Dallas DART Reduced Fares 2026–27: Half-Price Rides for Seniors, Riders With Disabilities, Students, Veterans and Low-Income Riders
Updated: 1 day ago
A regular DART day pass costs $6, and a 31-day local pass costs $126. If you qualify for a reduced fare, those drop to $3 and $63. For someone who rides to work or to medical appointments every week, that's real money back each month.
DART offers half-price fares to seven groups of riders: seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, children, high school students, some college and trade school students, and people enrolled in certain assistance programs. The catch is that each group has its own proof rules, and most need a DART-issued ID or card before the discount kicks in. Prices also changed on March 1, 2026, and one popular senior product went away.
This guide covers the current fares, who qualifies, what to bring and where to go.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Read how we verify guides in our Editorial Standards.
Fares and rules can change; confirm with DART before you ride.
What Dallas riders should know first
The discount: 50% off regular fares on DART buses, trains and the TRE, according to DART's reduced fare page.
Who qualifies: riders 65 and older, people with qualifying disabilities, veterans, children 5–14, high school students, eligible full-time college and trade school students, and people in certain assistance programs.
What you need: in most cases a DART-issued reduced fare photo ID or a Discount GoPass Tap card. A Medicare card alone won't work.
Where to go: apply online for most categories, or visit the DARTmart at DART headquarters, 1401 Pacific Ave. (Akard Station), weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Recent change: the Senior Retail Annual Pass was discontinued March 1, 2026. DART points former users to the Reduced Fare 31-Day Pass.
Current DART Fares (Effective March 1, 2026)
From the fare table in DART's 2026 Reference Book:
Pass | Local regular | Local reduced | Regional regular | Regional reduced |
3-Hour Pass | $3.00 | $1.50 | — | — |
Day Pass | $6.00 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $4.50 |
31-Day Pass | $126.00 | $63.00 | $192.00 | $96.00 |
Local passes cover DART service. Regional passes add Trinity Metro in Fort Worth and Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) service, which DART's news release describes as access to all three systems under one fare. TRE one-way tickets are $6.
The March 2026 changes, per DART's release and Reference Book: the regional day pass dropped from $12 to $9, the reduced regional day pass was corrected from $3 to $4.50, a reduced regional 31-day pass was added at $96, and the Senior Retail Annual Pass ended. DART said all other fares stayed the same.
Children under 5 ride free with an adult who has a valid fare, up to two children per adult.
Seniors 65 and Older
Seniors need a DART-issued photo ID to pay reduced fares. You can apply online through DART's reduced fare page or go in person.
In person:
Go to the DARTmart at DART headquarters, 1401 Pacific Ave. (Akard Station), Monday through Friday. Photo IDs are made only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Bring proof of age, such as a driver's license, birth certificate, passport or Texas DPS photo ID.
An agent takes your picture and makes your senior ID card.
DART's reduced fare page says senior tap cards ordered online arrive by mail within 15 business days after verification.
What happened to the annual pass? If you used the Senior Retail Annual Pass, it's gone as of March 1, 2026. DART recommends the Reduced Fare 31-Day Pass instead: $63 for local service or $96 for regional.
Riders With Disabilities
Riders with disabilities also need a DART reduced fare photo ID, and the process starts with a third party.
Visit a DART-approved certifying agency. A representative there fills out and submits DART's electronic application (Form 1000) for you. DART's instructions list the agencies with phone numbers and addresses. DART itself certifies by appointment at 101 N. Peak St. (214-828-6717).
Take the printed Form 1000 receipt to the DARTmart at 1401 Pacific Ave. It must be the original receipt, not a copy, delivered before the expiration date printed on it, along with a valid photo ID.
Get your photo taken for your reduced fare ID.
If your local certifying agency is closed, DART says you may email rfare@dart.org with your proof of disability, a copy of your driver's license or state ID, and a signed statement giving DART permission to review your records. The instructions give the exact wording.
Which disabilities qualify
DART's instructions (updated May 2025) list these categories, each needing certification:
legally blind;
deaf or profoundly hard of hearing;
non-ambulatory (uses a manual or power wheelchair);
semi-ambulatory, using a mechanical aid such as a cane, crutches or walker;
certain physical conditions, including dialysis, heart disease, portable oxygen and amputation;
at least 50% service-connected VA disability;
receiving SSDI or SSI (award letter);
intellectual disability;
seizure disorder; and
mental illness, such as schizophrenia, PTSD, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Using and renewing your ID
On a bus, show the ID and pay a reduced fare or tap your loaded reduced fare card. At a rail station, buy a reduced pass from a ticket vending machine. A Medicare card alone won't get you the discount.
If you lose an unexpired ID, you can replace it at the DARTmart for $2 without redoing the paperwork. To renew, you must be recertified. You can start up to 30 days before your card expires, and if you turn in the old card, the new one is free.
The reduced fare ID is not the same as eligibility for DART Paratransit, the door-to-door service for riders who can't use buses and trains. That requires a separate certification.
Questions: DART's reduced fare line is 214-828-6822, or email rfare@dart.org.
Veterans
Veterans can get reduced fares with a valid DART-issued photo ID. Apply online through DART's reduced fare page. DART says veteran tap cards are mailed within 7 to 10 business days after verification. Veterans with a 50% or higher service-connected rating can also qualify under the disability rules above.
Children and Students
Children 5–14, including middle schoolers, can apply for a reduced fare card anytime during the current school term.
High school students at public, private or charter high schools in DART's 13-city service area can buy reduced fares by showing a valid school photo ID, or by getting a DART High School Student ID at the DARTmart with that school ID. The service area cities are Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett and University Park.
College and trade school students who are full-time undergraduates in the service area can apply with a DART-issued student photo ID, but only if their school doesn't participate in DART's Higher Education Program. Check with your school first; a participating school may already offer you a pass.
Low-Income Riders: The Discount GoPass Tap Card
If you're enrolled in certain assistance programs, you can get the Discount GoPass Tap card, which charges half-price fares automatically. DART's page says you qualify if you've met the requirements for any of these:
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF);
Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program;
Housing Choice Voucher Program;
WIC; or
Parkland Financial Assistance.
DART's page also carries an older notice about riders who qualified through SNAP, but SNAP doesn't appear in the current list of qualifying programs. If SNAP is your only benefit, call DART before you apply to ask whether it still counts.
How to sign up
Gather proof that you currently take part in a qualifying program, such as a participant card with an expiration date or an agency letter with your name. Scan it or take a clear photo.
Take a photo of yourself, or better, have someone else take it: shoulders up, facing forward, plain background, no hat or sunglasses. DART won't accept a selfie, a photo of a photo, or a picture of your driver's license.
Verify your identity and eligibility.
Register online, or call 972-482-4052 to sign up by phone.
Wait for the card. It arrives by mail within 15 business days. If it's been longer, call DART's Tap for Half team at 972-482-6491.
What it costs and how it works
The card is free, but you must load at least $6 to start, which DART notes equals two reduced day passes. You can reload at participating retailers, online at GoPass.org, or by calling DART Customer Service at 214-979-1111, option 1.
The card caps your spending. DART says you'll never pay more than the price of a reduced day pass in a day or a reduced monthly pass in a calendar month. Register the card at GoPass.org so you don't lose your balance if it's lost or stolen. The card also works as your reduced fare ID, so you don't need to carry another one.
Each family member needs their own card. When you apply, upload your program card or letter plus any document that lists the family members who also receive the benefit.
On the TRE, the card works as far west as DFW Airport/CentrePort Station. Beyond that, and on Trinity Metro or DCTA, you'll need a regional fare.
Renewing
Your card expires on the same date as your qualifying benefit. To renew, DART says to visit the DARTmart at Akard Station with proof you still qualify, and you'll get a new card with any remaining balance transferred. DART's page also offers renewal online or by phone at 972-482-4052. If you don't renew, the card keeps working but charges full adult fares and no longer serves as a reduced fare ID.
Contact DART
Customer Service: 214-979-1111, daily 5 a.m. to midnight (holidays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas).
DARTmart: 1401 Pacific Ave., Dallas, TX 75202 (Akard Station; use the Akard Street entrance), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 214-749-3418.
Reduced fare program: 214-828-6822 or rfare@dart.org.
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