San Diego MTS Reduced Fares 2026–27: PRONTO Discounts for Seniors and Riders With Disabilities, Free Youth Rides and the New PRONTO LIFE Program
Riding the San Diego Trolley and MTS buses at the full adult fare costs $3 a trip, up to $85 a month. If you're 65 or older, have a qualifying disability, get Medicare, or are enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs, you may be able to cut that sharply. Riders 18 and under ride free.
The biggest news this fall is PRONTO LIFE, a low-income fare program from MTS and North County Transit District that started October 1, 2026. It caps monthly costs at $72 for eligible riders who don't already have another discount.
Every MTS discount runs through PRONTO, the region's fare card and app. The key step most people miss is that a new PRONTO card or app account charges adult fares by default. You must apply to convert it before the discount applies.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: MTS's Reduced Fares, PRONTO, PRONTO LIFE Program, Youth Opportunity Pass and Transit Store pages. Fares and rules can change; check with MTS before you ride.
The Short Version
Fare type | One-way (2 hours) | Daily cap | Monthly cap |
Adult | $3.00 | $7.00 | $85 |
PRONTO LIFE (CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs) | $2.50 | $6.00 | $72 |
Reduced (seniors 65+, disability, Medicare) | $1.50 | $3.50 | $28 |
Youth 18 and under | Free through June 30, 2027 | — | — |
These fares apply on MTS buses, the Trolley and Rapid routes. Rapid Express, Rural and Access services cost extra.
Children 5 and under ride MTS and NCTD free at all times without a card.
Proof is required to apply and every time you ride on a reduced fare.
Where to go in person: the MTS Transit Store, 1255 Imperial Ave., San Diego.
PRONTO Support: (619) 595-5636.
How Fare Capping Works
PRONTO uses what MTS calls "best fare." Each time you tap or scan, a one-way fare comes off your balance, good for two hours. Once you've spent the price of a day pass in one day, you stop being charged for the rest of that day. Once you've spent the price of a monthly pass in a calendar month, rides are free until the month ends.
You still have to tap or scan every time. And you have to use the same PRONTO card or app account each time for the cap to count. If you'd rather pay up front, you can still buy a monthly pass, valid from the first to the last day of the calendar month.
For a reduced fare rider, that means you'll never pay more than $28 in a month on regular MTS bus and Trolley service.
Reduced Fares: Seniors, Riders With Disabilities and Medicare Recipients
MTS offers reduced fares and passes to:
seniors 65 and over;
Medicare recipients (not Medi-Cal);
people with disabilities who qualify under federal and state law; and
youth (now free under the Youth Opportunity Pass, below).
Accepted proof
MTS says you need one of these when you apply and whenever you ride:
a PRONTO card photo ID (MTS's preferred option);
a government-issued photo ID with your birth date (seniors and youth);
a Medicare card plus a government-issued photo ID;
a DMV disabled placard ID (receipt) plus a government-issued photo ID;
a senior ID card (65 and over);
a VA award letter confirming at least 50% service-connected disability;
a K-12 school ID with enrollment forms (youth); or
an unexpired reduced fare disabled ID or paratransit ID from NCTD or another California transit agency, plus a government photo ID if the transit ID has no photo.
Two ways to apply
Online. Log in to your account at ridePRONTO.com and use the reduced fare online application to convert your adult card or app account. MTS has an FAQ page for the online application.
In person with the short form. If you already have one of the IDs above, or receive SSI or Social Security disability benefits, fill out MTS's Reduced Fare Short Form (available in English and Spanish). Take it to the Transit Store on a weekday to have your photo taken and get your Reduced Fare Photo ID.
If you have a disability but no qualifying ID
Use the Long Form. It describes the qualifying disabilities and which licensed health care professionals can certify them. After your provider completes it, return it to MTS. MTS says it will tell you within 15 working days whether you're approved, depending on verification by your provider. Once you have your approval letter, finish the process online or at the Transit Store.
Youth Opportunity Pass: Free Rides for 18 and Under
All riders 18 and under can ride MTS and NCTD free with a Youth PRONTO card or a Youth PRONTO app account. MTS says the pilot, sponsored by SANDAG and the County of San Diego, runs through June 30, 2027.
If you already have a youth PRONTO card or app account, you don't need to do anything else. Rides register as free when you tap or scan.
If your card is set to adult fares, request a change to a youth card through the PRONTO online application.
MTS Access paratransit is included for Access-certified clients 18 and under.
MTS has been handing out free youth PRONTO cards at school and community events.
PRONTO LIFE: The New Low-Income Fare
Who qualifies
You can enroll in PRONTO LIFE if you are actively enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs and not already in another MTS reduced fare program. MTS lists senior, disabled, Medicare, youth, college semester and employer passes as programs that make you ineligible. MTS notes that some of those may give you a better deal anyway.
That matters most for two groups:
Seniors and riders with disabilities already pay less on the regular reduced fare ($1.50 a trip, $28 a month) than on LIFE ($2.50, $72).
K-12 students can enroll in LIFE, but MTS points out that the Youth Opportunity Pass is free.
MTS has a short online quiz, "Which reduced fare program works best for me?", to help you choose.
What it covers
PRONTO LIFE riders pay $2.50 one-way, with a $6 daily cap and a $72 monthly cap (or a $72 monthly pass). It applies to MTS and NCTD regional bus and Trolley service and the SPRINTER. It does not cover the COASTER, Rapid Express, Rural, Access or LIFT services, which require a separate fare.
The program started October 1, 2026. MTS began accepting applications August 20, 2026.
How to apply: two steps
Step 1: Apply with MTS. Apply online through your PRONTO account, or in person at the MTS Transit Store or an NCTD customer service location. You'll need:
a current Verification of Benefits letter from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) showing active enrollment in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs;
a government-issued photo ID; and
a profile photo.
Don't send an EBT card or other documents. MTS says an EBT card is not accepted as proof.
You can get the Verification of Benefits letter by downloading it from your BenefitsCal account or by visiting any HHSA Family Resource Center. HHSA's Access Customer Service Call Center is 1-866-262-9881.
Step 2: Authorize the county to confirm your benefits. Submit a signed Authorization for Release of Information directly to HHSA Self-Sufficiency Services. You can do this:
online through BenefitsCal;
in person at an HHSA Family Resource Center; or
by mail, using the form linked on MTS's PRONTO LIFE page.
Don't skip step 2. MTS says that if the release isn't on file with the county, HHSA can't verify your benefits and your application will be denied.
Autoload
If you're moving into PRONTO LIFE from an adult account that autoloads a monthly pass, you'll need to set up a new autoload. You can do that at ridePRONTO.com, in the app, or by calling PRONTO Support at (619) 595-5636.
The MTS Transit Store
The Transit Store is where you can get a reduced fare photo ID in person.
Address: 1255 Imperial Ave., San Diego (MTS lists Suite 100A for the store).
Hours: weekdays, excluding holidays. MTS's reduced fare page lists 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for photo IDs; the Transit Store page says transit ID cards are issued 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. Arrive by 4:30 to be safe.
Cost: MTS says new or replacement IDs are $7.
Quick Tips
Check your card type. Cards bought at ticket machines or stores, and new app accounts, start as adult fares.
Carry your proof. Fare inspectors can ask for it on any trip.
Keep one account. Fare caps only build if you use the same card or app every time.
Mind the premium routes. Rapid Express, Rural and Access cost extra on every discount.
Pick the best program. Seniors, riders with disabilities and youth will usually do better outside PRONTO LIFE.
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