Charlotte CATS Reduced Fare 2026–27: Half-Price Rides, the $1 Transit ID and How to Qualify
Updated: 1 hour ago
CATS gives riders 62 and older, people with disabilities and Medicare cardholders half-price fares on bus and LYNX light rail. Here is what it costs, what to bring and what may change.
AT A GLANCE
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Picture two riders boarding the same LYNX Blue Line train in Charlotte. One pays the $2.20 adult fare. The other, who is 63 and carries a Medicare card, pays $1.10 for the identical trip. Over a month of commuting, that difference is the gap between an $88 monthly pass and a $44 one. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) half-fare program is simple, but riders can miss it if they don't know which card to carry or where to get a Transit ID.
This guide walks through who qualifies, what each discounted fare costs, what to bring to the Charlotte Transportation Center, how disability certification works, the changes CATS has proposed under its Fare Modernization Program, and what to do if you are turned away. Everything here comes from CATS's official Fares & Passes, Transit IDs, Accessibility and Fare Modernization pages, re-read directly on October 22, 2026.
What You Pay With the Half Fare
CATS publishes its fare tables by rider type. These are the reduced fares available to seniors 62+, Medicare cardholders and ADA-disabled riders compared with the adult fare.
Service and ticket | Adult fare | Senior 62+, Medicare or disabled |
|---|---|---|
Local bus and rail one-way | $2.20 | $1.10 |
Local bus and rail monthly unlimited | $88.00 | $44.00 |
Local bus and rail 10-ride | $22.00 | $9.35 |
Community Shuttle one-way | $0.90 | $0.45 |
Express bus one-way | $3.00 | $1.50 |
Express bus monthly unlimited | $121.00 | $60.50 |
Express Plus regional one-way | $4.40 | $2.20 |
Express Plus regional monthly unlimited | $176.00 | $88.00 |
A few tickets carry no discount. The day pass ($6.60) and weekly pass ($30.80) cost the same for every rider, as do Express and Express Plus 10-ride tickets. If you ride often, the reduced monthly pass or the reduced 10-ride ticket is usually the better buy than a day or week pass.
CATS's door-to-door paratransit service, Special Transportation Service (STS), is priced separately: $3.50 one-way, $35.00 for 10 rides and $140.00 for a monthly pass. CATS's Accessibility page notes that STS fares must be paid; the half fare applies to fixed-route service.
Who Qualifies, Group by Group
Seniors 62 and older
You qualify at 62, younger than many systems. You can ride at half fare by showing either your Medicare card or a Senior Transit ID.
Medicare cardholders of any age
CATS lists the senior column as "Seniors 62 or Medicare Card," and its Transit IDs page says riders with Medicare cards "just need to show their card to ride at a reduced rate." That means someone under 62 who receives Medicare, often because of a disability, can use the card itself as proof. It must be Medicare, not Medicaid. CATS spells that out.
People with disabilities
If you don't have Medicare, you can still qualify for a Disabled Transit ID by having your doctor complete CATS's Certificate of Disability form. The form is available at the Transportation Center or as a download from the Transit IDs page.
Youth (for context)
K–12 students also ride at reduced one-way fares with a valid Transit or Student ID, and children 5 and younger ride free with an adult. This guide focuses on the senior and disability discount, but families can use the same Transit IDs page.
Getting a Transit ID: Where, When and What It Costs
Transit IDs are made in person at the Charlotte Transportation Center, 310 East Trade Street, Pavilion A, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The ID costs $1.00.
Before you go, check that you have the right documents for your category.
A citation can cost more than a month of half-price rides.
Documents for a Senior ID
CATS verifies age with a photo ID, and accepts these as proof of age:
Driver's license or passport. Either one proves both age and identity, so nothing else is needed.
Medicare card (not Medicaid) or birth certificate. These prove age only, so you also need a separate proof of identity.
Acceptable proof of identity includes an employment card with photo, a union card with photo, or a government-issued photo ID.
Documents for a Disabled ID
Bring one of these to establish eligibility:
A valid Medicare card, or
A completed CATS Certificate of Disability form signed by your doctor.
If you use the Certificate of Disability, also bring a photo ID. CATS accepts:
Employment ID with photo
Driver's license
Passport
Government-issued photo ID
Union card with photo
Annual renewal
CATS's Fare Modernization page states that, under the current system, customers must apply and obtain a new Transit ID each year. Mark your calendar so your discount doesn't lapse.
Using the Discount on the Bus and Train
On the bus: show your Transit ID to the operator as you board, or show your Medicare card.
Buying at a ticket vending machine: if you buy a senior ticket, a Senior/ADA monthly pass or an ADA 10-ride ticket, you must be ready to show a valid Medicare card or Transit ID.
On the LYNX Blue Line: fare inspectors and police check tickets. If you're riding on a reduced ticket without your Medicare card or Transit ID, you can be cited. CATS lists a $50 citation and a possible Class 3 misdemeanor charge for riding without valid fare.
Transfers: ask for a transfer when you pay. Transfers must be used within 105 minutes or on the next connecting bus.
Keep the card in the same place as your ticket or phone. A citation can cost more than a month of half-price rides.
Changes Coming: The Fare Modernization Program
CATS has published a Fare Modernization Program describing changes it plans or proposes. Treat these as proposals until CATS announces start dates:
Electronic reduced fares. Reduced-fare riders would apply and register with CATS for a reduced-fare smart card or a reduced-fare CATS-Pass app account. Applications would ask for your address, phone number and email.
Free first card. The first reduced-fare smart card would be free, and a lost, stolen or damaged replacement would cost $5.00. The smart card would replace the Transit ID.
Cash still works. Current eligible riders could keep paying the reduced fare with cash and an accepted ID.
Simpler fares. Express bus would drop to the local fare ($1.10 reduced). Express Plus would fall to $3.50, but CATS would no longer offer a reduced fare on regional express service.
Fare capping for reduced-fare riders and less frequent renewals than the current yearly ID.
Easier applications. CATS says it will explore online applications and ways to accept applications by mail or at enrollment events.
Renewal intervals. The proposal lists renewal every 10 years for seniors, every 5 years for people with disabilities (temporary disabilities still follow the doctor's Certificate of Disability) and every 2 years for low-income riders.
Senior age rising to 65. CATS proposes raising the senior threshold from 62 to 65 one year at a time, while keeping eligibility for seniors who already qualify.
New groups. CATS proposes reduced fares for low-income riders who receive certain assistance programs, and for veterans and active-duty military. Low-income riders would need a registered reduced-fare account and would have to pay electronically.
If you ride Express Plus at the half fare today, watch for the switch date, because your cost could rise to the new $3.50 regional fare.
If You're Turned Away or Your Status Is Questioned
CATS doesn't publish a formal appeal process for Transit IDs. These steps solve most problems:
Wrong documents. If you brought a Medicare card or birth certificate without a separate photo ID, come back with a driver's license, passport or government photo ID.
Brought a Medicaid card. Medicaid doesn't qualify. Use a Medicare card or a Certificate of Disability signed by your doctor.
Doctor's form incomplete. Ask your provider to complete every section of the CATS Certificate of Disability, then return.
Problem on a bus or train. Contact CATS Customer Service at 704-336-7433 or telltransit@charlottenc.gov.
Received a citation. CATS's Fares & Passes page links to information on paying or appearing for a citation. Read the citation itself for the deadline and follow it.
Not Eligible? Other Ways to Save on CATS
Choose the right pass. At $88, the adult monthly pass beats single fares for anyone making more than 40 trips a month.
Use transfers. Transfers within 105 minutes keep a multi-leg trip to one fare plus any upgrade fee.
Children ride free. Children 5 and under ride free with an adult.
Travel training. CATS offers one-on-one training for people with disabilities who want to learn to use fixed-route buses or light rail. Call 704-336-2233 or 704-336-7433 to learn more.
For bigger household budget gaps, the guides below cover Duke Energy bill help and hospital bills in Charlotte.
Quick Checklist Before You Head to 310 East Trade Street
☐ Go on a weekday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
☐ Bring $1.00 for the ID.
☐ Senior: bring a driver's license or passport, or a Medicare card or birth certificate plus a photo ID.
☐ Disabled: bring a Medicare card, or a doctor-completed Certificate of Disability plus a photo ID.
☐ Set a reminder to renew each year.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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Related guides
Official sources
Fares and rules can change. Confirm with CATS at 704-336-7433 before you travel.
October 2026 (CATS Fares & Passes, Transit ID and Fare Modernization pages)
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