How to Apply for a Low-Income Bus Pass in Miami-Dade

To get a low-income bus pass in Miami-Dade, apply in person at the Golden Passport Office for one of two cards: the Transit Mobility EASY Card, which gives free Metrobus and Metrorail rides to residents earning under $35,910 a year,¹ or the Commuter-Reduced Fare EASY Card, which cuts fares in half for residents earning between $23,940 and $31,920.² Both require a Florida ID showing a Miami-Dade physical address plus documentation of your income.

Which Card Matches Your Income

The Transit Mobility EASY Card is the free option. Annual income under $35,910 qualifies you, and the card stays valid for one year from the date it’s issued. There is a catch worth knowing before you plan your visit: the program runs on a limited grant, and cards are issued first-come, first-served until the funds run out. When the money is gone, new applicants go on a waiting list until funding refreshes.¹

The Commuter-Reduced Fare EASY Card is the half-price option, aimed at people who earn a bit too much for the free card. If your annual income is between $23,940 and $31,920, this one is yours. It isn’t grant-funded, so there’s no waiting list tied to available money.²

Both cards require you to be a permanent Miami-Dade resident with a valid Florida ID or driver’s license showing a local physical address.

Documents to Bring

Gather everything before you head to the office. A missing document sends you home for another trip. For either the Mobility or the Commuter-Reduced Fare card, you’ll need:¹

Florida ID or driver’s license showing a Miami-Dade County physical address. A P.O. box will not work.
Your Social Security card, not just the number.
Proof of income: your previous year’s tax return (self-prepared returns are not accepted) or an IRS Tax Return Transcript.
If you didn’t file taxes, an IRS Notice of Non-Filing for the previous year plus an IRS Wage and Income Transcript.
First-time applicants only: one month of recent paycheck stubs.

The rule against self-prepared returns catches people off guard. If you filed your own taxes without a paid preparer or e-filing software, the county will want the IRS transcript instead. You can request one for free through your IRS online account, by calling 800-908-9946, or by mailing Form 4506-T. Online is fastest; mailed transcripts arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days.³ Order the transcript before your visit, not the day of.

Where and When to Apply

Both cards require an in-person visit. Your photo is taken on site and printed on the card.²

The Golden Passport Office is on the first floor of the Stephen P. Clark Center at 111 NW 1st Street, Miami, FL 33128, inside the Government Center Metrorail Station. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. It is closed on weekends and county-observed holidays.⁴ Lines run longer early in the month when grants refresh, so arrive as close to opening as you can.

What Happens After You Apply

The Commuter-Reduced Fare card is typically processed during your visit. The Transit Mobility EASY Card can be too, but if grant funding is currently exhausted you’ll be placed on a waiting list. Miami-Dade Transit doesn’t publish estimated wait times, so plan to check back periodically rather than expecting a call on a set schedule.¹

If your application is denied, you can request an appeal in writing. The county’s program pages don’t publish a universal deadline, so ask about the timeline for your specific program when you get the denial notice, and submit your written appeal as soon as you can.

Renewing Your Card

The Transit Mobility EASY Card expires one year after it’s issued, with the expiration date printed on the card. Renewing means another trip to the Golden Passport Office with updated documents. You’ll bring the same paperwork as the initial application, minus the paycheck stubs, which are only required from first-time applicants.¹ Renew before the card lapses. If grant funding has run out by the time you reapply, you can end up on the waiting list even though you had the card the year before.

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Card

You can get a replacement at any Transit Service Center. Fees escalate with each replacement:

First replacement: $5
Second replacement: $20
Each additional replacement: $50

If your card was stolen and you have an original police report listing it, the replacement fee is waived.¹ Filing a police report over a bus pass sounds excessive, but it can save you $50.

Other Reduced-Fare Programs

The two income-based cards above are what most people mean by a low-income bus pass, but Miami-Dade runs separate programs for specific groups, and you may qualify under one of them instead of, or in addition to, the income rules.

Seniors 65 and over and Social Security beneficiaries of any age can ride free with a Golden Passport EASY Card, with no income requirement.⁴ Honorably discharged veterans earning $38,686 or less can get a Patriot Passport EASY Card for free rides.⁵ People with disabilities and Medicare recipients qualify for the Discount Fare EASY Card at $1.10 per trip or $56.25 monthly, and this program accepts online applications.⁶ K-12 students at any public, charter, or private school in the county ride at half fare, regardless of family income.⁷ Residents earning up to $35,212.50 who work with a participating nonprofit may also receive free passes through the state-funded Transportation Disadvantaged Program, which distributes passes through agencies rather than directly to individuals.⁸

1
Miami-Dade County. Mobility EASY Card
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Miami-Dade County. Commuter-Reduced Fare for Low-Income Residents
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Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts
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Miami-Dade County. Golden Passport
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Miami-Dade County. Patriot Passport
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Miami-Dade County. EASY Card for People with Disabilities
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Miami-Dade County. K-12 Discount Program
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Miami-Dade County. Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) Program