New fares are now effective as of August 18, 2025. For more information click here.
WHERE TO BUY PASSES
IN PERSON
UCSB CAMPUS STORE
1 UCEN Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
805.893.3819
EASTSIDE LIBRARY
1102 East Montecito Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Vending Machine
MTD TRANSIT CENTER
1020 Chapala Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805. 963.3366
MTD BUSINESS OFFICE
550 Olive Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805. 963.3364
MTD accepts cash, a local imprinted check,
or a money order (payable to “MTD”) as payment for passes.
ALBERTSON’S CARPINTERIA
1018 Casitas Pass Road
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Vending Machine
GOLETA VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER
5679 Hollister Avenue
Goleta, CA 93117
Vending Machine-Credit/Debit Card Only
BY MAIL
You can order your passes through the mail by filling out & sending in an order form.
FARES
All fares are one-way and may be paid with coins, bills, passes, or via Tap2Ride with a contactless bank card or mobile wallet. Exact change required when paying with cash; fareboxes do not give change and drivers cannot make change.
You can take advantage of pay-as-you-go discounted daily and monthly pass rates when you Tap2Ride.
Click here to learn more, including how to get a contactless bank card or to add a bank card to the mobile wallet on your smart device.
| Standard |
|---|
| $2.50 Regular one-way Youth (K-12th grade) |
| $1.25 Seniors (age 65+) Persons with Disabilities* Persons with Medicare Cards* (Cash or Tap2Ride**) *Identification, proof of age, a Medicare card, or MTD photo ID is required. **Before you Tap2Ride, register your contactless bank card via Cal-ITP Benefits to receive a discounted fare. |
| FREE Children under 45 inches tall (three children per adult) Transfers (to complete a one-way trip) For more information on Transfers, click here. |
| $6.00 Day Pass (purchased in advance or pay-as-you-go via Tap2Ride) |
| $2.50 Token for one-way fare |
PASSES
| 10-RIDE PASS Discounted |
|---|
| $17.50 Adult |
| $12.50 Youth (K-12th grade) |
| $8.50 Senior (65+)* Mobility (For Disabled Persons and Medicare Card Holders)* Apply here for persons with disabilities. |
| *Identification, proof of age, a Medicare card, or MTD photo ID is required. MTD can accept cash, a local imprinted check, or a money order (payable to “MTD”) as payment for passes. |
| 30-DAY PASS Discounted |
|---|
| $80.00 Adult (purchased in advance or pay-as-you-go via Tap2Ride) |
| $65.00 Youth (K-12th grade) |
| $30.00 Senior (65+)* Mobility (For Disabled Persons and Medicare Card Holders)* (purchased in advance or via Tap2Ride**) *Apply here for a physical pass for persons with disabilities. **Before you Tap2Ride, register your contactless bank card via Cal-ITP Benefits to receive a discounted fare. |
| 1-DAY PASS |
|---|
| Systemwide Day Pass $6.00 (purchased in advance or pay-as-you-go via Tap2Ride) Good on all routes. Valid for unlimited trips in one calendar day. |
30-Day Passes are valid for 30 days from first use.
30-Day passes are not transferable and transfers are not available with this pass.
10-Ride Passes do not expire.
Improper use of passes may result in revocation or confiscation.
All pass sales are final. No refunds. Passes have no cash value.
How to pay your MTD fare
Mobility Pass: Reduced Fare and Medicare ID Cards
Passengers with disabilities may be eligible for the Mobility Pass, a reduced fare to ride MTD buses.
To obtain a reduced fare MTD photo ID card, passengers must have an application completed by a qualified physician or an MTD-certified social service agency. You may download an application here, or get one at the MTD Transit Center, or call 805.963.3366 for more information.
Passengers may also present a disabled photo ID card from another transit agency, a valid Medicare ID card, or a valid California DMV Disabled Placard Receipt to obtain a reduced fare MTD photo ID card.
If the photo ID card is lost, a replacement fee of $5.00 will be charged.
UCSB & SBCC STUDENTS RIDE FREE
UCSB & SBCC students may use their valid student ID as a bus pass by tapping it on the farebox upon boarding.
Valid Dates
UCSB – First day of the quarter until 2 weeks into the next quarter.
SBCC – 7 calendar days before the first day of classes until the last day of final exams, except Fall semester stickers are valid until 7 calendar days before Spring classes begin.
UCSB & SBCC cards are not valid on the Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle.
2025-2026 Valid Dates for Student Registration Stickers as Prepaid Bus Fare
| SBCC | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Aug 18 – Jan 19 |
| Spring | Jan 19 – May 23 |
| Summer | May 25 – Aug 8 |
| UCSB | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Sep 21 – Jan 15 |
| Winter | Jan 5 – Apr 10 |
| Spring | Mar 30 – July 3 |
| Summer | Jun 22 – Oct 2 |
TRANSFERS
If you need to use more than one bus to reach your destination, ask the driver for a transfer when you pay your fare on the first bus.
Transfers are free and can be used as your fare on up to two more buses. The transfer is valid for up to 60 minutes on the second bus. In the rare case that you need to transfer to a third bus to reach your destination, ask the driver on your second bus to give you another transfer. This transfer will be valid for 30 minutes.
Transfers are valid to complete your one-way trip. Transfers are not valid for return trips. Passengers who use MTD’s 30 day passes will not be issued transfers. Use your pass on each bus in any direction.
It is MTD policy that drivers may wait up to 3 minutes beyond their scheduled departure times for transferring passengers. If you are concerned about catching your connecting bus, request that your driver call ahead to ask your next driver to wait for you.
During peak-hour times when there is more frequent bus service, Lines 1, 2, 6 & 11 will not wait. There will be another bus in 10 minutes.
MTD transfers are not valid on the Downtown and Waterfront Shuttles.
Other Transfers
With a valid transfer slip from VCTC, you pay only $1.00 to ride MTD!
Pacific Surfliner’s Transit Transfer Program
On the day you travel on the Pacific Surfliner train, show your valid Amtrak Pacific Surfliner paper ticket or e-ticket to the driver when you board the connecting bus or shuttle and ride MTD for free! Visit Pacific Surfliner for more info.