TriMet Honored Citizen Fare 2026–27: $28 a Month for Low-Income Riders, Seniors and People With Disabilities in Portland
A month of unlimited TriMet rides costs an adult $100. With an Honored Citizen Hop card, the same month costs $28. That's a savings of $864 a year, and a lot of Portland-area renters who qualify have never applied.
TriMet's reduced fare isn't just for seniors. If you're on the Oregon Health Plan, SNAP, WIC or several other programs, or your household earns less than about double the federal poverty level, you qualify too. Here's how each group gets it, what to bring, and where to sign up in person.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: TriMet's Fares page, Honored Citizen Fare page, income-based reduced fare page, disability application page and military application page.
The Short Version
Honored Citizen fare: $1.40 for 2½ hours. You stop paying after $2.80 in a day or $28 in a calendar month.
Adult fare, for comparison: $2.80, with caps at $5.60 a day and $100 a month.
Who qualifies: seniors 65+, people on Medicare, people with disabilities, people who qualify by income, and veterans and active-duty military.
Income route: on OHP, SNAP, TANF, WIC, LIHEAP, a Housing Choice Voucher and more, or under the income table below. Ages 18 to 64, Oregon residents.
Seniors and Medicare: no application needed. Just carry your ID or Medicare card.
Everyone else: apply for a personalized photo ID Hop card. The first card is free.
Sign up in person: TriMet Customer Support Center, 701 SW 6th Ave. (Pioneer Courthouse Square), weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Card issued on the spot.
Questions: 503-962-2455, honoredcitizen@trimet.org.
What the Fare Gets You
TriMet charges the same fare on buses, MAX light rail and WES commuter rail.
| | Adult (18–64) | Honored Citizen | |---|---|---| | 2½-hour fare | $2.80 | $1.40 | | Daily cap | $5.60 | $2.80 | | Monthly cap | $100 | $28 |
The caps work automatically on a Hop card. You don't buy a monthly pass up front. You just tap each time, and once you've spent $28 in a calendar month, the rest of your rides that month are free. That matters for people who can't spare $28 on the 1st.
Your Honored Citizen fare also covers Portland Streetcar and C-TRAN Local/Regional buses in Vancouver at no extra charge. C-TRAN Express and TriMet LIFT paratransit may cost an upgrade.
Youth fares are the same price ($1.40, $2.80 daily, $28 monthly) for ages 7 to 17 and high school or GED students. Kids 6 and under ride free with a paying rider.
Who Qualifies, and How
Seniors 65+ and people on Medicare: no application
TriMet says if you're 65 or older or on Medicare, you don't need to apply. Keep a government photo ID showing your age or your Medicare card with you in case an operator or fare inspector asks.
You can:
Pay cash on the bus
Buy a ticket at a MAX or WES station machine
Buy an Honored Citizen Hop card at a grocery store
Add a virtual Hop card to your phone
Low-income riders 18 to 64
This is the group most people don't realize is covered. TriMet says you qualify if you participate in an assistance program or your household income is less than double the federal poverty level. You also have to be:
Between 18 and 64
An Oregon resident
Not already using Honored Citizen fares under another category
Qualifying programs. You're eligible if you're enrolled in any of these:
Oregon Health Plan / Medicaid
SNAP
TANF
Free & Reduced Price Lunch
HUD Housing Choice Voucher
LIHEAP (home energy assistance)
Employment Related Daycare
WIC
Bring a benefit summary letter from one of those programs plus a photo ID.
Or qualify by income. If your gross (before-tax) household income is below these limits, you qualify whether or not you get any benefits:
| Household size | Monthly gross income | Annual gross income | |---|---|---| | 1 | $2,660 | $31,920 | | 2 | $3,607 | $43,280 | | 3 | $4,553 | $54,640 | | 4 | $5,500 | $66,000 | | 5 | $6,447 | $77,360 | | 6 | $7,393 | $88,720 | | 7 | $8,340 | $100,080 | | 8 | $9,287 | $111,440 |
For more than eight people, TriMet says to add $10,760 per person.
To prove income, bring one of these:
Pay stubs for the last 30 days
An unemployment pay stub or benefit letter
WorkSource Oregon employment wage verification
Your most recent tax return. TriMet uses the modified adjusted gross income on Form 1040, line 11.
People with disabilities
TriMet says anyone with a verifiable mental or physical disability qualifies, but you need a photo ID Hop card first. Verify your disability with one of these:
A licensed health care provider fills out page 2 of TriMet's application form.
Social Security: a Benefit Information Report or Benefit Verification Letter dated within the last three months.
A certified agency, such as Senior and Disabled Services, the Commission for the Blind, Vocational Rehabilitation, a mental health agency, or The Arc of Multnomah or Washington County. The agency stamps your form.
The VA: a certification letter dated within the last three months.
Another transit agency's reduced fare program: list its name, city and state.
You can apply online, or print the form and bring it in. TriMet will also mail you a form if you call 503-962-2455.
Veterans, active-duty military and reservists
Bring a government photo ID and one of these:
A Common Access Card (CAC) for active duty
A Uniformed Services ID or a driver's license with veteran classification
A copy of your DD214 with photo ID
How to Apply
Online
Each category has an online application on TriMet's site. For the income route, you can upload a scan, photo or PDF of your benefit letter or income proof and your ID.
In person
The fastest option is the TriMet Customer Support Center at Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave., open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. TriMet says it will take your photo and give you the card on the spot.
Low-income applicants have more choices. TriMet lists these enrollment sites:
Portland State University Transportation Office, 1812 SW 6th Ave., Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WorkSource Gresham, 18633 SE Stark St., Suite 201
WorkSource North/Northeast Portland, 30 N Webster St.
WorkSource Southeast Portland, 6401 SE Foster Rd.
WorkSource Beaverton-Hillsboro, 241 SW Edgeway Dr. (PCC Willow Creek)
WorkSource Tigard, 11950 SW Garden Pl., Suite 100
Centro Cultural in Cornelius (1110 N Adair) and Hillsboro (265 SE Oak St.), English and Spanish
WorkSource centers are open weekdays, with most closing at 4:30 or 5 p.m., and support English, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese with interpreters for other languages.
What ID works
TriMet accepts a driver's license, passport or photo ID from any state, country or foreign consulate, plus military, tribal and citizenship or naturalization documents with a photo. No Oregon ID? Bring proof you live in Oregon too, like recent postmarked mail, a utility bill or a rental agreement.
Cost
TriMet says your first card is free. A replacement costs $3.
TriMet's income page was also advertising one free month (a $28 value) for new sign-ups when we checked. We couldn't load the promotion's terms, so ask when you apply.
Using Your Card
On buses: tap the green Hop reader when you board.
On MAX and WES: tap at the station before you board. There are no readers on the trains.
Reloading: station machines sell and reload Hop cards. The minimum load for Honored Citizen is $1.40.
One limitation: TriMet says photo ID Hop cards for income, disability or military eligibility can't be converted to virtual cards on your phone yet. Carry the physical card.
Quick Checklist
On OHP, SNAP or WIC? Bring your benefit letter and ID to Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Not on benefits? Check the income table. Bring 30 days of pay stubs or last year's return.
65+ or on Medicare? No application. Just carry ID.
Disability? Get a provider's form, an SSA letter dated within 3 months, or an agency stamp.
Tap every ride. The $28 monthly cap does the rest.
What we couldn't confirm: TriMet's free-month promotion terms page didn't load. TriMet doesn't say on these pages how long an income-based card is valid before you must re-verify. LIFT paratransit eligibility isn't covered. Fares listed have been in place since January 1, 2024; TriMet hadn't posted a 2027 change on the pages we checked.
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