MBTA Youth Pass Partnership

Eligibility

You may be eligible for a Youth Pass if you live in Somerville and are either:

• Between 12 and 17 and are unable to get a Student CharlieCard through your middle or high school.*
• Between 18 and 25 and are enrolled in a Youth Pass partner program, such as MassHealth, SNAP, Year Up, Roca, public housing, etc.

Visit the MBTA’s website for the program’s eligibility criteria, and full list of Youth Pass partner programs and accepted documents in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, or Vietnamese.

*Somerville high school students are eligible for an M7 Card through their school.

Application Instructions

How do I apply?

Please complete the online application form.

What documents do I need?

You’ll need documents that show proof of age, address, and enrollment in a Youth Pass partner program. Visit the MBTA’s website to see a list of accepted documents.

Note: Middle and high school students may be eligible for Student CharlieCards. College and university students may be eligible for Semester Passes.

How to Use Your Youth Pass

Use your Youth Pass CharlieCard for roughly 50% off one-way fares on the bus, subway, Express Bus, Commuter Rail, and ferry, or $30 monthly passes for unlimited bus, subway, and Fairmount Line Zone 1A travel.

Youth Pass riders should always keep their Youth Pass CharlieCard with them when they ride the T to present as proof of program membership.

Add Cash Value

You can use your Youth Pass like a CharlieCard, and add cash value at any fare vending machine, onboard fare box, retail sales location, or at the CharlieCard Store at Downtown Crossing.

When you tap your card to pay your fare, you will pay a reduced one-way rate.

Please note that you cannot add cash value to your card online.

Add Monthly Passes

You can add a monthly LinkPass to your Youth Pass for a reduced rate of $30.00 at any fare vending machine, retail sales location, or at the CharlieCard Store at Downtown Crossing. LinkPasses are valid for unlimited travel on the bus, subway, and Fairmount Line Zone 1A for 1 calendar month.

Please note that you cannot add monthly LinkPasses to your card online.

Commuter Rail

Your Youth Pass CharlieCard makes you eligible to purchase half-price Commuter Rail tickets:

• On board (show your card to the conductor)
• At ticket windows (show your card to ticket window staff)
• At fare vending machines (tap your card to pay 50% of the standard one-way fare or purchase a 10-ride ticket)
• Retail sales locations (show your card to the cashier)
• mTicket: Enter your card serial card number on the Reduced Fares page under the “My Account” section in your mTicket app. The reduced fare will then automatically appear when purchasing a ticket.

For Zone 1A travel on the Fairmount Line, Youth Pass cardholders can tap their CharlieCard at the newly installed Fairmount Line validators before boarding, just like for the bus or subway. Please remember to take the proof-of-purchase receipt from the validator to show to conductors.

Please note that discounted monthly Commuter Rail passes are not available.

More Information

Learn more about the MBTA Youth Pass Partnership at https://www.mbta.com/fares/reduced/youth-pass.