King County Metro restarts fare enforcement March 31, 2025

Tap your Orca card when taking transit

Starting March 31, King County Metro Fare Enforcement Officers will ask riders for proof of fare payment on buses and streetcars. 

Friendly, verbal reminders will be given to riders who did not pay.

Metro first will focus fare inspections on RapidRide routes, other high-ridership bus routes and the Seattle Streetcar.

“Metro relies on fares to provide safe, clean and reliable transit service, however we estimate that one-third or more of our riders are not paying their fare,” Metro’s Chief Safety Officer Rebecca Frankhauser said.

“By restarting fare enforcement, we’re confident that many of our riders will return to their habits of tapping their ORCA cards or paying at the farebox.”

Metro will deploy 30 Fare Enforcement Officers across the system from among the ranks of 175 Transit Security Officers.

Metro paused fare enforcement in 2020 to reassess and reimagine safety, security and fare enforcement to make the transit system more equitable and welcoming. 

Today, the agency often provides more than 300,000 rides each weekday and 2024 bus ridership was about 90 million systemwide. Metro fares accounted for an estimated $73 million in revenue in 2024.

Proof of payment required

Metro’s adult fare is currently $2.75. Beginning March 31, Fare Enforcement Officers will accept proof of payment in the form of:

• a recently tapped ORCA fare card
• an activated Transit GO Ticket on their phone
• a tapped ORCA card in Google Wallet
• a transfer slip issued to someone who paid cash at the farebox.

Many regional businesses provide their employees with ORCA cards. Employees who receive cards from their employers are still required to tap their cards and show proof of payment if asked by a Fare Enforcement Officer. 

Paying with an ORCA card provides information about our ridership that helps us serve them better and strong ridership data supports state funding for Metro. We encourage everyone to tap their ORCA card, even youth 18 and under who travel free.

Because the freedom to move is a human right, Metro offers reduced and free fares to ensure everyone can take transit:

• Riders with lower incomes can get an ORCA LIFT card, which allows them to take Metro bus service for $1.
• Riders with disabilities and seniors are similarly able to ride a Metro bus for $1 with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) card.
• All youth aged 18 and younger can ride for free and are encouraged to get an ORCA Youth card.
• Additionally, riders with the lowest incomes who are enrolled in certain government programs also can ride for free with the Subsidized Annual Pass.

Please visit Metro’s Reduced Fare web page to learn more about these programs and take a quick, five-question quiz to determine which fare may be right for you.