Bus Disability Pass in San Diego: Eligibility, Application, Fares

If you have a qualifying disability, you can ride San Diego buses, trolleys, and regional rail at about half price with a reduced-fare bus pass in San Diego through the Senior/Disabled/Medicare (SDM) program run by MTS and NCTD. A one-way ride costs $1.25 instead of $2.50, and a regional monthly pass is $23 instead of the standard adult price.¹ You load the discount onto a PRONTO card or the PRONTO app and tap or scan every time you board.

Who Qualifies

You qualify automatically if you have any of the following:

A Medicare card
An SSI or SSDI award letter issued within the past year
A California DMV disabled placard
Certification as an MTS Access paratransit rider
A VA award letter confirming at least 50% service-connected disability
An unexpired reduced-fare disabled ID or paratransit ID from NCTD or another California transit agency²³

Without one of those documents, you can still qualify if a licensed health care professional certifies that you have a medical condition that keeps you from using transit without special planning, facilities, or design. MTS recognizes 15 categories, including mobility impairments (wheelchair use, amputation, arthritis), cardiopulmonary disease, stroke, cerebral palsy, dialysis dependence, sight or hearing loss, intellectual or developmental disabilities, autism, neurological conditions, epilepsy, and mental health conditions.⁴ A temporary disability must be expected to last more than 90 days.

Pregnancy, obesity, and drug or alcohol addiction are not qualifying conditions.⁵

How to Apply

Which form you use depends on what documentation you already have.

Short Form

If you have one of the automatic qualifiers above, fill out the short form and bring it to the MTS Transit Store along with a government-issued photo ID and the original qualifying document. Processing is same-day. Photocopies and faxes are not accepted.²

Long Form

If you need a physician certification, your doctor completes the long-form section identifying the condition and selecting a duration of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or 3 years from the date of certification. Mail or deliver the original completed form to the SDM Eligibility Office at 100 16th Street, San Diego, CA 92101. MTS issues a decision within 15 working days.⁶ You pay full adult fare until you’re approved.

Online

You can also apply at RidePRONTO.com. Create an account, select the reduced-fare application, upload a profile photo and proof of eligibility, and wait for manual verification, which usually takes a few business days. PRONTO Support is at 619-595-5636.³

Where to Get the Card

The MTS Transit Store issues the reduced-fare photo ID PRONTO card. It’s at 1255 Imperial Avenue, Suite 100A, San Diego, CA 92101, at the 12th and Imperial Transit Center. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with transit ID issuance ending at 4:50 p.m. The phone number is (619) 234-1060.⁷ A new or replacement card costs $7.²

In North County, apply at the NCTD Customer Service Center in Oceanside, Escondido, or Vista. NCTD cards cost $2.⁸ If you already have a PRONTO card, staff at either agency can switch your existing card to the reduced-fare category instead of issuing a new one.

Using the Card Day to Day

Every PRONTO account starts at the adult rate, so your account has to be converted to the SDM category before the discount applies.⁶ Tap your card or scan the app’s QR code at the validator every time you board. If you pay with stored value loaded on the card or app, PRONTO tracks your fares and stops charging you once you hit the day pass or monthly pass price. For SDM riders, the daily cap is $3 and the monthly cap is $23.⁹ Fare capping does not apply to COASTER commuter rail or to cash paid on buses.¹⁰

Once your profile photo is on file, you no longer need to carry physical proof of eligibility; fare inspectors can verify your status electronically.³ If your photo isn’t on file yet, carry your documentation.

What You’ll Pay

SDM reduced fares apply across the regional network:¹

One-way on bus, trolley, Rapid, SPRINTER, or BREEZE: $1.25, with unlimited transfers for two hours when you use PRONTO
Rapid Express or Premium services: $2.50 one-way
Rural routes: $4.00 one-way
Regional day pass: $3
Premium regional day pass: $6
COASTER day pass: $7.50
Regional monthly pass (MTS bus, trolley, Rapid, SPRINTER, BREEZE): $23
Premium regional monthly pass (adds FLEX, Rapid Express, Rural): $32
COASTER regional monthly pass (adds COASTER): $58

Fare increases approved by the SANDAG board are expected in fall 2026. The SDM one-way fare will rise to $1.50 and the regional monthly pass to $28, with a second phase in 2027 raising the monthly pass to $30.¹¹

Veterans with a VA award letter of 50% or greater service-connected disability qualify through the short form; the benefit is the reduced fare, not a free ride.⁶ A personal care attendant designated during ADA eligibility certification rides free when accompanying the certified passenger on fixed-route or paratransit services. A companion who isn’t a designated PCA pays regular fare.¹²

Renewing or Replacing the Card

Your card is valid until the expiration date printed on it, which matches the duration your doctor selected on the long form or the validity of your qualifying document. Check your expiration by logging into your PRONTO account and looking for “Renewal Required” under “My Cards,” or by calling PRONTO Support.¹³ When it expires, reapply with current proof of eligibility online, at the Transit Store, or at an NCTD Customer Service Center.

A replacement for a lost or stolen card costs $7 at MTS or $2 at NCTD. If you registered the card beforehand, your balance transfers to the new one; unregistered cards have no balance protection. Registration is free online, through the app, or by phone.¹⁴ Replacements can be ordered at RidePRONTO.com, by calling 619-595-5636, or in person.

If You Can’t Use Regular Buses at All

The SDM reduced-fare pass is for riders who can still use regular buses and trolleys. If your disability makes fixed-route transit unworkable even with the discount, paratransit is a separate program with its own application.

MTS Access is a shared-ride, door-to-door service covering the area within three-quarters of a mile of any MTS fixed route. Eligibility requires a health care provider certification and an in-person functional assessment of strength, balance, coordination, and cognition. MTS issues a decision within 21 days of the assessment, and eligibility may be unconditional, conditional, or temporary. The fare is $5 per one-way trip, with same-day rides available for $10 when operationally possible.¹⁵¹⁶

NCTD LIFT does the same in North County, within three-quarters of a mile of BREEZE routes and SPRINTER stations. The one-way fare is $5, and certified LIFT customers ride BREEZE, SPRINTER, and COASTER for free. Reserve rides at least one day in advance at (760) 726-1111.¹⁷

If Your Application Is Denied

You can resubmit the application with additional or corrected documentation, or file an appeal with MTS.¹⁸ For NCTD LIFT paratransit denials, send a written appeal within 60 days of the denial letter to ADAAppeal@nctd.org. The Appeals Review Committee typically issues a decision within 30 days of a hearing.¹⁹

1
San Diego MTS. Fare Chart
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San Diego MTS. Reduced Fare Short Form Application
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PRONTO. Frequently Asked Questions
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San Diego MTS. Application for Reduced Fare Long Form
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San Diego MTS. Reduced Fare Long Form Application
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San Diego MTS. Reduced Fares
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San Diego MTS. Transit Store
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NCTD. Reduced Fare Eligibility
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NCTD. PRONTO
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PRONTO. PRONTO Home
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KPBS. MTS NCTD Fare Increases
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SANDAG. Comprehensive Fare Ordinance
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San Diego MTS. PRONTO Online Application FAQ
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PRONTO. Terms and Conditions
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San Diego MTS. MTS Access Application Part A
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San Diego MTS. MTS Access Paratransit
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NCTD. LIFT Paratransit
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San Diego MTS. Long Form Application
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NCTD. LIFT Eligibility