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Fare violations
If you receive a Notice of Fare Violation from King County Metro, you must take care of your violation within 90 days.
How to take care of your fare violation
To resolve your violation, please pay the fine or complete one of the other steps below.
- Submit a $20 fine within 30 days or a $40 fine within 90 days. Selecting the button below will take you to Metro’s secure payment website, which opens in a new browser window.
Submit your payment - Once your payment is submitted, complete with your payment confirmation number, sign and submit your Fare Violation Resolution Form - Option A.
- Load $20 value onto a new or existing ORCA card or $10 onto your ORCA LIFT or Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) card. There are 3 ways to add money:
- On the MyORCA page
- In person at participating retailers, vending machine locations and customer service offices across the region. Find a location
- By phone at 888-988-6722 WA Relay: 711
- Once you've loaded your card, complete, sign and submit your Fare Violation Resolution Form - Option B.
- Enroll in the ORCA LIFT or Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) program.
- The ORCA LIFT program provides discounted fares to individuals with lower incomes. To see if you qualify or to find an authorized enrollment office, visit the ORCA LIFT webpage or call 206-553-3000.
- The Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) allows riders with disabilities, Medicare card holders and seniors (65+) to receive discounted fares. For instructions and locations, visit the RRFP webpage or call 206-553-3000.
- Once you've enrolled and have your new ORCA LIFT or RRFP card number, complete, sign and submit your Fare Violation Resolution Form - Option C.
Community service may be performed at any non-profit organization located in King County, WA.
Online form submission:
- Complete 2 hours of community service
- Fill out and save your Fare Violation Resolution form - Option D. You'll receive a link that you can copy and paste into an email.
- Email that link to a representative from the nonprofit or community organization. Have them sign and submit the form online to verify your community service.
Paper form submission:
- Complete 2 hours of community service
- A paper copy of the Fare Violation Resolution form is also included in your Violation Resolution package along with your Notice of Violation (or download a PDF). If choosing this option, please complete the frontside of the form and bring it with you to your community service to collect a signature.
- Once you have completed 2 hours of community service, have a representative from the nonprofit or community organization complete and sign the backside of the Fare Violation Resolution Form.
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Mail the completed and signed Fare Violation Resolution form to:
King County Fare Violation Program
201 S. Jackson Street
KSC-MT-0460
Seattle, WA 98104
Appeals must be requested within 45 days of the date of the violation. Choose option E to appeal your violation or ask for a different solution if you have a special situation.
- Complete Fare Violation Resolution form - Option E. Include a phone number or email address.
- Fare Violation Program staff will contact you after your appeal is received.
- A final decision about your appeal will be provided to you in writing.
- If your appeal is denied, you will need to complete a different option to resolve your violation within 45 days of receiving the denial, to avoid suspension of your ability to ride Metro services.
Contact the Fare Adjudication Program Manager to request a customized resolution at FareViolation@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-3273.
Did you receive a citation on Sound Transit? Visit their fare violation page .
After 90 days
If you do not take one of these actions within 90 days, you may be placed on the “no-ride list.”
If you are on the “no-ride list” and a Fare Enforcement Officer finds you riding without proof of payment, you may be suspended from riding Metro for 12 hours. If you ride Metro during your 12-hour suspension, and cannot show valid proof of payment upon request, you could be charged with criminal trespassing.
Once your 12-hour suspension ends, the outstanding citation will be marked as resolved.
Frequently asked questions
Proof of payment is verification that you’ve paid your transit fare. It must be valid at the time of fare inspection and can be one of the following:
- A Transit GO Ticket on your phone
- A tapped ORCA card
- A paper bus transfer
An ORCA card is the only way to pay for transfers between different services like buses, trains, and streetcars. If your second ride costs more than the first, ORCA only charges the difference; saving you money.
Important notes:
- Metro bus transfers cannot be used to transfer to other services such as light rail, water taxi or streetcar.
- Payments for the Seattle Monorail do not apply to Metro or any other regional transit system.
For more information about transferring using ORCA, visit Sound Transit's Transfer Guide.
Fare Enforcement Officers (FEOs) are uniformed Metro security staff. They are trained to be respectful, answer questions and help people understand fare programs.
FEOs are allowed by law (RCW 35.58.585) to check fares and give warnings and violations.
Fares help pay for transit. When you pay to ride, you make transit better for everyone. Tapping ORCA cards to pay means more transit service and more state funding.
- Fare Enforcement Officers work in teams of 2 to 3 people.
- Fare Enforcement Officers’ uniforms are neon yellow and clearly marked with “Fare Enforcement”.
- They board transit at each end of the bus or streetcar.
- They announce that they are onboard to check for proof of payment.
- They check everyone on board.
- Riding without a valid fare (after two previous warnings).
- Using a fake, expired or someone else’s pass.
- Refusing to show your transfer or ORCA card when asked (after two previous warnings).