Senior transit discounts in the Bay Area

• Who qualifies: anyone 65 or older.
• How: apply online, by mail, email or fax, or in person at a Clipper Customer Service Center; BART says that at staffed locations you can apply and receive the discount card immediately. You need an accepted ID to verify your birth date.
• You can transfer a Senior card to your phone's wallet; without an online account, Clipper Customer Service at 877.878.8883 can help.
• Muni says a tapped credit or debit card pays an adult single-ride fare; for the senior fare, tap your Senior Clipper card.

• BART: 62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card. BART's fiscal year 2026–27 budget, adopted in June 2026 and running through June 30, 2027, has no fare increase and keeps the senior discount; a separate contingency plan for a funding shortfall awaits further BART Board decisions and is not a set of decided fares.
• Muni (San Francisco): single ride $1.40 with Clipper, good for 120 minutes; $1.50 cash; monthly pass $43; cable car $4 before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (2026 fares; MuniMobile stopped selling single rides on September 1, 2026). From January 4, 2027: $1.50 single ride on Clipper (cash stays $1.50), $45 monthly pass, and $6 for the cable car before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
• VTA (South Bay): single ride $1; the $3 day pass and $30 monthly pass are Clipper only, not sold for cash. A single ride paid with Clipper includes 2 hours of free transfers, and Clipper stops charging for the day once you have paid the $3 day-pass price. These are the current fares on VTA's site as of October 17, 2026; the site has no announcement of 2027 fare changes.
• SamTrans (Peninsula): single ride $1.00 on Clipper, $1.10 cash; day pass $2.00; monthly pass $27.00.
• AC Transit (East Bay): a senior local single ride is $1.37 on Clipper or $1.50 in cash, about half the adult fare; paying with Clipper, local rides cost at most $3 a day and $41.50 a month (fares from July 1, 2026; as of October 17, 2026 the site had no announcement of 2027 fare changes).

SFMTA's Free Muni for Seniors gives San Francisco residents 65+ with gross family income at or below 100% of Bay Area median free Muni rides, cable cars included, on a Clipper card. Applying online is fastest: enter your registered Senior Clipper card's serial number, or upload proof of age if you don't have one. You can also download the application in Chinese and mail or drop it off at the SFMTA Customer Service Center (11 South Van Ness Avenue, ATTN: FREE MUNI). Approval takes up to 3 weeks with an existing Clipper card and up to 4 weeks if a new card is needed.

The three discounts have different rules: the Senior Clipper card depends only on age (65 or older), not income; Free Muni requires living in San Francisco with family income at or below 100% of the Bay Area median; Clipper START is for people 19–64 with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Qualifying for one does not enroll you in another; apply for each separately.

Clipper Access is the discount card for riders under 65 with qualifying disabilities, also 62.5% off BART. There are two paths: Basic eligibility (for example a Medicare card held by someone under 65, a DMV placard registration receipt, or existing ADA paratransit eligibility) and Medical eligibility (certified by a California licensed professional). When you apply, transit agency staff photocopy your documents and take your photo. Elders 65 and over simply get a Senior card.

People who can't use buses or trains on their own because of a disability or health condition can apply for ADA paratransit: pre-booked van or taxi rides. In San Francisco it's SF Paratransit: general questions 415.351.7000 (Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4:45 p.m.), SF Access reservations 415.285.6945, option 2 (daily 7 a.m.–6 p.m.). In the East Bay it's East Bay Paratransit, run by AC Transit and BART: (510) 287-5000, during AC Transit and BART operating hours, within ¾ mile of a bus route or BART station, with a rider guide in Chinese on its site. In Santa Clara County it's VTA ACCESS: call (408) 321-2381 to apply for eligibility (the application form comes in Chinese), and once approved, book rides 1–3 days ahead at (408) 321-2380 (8 a.m. until before 5 p.m.). In other counties, ask the local transit agency's paratransit office.

Hello, I'm asking about ADA paratransit for my father/mother. He/she lives in ___, is ___ years old and can't ride regular transit because ___. How do we apply for an eligibility assessment? Which forms are needed, and is a doctor's certification required? Can you arrange a Mandarin/Cantonese interpreter?