BC Bus Pass Program

We provide subsidized annual bus passes to:

• low-income seniors
• People receiving disability assistance from the Province of British Columbia

On this page:

• How to make a payment
• How to use your pass
• How to represent others
• Contact us

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You can use this pass throughout the province in communities served by:

• BC Transit
• TransLink

HandyDart and West Coast Express are not included in this program.

Only you can use your pass. Do not:

• Lend it out
• Give it away
• Sell it

How to make a payment

We will mail you an invoice if you need to pay a fee for a:

• New pass
• Replacement pass
• Yearly renewal

It will outline the fee and how to pay. If you already know the fee amount, you can pay online or by telephone banking.

1. Find your account number

Your 9-digit account number is printed below your name on your BC Bus Pass Compass Card. 

Need help finding your account number? You can contact us.

2. Pay the fee amount on the invoice

• Search for the payee name your bank uses (e.g. BC-BUS PASS PROGRAM)
• Enter your 9-digit Bus Pass Program Account Number
• Pay the amount from the invoice in full

Or pay in person at your bank:

• Ask to pay the BC Bus Pass Program and provide your 9-digit Bus Pass Program account number 

What happens after you pay

It may take up to 5 business days for your payment to process. Once it is processed, we will:

• Mail your new or replacement BC Bus Pass Compass Card to you
• Activate your renewed pass for the next year

Eligible payments are non-refundable. Your payment will be refunded if you:

• Are ineligible
• Made a payment in error

How to use your pass

You can tap your pass on the card reader to confirm boarding. Make sure to only tap your card, not your wallet. Card readers and gates accept credit card and mobile wallet payments. This could charge your credit card by accident.

In TransLink communities

You will need to tap in and out upon exit. Each year you renew your pass, hold your card for 5 seconds the first time you tap your card on the card reader. This will activate it for the year.

In BC Transit communities

When you tap your pass, there will be a yellow check mark that confirms boarding. If the initial tap does not work, wait 90 seconds before trying to tap again. If you do not wait, there will be a red denial message.

BC Transit Sticker

Some communities do not have BC Transit busses with Umo card readers. In those communities, you will need:

• A BC Transit sticker to attach to your pass
• To present your valid pass with a sticker to the driver upon boarding

If you live in a transit community without Umo card readers, you will automatically be sent a sticker:

• Each December
• Whenever you request a replacement pass

Contact us to request a BC Transit sticker if you:

• Have lost your sticker
• Have moved to a BC Transit community without Umo card readers
• Are travelling to a specific BC Transit community without Umo card readers

How to represent others

You can have someone speak to us on your behalf:

• An advocate
• A friend
• A family member

We need verbal or written permission from you before speaking with them. Verbal consent is only valid during the phone call. For long-term permission, complete our Bus Pass Program Consent to Disclosure of Information Form (PDF, 18KB). You can submit it by:

• Fax
• Mail
• Email

For details on how to fill one out, use the example Consent to Disclosure Form (PDF, 454KB).

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Contact us

Online (preferred method)

Use the Online Request for Service form to:

• Apply for the BC Bus Pass
• Update your address
• Request a replacement pass

Fill in the required fields and submit.

Toll free

Call 1-866-866-0800 between Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. It may take longer to reach us during busy times.

If you have a Person ID (PID) and number (PIN) or Social Insurance Number (SIN), enter it and choose:

• Option 3
• Option 1

If you don't have a PIN, choose:

• Option 2
• Option 1

We offer interpreters in many languages. When we answer the call, state your language and hold while we connect you.

Fax

Send general questions or documents (not bus pass applications) to 1-855-771-8788.

If you advocate for more than one person, send separate faxes for each person. This helps us maintain privacy.

Mail

Send us questions and documents by regular mail with our  Bus Pass General Enquiry Form (PDF, 63KB).

1. Download the form
2. Fill in and print it
3. Mail it to:
   BC Bus Pass Program
   PO Box 9985, STN PROV GOVT
   Victoria, BC V8W 9R6

If you have concerns about online privacy, phone or write us.

Email

Send bus pass related questions and documents to BCBusPassProgram@gov.bc.ca.

If you advocate for more than one person, send a separate email for each person. This helps maintain privacy. If your email is not related to the BC Bus Pass Program, you may not receive a response.

Do not send multiple emails or make phone calls about the same request.