metro",
  "entitlement_type": "government-benefit",
  "entitlement_type_label": "Government benefit",
  "entitlement_type_context": {
    "definition": "A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route.",
    "domain": "public-benefits",
    "archetype": "direct-program",
    "agent_instruction": "Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."
  },
  "summary": "Youth, income-qualified riders, seniors, Medicare cardholders, and people with disabilities can receive free or reduced transit through ORCA programs.",
  "benefit": {
    "description": "Free fares for youth age 18 and younger, $1 fares for many ORCA LIFT and reduced-fare riders, and a no-cost annual pass for people enrolled in qualifying benefit programs.",
    "estimated_value_usd": null
  },
  "discovery": {
    "focus": "public-service",
    "has_estimated_dollar_value": false
  },
  "access": {
    "relationships": [
      "Eligible King County Metro free-fare or reduced-fare rider"
    ],
    "requirements": "Meet the current youth, income, age, Medicare, disability, or state-benefit criteria and obtain the applicable Youth ORCA, ORCA LIFT, RRFP, or subsidized annual-pass credential.",
    "activation": "Use the Reduced Fare Portal or current ORCA process to apply for the appropriate card and tap it when riding.",
    "cost_basis": "varies",
    "cost_basis_label": "Variable by provider or eligibility",
    "cost_basis_context": {
      "classification": "variable",
      "definition": "The user's out-of-pocket cost cannot be represented by one fixed amount because it depends on provider policy, income, household, geography, selected service, coverage group, subsidy amount, or the underlying program. It may be free, reduced, sliding-scale, or partly paid.",
      "agent_instruction": "Read and disclose the record's fees and requirements; use the most precise bounded price or variation reason available instead of repeating only that cost varies.",
      "variation_patterns": [
        "bounded price range",
        "provider-set price",
        "income-based sliding scale",
        "coverage or service-dependent cost sharing",
        "partial subsidy",
        "directory of programs with different terms"
      ],
      "does_not_mean": [
        "universally free",
        "cost information was necessarily omitted"
      ]
    },
    "fees": "Eligible riders travel free or pay the published reduced fare; card and replacement terms vary.",
    "personalized": false,
    "regions": [
      "US",
      "Seattle and King County, Washington"
    ],
    "expires": null
  },
  "status": "verified",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-04",
  "claim_url": "https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/fares-and-payment/reduced-fares",
  "source_url": "https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/fares-and-payment/reduced-fares",
  "source": {
    "primary_url": "https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/fares-and-payment/reduced-fares",
    "evidence": [
      {
        "source": "King County Metro Reduced Fares",
        "url": "https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/fares-and-payment/reduced-fares",
        "kind": "provider",
        "checked_at": "2026-08-04"
      },
      {
        "source": "King County Metro Fare Education",
        "url": "https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/promo/fare-education",
        "kind": "provider",
        "checked_at": "2026-08-04"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parent": null,
  "coverage": {
    "level": "local",
    "family": "reduced-fare-transit",
    "jurisdiction": "Seattle and King County, Washington",
    "maturity": "direct"
  },
  "web_url": "/benefits/seattle-king-county-metro-free-reduced-fares",
  "taxonomy": {
    "version": "1.0",
    "url": "/api/v1/taxonomy"
  }
}

View JSON ↗

King County Metro Free and Reduced Fares

Entitlement facts

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

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