King County Metro to resume fare inspection in March 2025 

King County Metro is planning a phased approach to returning to fare inspection. In the coming weeks, the agency is launching a multilingual communications and outreach campaign to raise awareness of this change and to let riders know they may be eligible for a reduced fare.

Starting March 31, 2025, Metro fare inspectors will ask riders for proof of fare payment. Friendly, verbal reminders will be given to riders who did not pay.

Fare inspection will fully resume starting on May 31, 2025. In place of verbal reminders, riders who do not pay will receive a written warning. Riders can receive two of these written warnings without consequence. However, third and subsequent violations may result in a fine or an alternative resolution. Alternative resolutions help ensure fairness. For example, if someone cannot afford to pay a fare, they cannot afford to pay a fine.

For third and subsequent violations, the rider may choose from the following:

• Pay a fine of $20 within 30 days, or $40 within 90 days.

• Load $20 onto an ORCA card or—if eligible—$10 onto a reduced fare program card.

• Enroll in a reduced fare program if eligible.

• Perform two hours of community service.

• Appeal to the Fare Adjudication Program Manager or request a customized resolution.

Youth who do not have proof of payment will not face a fine or alternative resolution, and will instead receive information on how to enroll in the Free Youth Transit Pass.

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

• People with lower incomes can get an ORCA LIFT card, which allows them to take Metro bus service for $1.

• People with disabilities and seniors are similarly able to ride a Metro bus for $1 with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) card.

• All youth age 18 and younger can ride for free and are encouraged to get an ORCA Youth card.

• Additionally, people with the lowest incomes who are enrolled in certain government programs also can ride for free with the Subsidized Annual Pass.

Please visit ReducedFare.kingcounty.gov to learn more about these programs. There is also a quick, five-question quiz to determine which fare card may be right for you.

Since pausing fare inspection in 2020, Metro launched the Safety, Security and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform Initiative and has engaged with thousands of riders, community members and Metro employees. This collaboration continues to make our transit system more equitable, secure, and welcoming.

For example, community members voiced a strong desire for an increased safety presence that shows up in the appropriate way. In some cases, a police officer or transit security officer is needed. In other cases, a behavioral health specialist is better able to provide de-escalation, a referral or resources to a person in need. Our “Care and Presence” approach seeks this balance and has helped reduce all incidents and drug-specific incidents. At the same time, we’ve seen more and more people take Metro. We have averaged roughly 300,000 rides each weekday in recent months.

This same type of partnership—specifically with our SaFE Equity Workgroup—led to the redesign of fare inspection. The SaFE Equity Workgroup is comprised of nine community members, two bus operators and one former Fare Enforcement Officer. Workgroup members live in different areas of King County and represent varied backgrounds, cultures and experiences.

While Metro has always been committed to an equitable approach to fare inspection, the SaFE Equity Workgroup guided additional changes. Some of the improvements include more affordable fines, more forgiving policies regarding late payments, and lower minimum amounts to load on ORCA or ORCA LIFT cards for riders pursuing one of the alternative resolution options. The workgroup also made important recommendations on communications strategy, community outreach, messaging, tone and visuals.

Fares are an important source of revenue for Metro, providing $71 million in 2023 with 55% coming from employers offering transit passes to their employees. Paying with an ORCA card provides information about our riders that lets us serve them better and strong ridership data supports state funding for Metro. We encourage everyone to tap their ORCA card, even youth for whom fares are free as well as riders whose employers fully subsidize their transit trips.

Communications campaign samples (English and Spanish)