Can I ride the DC metro without a SmarTrip card?

A SmarTrip® card is required for each rider age 5 and older (up to two children under age five may travel free with each fare paying adult). The blue fare vending machines are your best choice if you need a SmarTrip® card. The blue Fare Vending machines sell up to six SmarTrip ® cards at a time.



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Pay for Metro with just your phone! With SmarTrip® in your Mobile Wallet you'll be able to: Pay for your train, bus, and parking wherever SmarTrip is accepted. Know where your SmarTrip® is.

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A SmarTrip® card is required for each rider age 5 and older (up to two children under age five may travel free with each fare paying adult). The blue fare vending machines are your best choice if you need a SmarTrip® card. The blue Fare Vending machines sell up to six SmarTrip ® cards at a time.

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Can more than one person use a SmarTrip® card for the same ride? No, you cannot share a SmarTrip® card; each rider must have his or her own card.

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The cards are being phased out due to the installation of new fare gates in Metro stations, which will begin in June 2021. All agencies that use the SmartBenefits program are encouraged to let their participating employees use Metro's online, self-service card replacement process.

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Download the free app on Google Play or iTunes. The Metro Transit app is a tool to make riding easier. After you've found your trip and departure time, you can buy and use mobile tickets right from your smartphone – it's like having a METRO ticket machine right in your pocket! Ride when you want, wherever you want!

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DC METRO PASSES SmartTrip cards can be ordered online or you may buy a card at the station. They cost $15/each, $2 for the card itself and they come preloaded with $13 of credit. You can also add a virtual card to your phone/mobile device using Apple Wallet or Google Pay.

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All told, the commute cost using the IRS rate and a more average parking rate downtown comes out to about twice the cost of Metro even riding at the most expensive times and parking at a Metro lot. The mistakes in the original reflect a miscalculation that many commuters are making on a daily basis.

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