Free and Half-Price Transit in Miami-Dade: Golden Passport, Patriot Passport and the Mobility Card
Miami-Dade has two kinds of transit discounts. Some cards let you ride Metrobus and Metrorail for free. Others cut each fare to $1.10. Which one you can get depends on your age, your income, your veteran status or a disability. Almost every card is handled by one office downtown.
AT A GLANCE
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Free or half price: find your card
Check the free cards first. If one fits, it saves more than any discount.
Who you are | Card | What you pay | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
65 or older, Miami-Dade resident | Golden Passport EASY Card | Free | Online, Golden Passport Office or a 311 Service Center |
Under 65 and getting Social Security benefits | Golden Passport EASY Card | Free | Same as above, with an SSA printout |
Veteran with income of $38,686 or less, or a service-connected disabled veteran | Patriot Passport EASY Card | Free | Online, Golden Passport Office or a 311 Service Center |
County resident with annual income under $35,910 | Transit Mobility EASY Card | Free on Metrobus and Metrorail | In person only, Golden Passport Office |
Working county resident with income between $23,940 and $31,920 | Commuter-Reduced Fare EASY Card | Half price | In person only, Golden Passport Office |
Medicare recipient | Discount Fare EASY Card | Half price | Online, Golden Passport Office or a 311 Service Center |
Person with a disability | Discount Fare EASY Card | Half price | Online, Golden Passport Office or a 311 Service Center |
Senior 65+ who lives outside Miami-Dade | Discount Fare EASY Card | Half price | Online, Golden Passport Office or a 311 Service Center |
Student in kindergarten through 12th grade | K-12 EASY Card | Half price | Online or any Transit Service Center |
Child under 42 inches tall | None needed | Free with an adult | Taller preschoolers need an ID card |
What the discount is worth
Fare | Regular | Discount fare | Golden, Patriot or Mobility card |
|---|---|---|---|
Metrobus or Metrorail trip | $2.25 | $1.10 | Free |
Express bus (95, 301, 302) | $2.65 | $1.30 | Free |
1-Day Pass | $5.65 | $2.80 | Not needed |
7-Day Pass | $29.25 | $14.60 | Not needed |
1-Month Pass | $112.50 | $56.25 | Not needed |
Metromover and shuttle buses | Free | Free | Free |
Someone who buys a regular 1-Month Pass every month spends $1,350 a year. A free card brings that to $0, and the discount pass cuts it to $675 (our math from the county's prices). Bus-to-bus transfers are free within three hours of your first tap. One thing isn't free on any card: Metrorail parking is still $4.50 a day.
"Senior citizens and Social Security beneficiaries can ride Transit free with a Golden Passport EASY Card." (Miami-Dade County)
Golden Passport: 65+ or on Social Security
What to bring if you're 65 or older: a current Florida ID or driver's license showing a Miami-Dade County physical address. That's it.
What to bring if you're 64 or younger and get Social Security benefits:
The same Florida ID or driver's license with a Miami-Dade address
A current printout from the Social Security Administration that shows you're eligible
For an eligible child, a school ID or Florida ID
Where to apply: online through the county's Special Pass EASY Card Application, at the Golden Passport Office, or at any 311 Service Center. The county takes your photo when you apply, and it goes on the card. Two other places take applications in person:
Coral Gables: the Community Recreation Department, 2 Andalusia Ave., on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment needed.
Miami Beach residents: the Miami Beach Customer Service Center. Book online or call 305-673-7000.
How long it lasts: 20 years if you're 65 or older. If you're under 65, you renew every year with a new SSA printout. You can renew online, by mail, by email or by fax. The expiration date is printed on the card.
If you lose it: the first replacement is free, the second is $10 and each one after that is $25. Checks aren't accepted. The fee is waived if you bring an original police report listing the card as stolen.
You can add stored cash value to a Golden or Patriot card in the Transit Store to pay for parking or Tri-Rail fares. You can't buy monthly parking on these cards.
Patriot Passport: free rides for veterans
You qualify if you're a permanent Miami-Dade resident and either:
you're a service-connected disabled veteran, or
your annual income is $38,686 or less, and your discharge type is accepted.
Accepted discharge types are honorable, general (under honorable conditions), other than honorable, inability to adjust and voluntary. Dishonorable and bad conduct discharges aren't accepted.
You are | Bring |
|---|---|
A disabled veteran | A service-connected disability letter showing your disability percentage and discharge type, plus a Florida ID or license with a Miami-Dade address |
Any other veteran | A Florida ID or license with a Miami-Dade address, your DD214, and proof of income |
Proof of income can be consecutive pay stubs (four if you're paid weekly, two if biweekly, one if monthly), last year's tax return or IRS tax return transcript, a W-2, or, if you didn't file, last year's IRS Notice of Non-Filing plus a Wage and Income transcript.
Apply online, at the Golden Passport Office, or at one of these 311 Service Centers:
Herbert S. Saffir Permitting and Inspection Center, 11805 SW 26 Street, Miami
South Dade Justice Center, 10710 SW 211 Street, Cutler Bay
North Dade Regional Library, 2455 NW 183 St., Miami Gardens
The Patriot Passport expires every year. Renew by mail, email or fax with copies of the same documents and your last card.
Transit Mobility EASY Card: free rides on a low income
This is the newest and least-known card. Miami-Dade residents with annual income under $35,910 may qualify to ride Metrobus and Metrorail free.
There's a catch: the card is paid for by a limited grant. The county gives it out first-come, first-served until the money runs out. When we checked, the county's page said enrollment was open. If you think you qualify, apply soon.
Go in person. Applications are only taken at the Golden Passport Office on the first floor of the Government Center Metrorail Station.
Bring a Florida driver's license or ID with a Miami-Dade County physical address.
Bring your Social Security card.
Bring proof of income: last year's tax return (self-prepared returns aren't accepted), last year's IRS tax return transcript, or one month of recent pay stubs if you're a new applicant. If you didn't file taxes, bring last year's IRS Notice of Non-Filing and Wage and Income transcript.
Renew every year on or before the date printed on the card. You can renew by mail, email or fax with copies of your documents and a signed application.
Questions about this card go to 786-469-5028. Replacements cost $5 for the first, $20 for the second and $50 after that.
Half-price cards
These cards all charge the same discount fares shown in the table above.
Working households (Commuter-Reduced Fare): for county residents with annual income between $23,940 and $31,920. The county's fare order describes it as being for employed people earning 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level. Apply in person at the Golden Passport Office with your ID and proof of income. The card lasts two years.
Medicare recipients: apply online, at the Golden Passport Office or at a 311 Service Center. Bring your Medicare card and a current state-issued ID.
People with disabilities: bring a confirmation from a Florida-licensed physician that lists the medical code and says whether the disability is permanent. If you're under 65, also bring a Florida ID or license with a Miami-Dade address.
Seniors visiting from outside the county: if you're 65 or older and live outside Miami-Dade, you can get the discount card with a current government-issued photo ID.
K-12 students: students at any public, charter or private school in Miami-Dade qualify, even if their parents live in another county. Apply online or at a Transit Service Center with the school information the form asks for (proof of enrollment, a student ID, a class schedule or a recent report card). The card comes by mail in about 15 business days, and the $2 card fee is waived for first-time applicants. Students in kindergarten through 8th grade need a parent or guardian with them to apply in person.
Discount cards replace for $5, then $20, then $50.
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Before you call
☐ A Florida ID or driver's license with your Miami-Dade physical address (needed for almost every card)
☐ Your Social Security card (Mobility card)
☐ A current SSA benefit printout (Golden Passport under 65)
☐ Your DD214 or VA disability letter (Patriot Passport)
☐ Last year's tax return or IRS transcript, or recent pay stubs (Patriot, Mobility, Commuter-Reduced)
☐ Your Medicare card or a doctor's disability confirmation with the medical code (discount cards)
☐ Your old card, if you're renewing or replacing one
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026. Fares, income limits and documents come from Miami-Dade County's transit pages and its fare schedule effective October 1, 2026.
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