Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card?

The Student iRide SmarTrip® Card is a fare card for Arlington County K - 12 students. The card lets students ride Arlington Transit (ART) and select Metrobus routes for free. Students must tap the farebox with their Student iRide SmarTrip® card when boarding. Students can add value to the card to use on any regional transit system that accepts SmarTrip®, including Metrobus and Metrorail; however, the free student fare only applies to ART and select Metrobus routes. The card expires when the student graduates from high school (see question 5). View this video to learn more about the SmarTrip card.

2. Who is eligible to participate?

Any student living in Arlington County enrolled as a K-12 student can obtain an iRide SmarTrip card through the Student iRide Program. Any child eight years or younger should not be left alone for any period of time and, therefore, must be accompanied by an adult to ride public transportation. Arlington Public Schools (APS) recommends that elementary students and families follow the guidelines provided by Arlington County’s Child and Family Services Division. Home-schooled students or students attending public or private schools are eligible as long as they are Arlington County residents. The card will expire when the student graduates from high school (see question 5). All Student iRide SmarTrip® cards issued to APS students beginning School Year 2023-24 will be registered with WMATA to an APS account. Registering the cards under one account grants APS the right to cancel cards if they are lost or stolen. Cards issued prior to School Year 2023-24 should have been registered by the student with WMATA when they were received.

3. How much does the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card cost?

There is no cost to obtain the iRide card. After receiving it, money can be added to the card to pay for transit fares on non-eligible Metrobus routes, Metrorail, or other transit systems. (See Question 12 for more information on how to add money.) Students must notify their Transportation Coordinator (TC) if they lose their iRide Student SmarTrip card. Replacement cards will only be issued to students through their TC, and students will need to reapply for an iRide SmarTrip card through their TC. Replacement cards can take up to four (4) weeks to process and there is limited available. If students do not have an iRide SmarTrip card, they will be charged $1.00 cash to ride ART and $2.00 cash to ride Metrobus.

4. How does the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card work?

The card can be used for free rides on all ART buses and select Metrobus routes. Students must tap the farebox with their Student iRide SmarTrip® card when boarding. Money must be added to the card to ride non-eligible Metrobus routes, Metrorail, and regional bus systems that accept SmarTrip®. The student discount does not apply to any other transit services. Students will be charged regular fares when using the card on other transit services. If a student does not have an iRide SmarTrip card, they will be charged $1.00 cash to ride ART and $2.00 to ride Metrobus. The free-fare program is not valid for travel on Metrorail.

5. How long is the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card good for?

The Student iRide SmarTrip® Card will expire when the student graduates from high school. Students who attend Arlington Community High School, Langston High School or another continuing education program can use the Student iRide SmarTrip® card until they either graduate or turn 22 years old. At that time, the student must purchase a regular SmarTrip® Card. Any money still on the Student SmarTrip® card when it expires will be transferred to a regular SmarTrip® Card. Both cards must be registered with WMATA to make this possible.

6. Where can I get the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card?

The Student iRide SmarTrip® Card is available for APS students from their Transportation Coordinator (TC) located onsite at their school. The card is also available at any Commuter Store or Mobile Commuter Store.

7. What do I need to get a Student iRide SmarTrip® Card at The Commuter Store?

All students must provide their APS issued student identification card when applying for an iRide SmarTrip card. Students without an APS student identification card must provide proof of enrollment, specifically their student identification number. Proof of enrollment and a student identification number are available through the student information systems: ParentVUE or StudentVue.

8. Are Student iRide SmarTrip® Cards required to be registered?

All Student iRide SmarTrip® cards issued beginning School Year 2023-24 will be registered with WMATA to an APS account. Registering the cards under one account grants APS the right to cancel cards if they are lost or stolen. All cards issued prior to School Year 2023-24 were registered with WMATA to the individual student and therefore accessible only by the student not APS. If the individually registered Student iRide SmarTrip® Card is lost or stolen, the stored value can be transferred to a new card.

9. What if the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card is lost or stolen?

Students issued a card beginning School Year 2023-24 must notify their Transportation Coordinators (TC) if they lose their iRide SmarTrip® card. Replacement cards will only be issued to a student through the TC and students will need to reapply for an iRide SmarTrip® card through their TC. Replacement cards can take up to four(4) weeks to process. All monies added to an iRide SmarTrip® card are the responsibility of the card holder, not APS. If a card is lost with additional monies loaded to ride Metrorail, all monies are lost for the card holder. APS will not replace or reimburse any additional monies added by a card holder if the card is lost or stolen.

Students will be subject to the three-strike rule. Students will be ineligible for the Fare Free Program after being issued three cards. Students must notify their Transportation Coordinators (TC) that they lost their iRide SmarTrip card for a second time. Replacement cards will only be issued to a student through the TC and students will need to reapply for an iRide SmarTrip card through their TC. Replacement cards can take up to four (4) weeks to process.

All cards issued prior to School Year 2023-24 were registered with WMATA to the individual student and therefore accessible only by the student not APS. Those students with an iRide SmarTrip® card issued prior to School Year 2023-24 must contact the SmarTrip® Regional Customer Service Center (RCSC) at 1-888-762-7874 (TDD: 711) to report the lost or stolen card. The Student iRide SmarTrip® Card will be deactivated. All cards must be registered, so that any stored value on a lost or stolen card can be transferred to a new card.

10. What happens if I use my Student iRide SmarTrip® Card to ride Metrobus outside of Arlington County?

Students who use their iRide SmarTrip card on Metrobus routes not listed and routes outside of Arlington need to pay the Metrobus fare. If they do not, their iRide SmarTrip card may be disabled. Any travel outside of Arlington County will require payment not included with the iRide Student Fare Free Program. It is recommended that students should purchase, load monies, and register a separate standard SmarTrip card when not traveling on ART bus services or the approved Metrobus routes.

11. What if I have problems with my Student iRide SmarTrip® Card or lose money while trying to use it?

For questions pertaining to the Student iRide SmarTrip® Card, please contact the SmarTrip® Regional Customer Service Center (RCSC) at 1-888-762-7874 or see Metro's SmarTrip® page for more information from Metro.

12. Can someone else use my SmarTrip® card?

No. The Student iRide SmarTrip® Card is intended for use only by the student who registered the card.

13. How do I add money to my Student iRide SmarTrip® Card?

Just like a regular SmarTrip® Card, you can add money at any Metrorail, Metrobus or ART fare machine and at any Commuter Store in Arlington County. We encourage students to add money at Metrorail fare stations; we don't recommend students add money using the fare box on the bus.

14. I participated in the Student Free Fare Pilot during school year 2021-22, is my Student iRide SmarTrip® card eligible for the Student iRide program?

Yes, all Student iRide SmarTrip cards issued last year during the Student Free Fare Pilot can begin to ride ART buses for free beginning Monday August 29, 2022.

15. I participated in the Student Free Fare Pilot during school year 2021-22. Can I register my Student SmarTrip® iRide Card?

No, at this time students that received Student iRide SmarTrip® cards during the Student Free Fare Pilot cannot register those cards. Please contact the school’s TC for further information.

16. What if I have general questions pertaining to Arlington Transit bus service?

For questions regarding ART -- Arlington Transit bus service, please call the Customer Service number at 703-228-RIDE (703-228-7433, TDD: 711) or go to www.arlingtontransit.com