ORCA LIFT
Get the most out of transit with reduced fares and ORCA LIFT! This pass offers a convenient, more affordable way to get anywhere participating transit agencies can take you in the Puget Sound area.
In this section
Are you eligible?
Household income amount
To qualify, your gross household income (before taxes are taken out) must be no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, as established by the US Health and Human Services Department.
200% of federal poverty level
| Family Size | Monthly |
| 1 | $2,147 |
| 2 | $2,903 |
| 3 | $3,660 |
| 4 | $4,417 |
| 5 | $5,173 |
| 6 | $5,930 |
| 7 | $6,687 |
| 8 | $7,443 |
Apply for a card
Review your income
Review your household income or call the Community Health Access Program at (800) 756-5437 to see if you’re eligible.
200% of federal poverty level
| Family Size | Monthly |
| 1 | $2,147 |
| 2 | $2,903 |
| 3 | $3,660 |
| 4 | $4,417 |
| 5 | $5,173 |
| 6 | $5,930 |
| 7 | $6,687 |
| 8 | $7,443 |
Get a card
To apply for or renew ORCA LIFT cards, you can choose one of the following:
- Call the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at 1-800-756-5437. Receive your card in 7-10 days.
- Go online using the Reduced Fare Portal. Receive your card in 7-10 days.
- In person, visit one of the authorized enrollment offices around King County. Receive your ORCA LIFT card that day.
Load and use your card
Load and use your ORCA LIFT card on select transit services and save money!
Like with all ORCA cards, you will need to load your ORCA LIFT with E-purse funds or a monthly pass before you use it to pay on transit.
Visit an ORCA revalue location to load your card:
- The Metro Pass Sales Office
- A ticket vending machine in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, Link light rail stations, or some transit centers.
- Participating ORCA retailers
- orcacard.com
Options to pay
- Load a monthly PugetPass for unlimited rides during that month—a good choice if you ride transit often.
- Load between $5 and $300 on your card’s E-purse—a good choice if you ride from time to time.
- Buy a Regional Day Pass for a low-cost way to ride anywhere you’d like, all day long. Enjoy unlimited travel for only $4.00 per day.
Tap the card reader when you board, and off you go!
What to pay
Your ORCA LIFT card gives you a reduced fare on certain transit systems in the Puget Sound region. ORCA LIFT cards will also work on other ORCA transit agencies that don’t offer a reduced fare, but you'll need to pay the full fare.
Community Transit (Local/Swift) $1.25
Community Transit (Commuter) $2.00
Everett Transit $1.50
King County Metro Buses $1.50
King County Water Taxi
- West Seattle $3.75
- Vashon Island $4.50
Kitsap Transit Buses and Foot Ferries $1.00
Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries
- Eastbound $1.00
- Westbound $5.00
Seattle Streetcar $1.50
Seattle Monorail $1.50
Sounder Trains $1.50
Sound Transit Buses $1.50
Sound Transit Link Light Rrail $1.50
Pierce Transit full fare
Washington State Ferries full fare
Apply or renew today!
Acceptable income verification documents
Proof of enrollment in the following State programs:
- Apple Health/Medicaid (ProviderOne)
- Washington Basic Food (EBT Card)
- WIC (Women Infants Children)
Award Letters
- Statement from Unemployment
- L & I statement
- Other award letters: Social Security, Supplemental Security Income
If you currently do not have any source of income
- Employment Security verification form (or screen shot from website) showing no income
If you are employed and paid by an employer
- Proof of gross income for last 30 days (paystubs, screen shot showing income before any deductions taken)
- If paid in cash, a statement signed and dated by employer stating gross income for the last 30 days; or a bank statement showing money deposited into your account
Self-employed
- Copy of your most recent tax return. Income is based on the modified adjusted gross income on your most recent tax return: Form 1040 line 37; Form 1040 A, line 21; Form 1040 EZ, line 4; or completion of the self-employment worksheet
- Gig Workers (Uber, Lyft, Door Dash):proof of your income (after expenses) for last 30 days
Documents that prove who you are
Current Government-issued photo ID
- Driver’s license (any state or country)
- Photo ID card from any state, province, county or country
- Armed Services ID with photo
- ID card from any foreign consulate
- Passport from any country
- School photo ID—university, college, high school
- Tribal ID
- US certificate of citizenship, naturalization (signature, photo)
- Any other form of photo ID issued by a government agency of any country
Or, a combination of two or more documents
Non-government-issued document with name and a photo of you as an adult, and a document that indicates your name and birthdate, such as:
- Adoption papers
- Baptismal records
- Birth certificate
- Border crossing card
- Court order
- DHS "Trusted Traveler" cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- Driver's instruction permit
- DSHS identification letter for those in custodianship
- Employee ID card
- Immigration ID
- Marriage license
- School records / transcript (certified)
- Social Security card
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
- Unemployment card
Frequently asked questions
- King County Metro buses
- King County Water Taxi
- Community Transit buses
- Everett Transit buses
- Kitsap Transit buses
- Seattle Center Monorail
- Seattle Streetcar
- Sound Transit Link light rail
- Sound Transit Regional Express buses
- Sounder Trains
All other ORCA participating agencies will accept the ORCA LIFT card, but the cardholder will pay the current standard adult fare for service provided by those agencies. You can pay that fare with your card’s E-purse value or a PugetPass that you have loaded. If you use your PugetPass to pay, you will be credited the trip value of your PugetPass and will have to make up the difference with E-purse value or cash.
Nothing! There is no initial card fee for qualified individuals. If your ORCA LIFT card is lost, stolen, or damaged, replacement cards cost $3. Users are responsible for the cost to load E-purse or monthly passes to the card.
The ORCA LIFT card is good for two years from the time you get it. After that, it will automatically turn into an Adult ORCA card.. Your card’s expiration date will be printed on the back of the card. If your card is expired, you can apply to renew your card for another two-year time period by following the application process.
Anyone who starts out qualified for the ORCA LIFT program can continue until their card expires. At that point they will need to reapply for the program and prove their continued eligibility.
Adult ORCA LIFT cardholders may get ORCA youth cards for their children ages 6–18 with no initial card fee. ORCA Youth cards pay the standard youth fare when boarding Metro vehicles.
ORCA LIFT cardholders may apply for a Youth card at any ORCA LIFT enrollment agency. Agency staff can verify the child’s name and DOB, and the staff person’s signature is all that is needed to verify the child’s eligibility. The completed Youth ORCA LIFT form may be sent to the ORCA LIFT office, emailed, or faxed. The youth card will be mailed to the cardholder.
Cardholders may also complete and mail a Youth ORCA LIFT form, along with proof of the child’s name and age, to the ORCA LIFT office. The youth card will be mailed to the cardholder. The Youth ORCA LIFT form is available at enrollment locations.
ORCA LIFT youth cards may also be obtained at the pass sales office or at a Neighborhood Pop-Up event by providing a completed Youth ORCA LIFT form with either agency verification, verifying documents, or with the child. If the cardholder does not have the Youth ORCA LIFT Form, their ORCA LIFT card or other ID is needed.
For questions about becoming an ORCA LIFT verification agent or providing ORCA LIFT cards to clients, please contact reducedfares@kingcounty.gov.
Have questions? Call 206-553-3000 WA Relay: 711
Link/share this page: orcalift.com
