Detroit Bus Fare Discounts 2026–27: DDOT and SMART Reduced Fares, the 50-Cent Ride and Free Rides for Students
Riding the bus in metro Detroit costs $2 for a 4-hour DART pass, and $70 for a 31-day regional pass. If you're 65 or older, have a disability, carry a Medicare card, or you're a student, you can pay a fraction of that. Students now ride SMART buses for free.
Getting the discount isn't complicated, but DDOT and SMART run their reduced fare programs separately, use different ID cards, and set slightly different rules. This guide walks through both so you know exactly what to show the driver and where to apply.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: the City of Detroit's DDOT Transportation Fares page, SMART's Fares page and Reduced Fares page, and Token Transit's DART agency page. Prices below are what those pages listed when we checked.
The Short Version
Reduced single ride on DDOT: $0.50.
Reduced DART regional passes (DDOT + SMART): $0.50 for 4 hours, $2 for 24 hours, $10 for 7 days, $29 for 31 days.
Who qualifies: seniors 65+, people with disabilities, Medicare card holders, and students with school ID.
Students ride SMART free since May 4, 2026, including college and university students with a valid ID.
DDOT Reduced Fare ID: apply at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Photos are taken on site.
SMART Reduced Fare ID: download the application from SMART's site and mail it in.
Medicare card works as proof on both systems. A Medicaid card does not.
DDOT Customer Service: (313) 933-1300, or dial 3-1-1.
Regular vs. Reduced: What You'll Pay
DART regional passes (good on DDOT and SMART)
These prices come from SMART's fares page.
| Pass | Full fare | Reduced fare | |---|---|---| | 4-hour DART | $2 | $0.50 | | 24-hour DART | $5 | $2 | | 7-day DART | $22 | $10 | | 31-day DART | $70 | $29 |
The 31-day reduced pass saves $41 a month over the full price. For someone who rides daily, that's nearly $500 over a year.
Token Transit, the app DDOT now uses for mobile passes, explains when passes start: a 4-hour pass shows for 4 hours after you activate it, and 7-day and 31-day passes run for 168 and 744 hours after activation. So you can buy a pass in advance and start it when you board.
DDOT single rides
The city's fares page says DDOT offers a reduced fare of $0.50 to eligible seniors, riders with disabilities, Medicare recipients and students. Children under 44 inches tall ride free with a full-fare adult.
SMART single rides
SMART lists its one-way fixed-route fares like this:
General (19 to 64): $2.00
Youth 6 to 18, not a student: $0.50
Youth 6 to 18 with a student ID: free
College or university student with a valid ID: free
Older adults 65+: $0.50
People with disabilities: $0.50
SMART's Connector (curb-to-curb small bus service) is priced differently. Older adults and riders with disabilities pay $1.00, while other riders pay $4.00.
SMART monthly passes
If you only ride SMART, its own passes can be cheaper:
$1.00 31-Day Pass, $33, reduced fare for youth and older adults (fixed route and Connector/Flex)
$.50 31-Day Pass, $17, reduced fare for older adults and people with disabilities (fixed route/Flex)
That $17 pass is the cheapest monthly option we found anywhere in the region, but it's SMART-only. If you also ride DDOT, compare it with the $29 regional DART pass.
Who Qualifies
On DDOT
The City of Detroit says DDOT's reduced fare covers:
Seniors 65 and older
People with disabilities
Medicare card holders
Students with proper school ID
How you prove it on the bus depends on the group:
Seniors must show a DDOT Reduced Fare ID card when boarding.
Medicare recipients can show their Medicare card or a DDOT Reduced Fare ID.
Students (the city lists ages 5 to 18) must show a current school ID.
On SMART
SMART says young people 6 to 18, adults over 65 and people with disabilities qualify. Instead of a SMART card, you can also show:
A DDOT Reduced Fare ID card
A valid Michigan driver's license or state ID, to prove the age of a youth or older adult
A Medicare card (SMART is explicit: not a Medicaid card)
That means a DDOT Reduced Fare ID covers you on both systems. If you only get one card, get that one.
What about low income?
Neither DDOT nor SMART lists a general low-income reduced fare on the pages we checked. The discounts are based on age, disability, Medicare status and student status. If you're under 65 but have a Medicare card, though, that card alone gets you the reduced fare on both systems.
Students: Free on SMART, Discounted on DDOT
The biggest recent change is on SMART. Starting Monday, May 4, 2026, K-12, college and university students ride SMART fixed routes for free with a valid student ID. SMART says no Reduced Fare ID is needed. Just show your student ID to the driver.
On DDOT, students still pay the $0.50 reduced fare and need a current school ID.
Wayne State students and employees have another option. Token Transit says Wayne State subsidizes up to three 4-hour DART passes a day for eligible part- and full-time students and employees through WayneRides. You request approval through Wayne State, then unlock the passes in the standalone Token Transit app.
How to Get a DDOT Reduced Fare ID
Download the Reduced Fare Card Application from the DDOT Transportation Fares page. The city also posts it in Arabic.
Fill it out completely. Read the whole form before you go, especially if you're applying based on a disability, so you know what proof it asks for.
Drop it off or mail it to the Rosa Parks Transit Center. The city's fares page gives the address as 360 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48226, with drop-off Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Get your photo taken. Applications and cards are processed at Rosa Parks, and photos are taken during the same hours, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Bring a valid photo ID, plus your Medicare card if that's how you qualify.
If you have questions, call DDOT Customer Service at (313) 933-1300 (TDD/TTY 7-1-1). For ADA questions, DDOT's ADA coordinator can be reached at 313-316-2793.
How to Get a SMART Reduced Fare ID
SMART's process is by mail:
Go to SMART's Reduced Fares page.
Download the right form: the Youth/Older Adult application or the People with Disabilities application.
Fill it out and mail it back to SMART.
Remember, you may not need this card at all. A DDOT Reduced Fare ID, a Michigan ID showing your age, or a Medicare card all work on SMART.
Buying Reduced Passes on Your Phone
DDOT switched its mobile ticketing from Passport to Token Transit. In the Token Transit app, reduced fares are listed as "Pre-Approved Riders Only." Token Transit says eligible riders include seniors 65+, people with disabilities, Medicare card holders and students 6 to 18 with school ID, and that you'll need valid ID such as a DDOT Reduced Fare card, a Michigan ID or license, a Medicare card, or a school ID with a photo and date of birth.
SMART riders can also buy through the Transit app, where DART regional passes are valid on any SMART fixed route.
If you need help with Token Transit, the company lists a text line at (415) 918-6628 and a phone line at (415) 918-6536.
Token Transit also has a Send a Pass feature. A family member can buy a pass online and send it straight to your phone. That's handy if a relative wants to help with your bus fare.
Paratransit and ADA Riders
SMART's ADA-certified service costs $3.00 per trip for every rider category, including seniors and riders with disabilities. It serves areas with limited or no fixed-route service. If you need door-to-door service inside Detroit, ask DDOT's ADA coordinator what's available.
Quick Checklist
65+ or disabled? Apply for a DDOT Reduced Fare ID at Rosa Parks Transit Center. It works on SMART too.
On Medicare? Show your Medicare card. Not Medicaid.
Student? Ride SMART free with your ID. Pay $0.50 on DDOT.
Daily rider? The $29 reduced 31-day DART pass covers both systems.
SMART only, 65+ or disabled? Look at the $17 SMART pass.
Wayne State? Sign up for WayneRides.
What we couldn't confirm: DDOT's Reduced Fare application PDF couldn't be downloaded for us, so we haven't listed its exact document requirements. Rosa Parks Transit Center's address on the city page (360 Michigan Ave.) may differ from other listings you see; call 313-933-1300 to confirm before mailing. DDOT's full-fare single-ride price and card processing time weren't stated. DDOT lists student ages as 5 to 18 while Token Transit says 6 to 18. DDOT paratransit eligibility isn't covered here.
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