Bus Pass is not Working

  • Are you registered for the current quarter for at least one class and the bus pass?

You need to be a registered student during the current quarter. You must also be registered for the bus pass every quarter and this can be done using the Bus Pass Request form. If one or both of these things are not done, your bus pass will not work.

  • Which bus/bus number did you try to use it on?

Our Orca cards work on swift buses (blue and green) and community transit buses in our area which include 100, 200, 400, and 800 numbered buses. It does NOT work on 500 buses (ones that go to Seattle) or others outside our area.

  • Is there a hole or crack in the card?

If a hole or crack of any kind is present, the chip in the card will stop working and a replacement will be needed. If the card is less than two years old there will be a replacement fee of $30. If it is over two years old you can get a replacement for free.

  • When did you register for the bus pass?

If the quarter has already started and you didn’t register for the bus pass before the first day of the quarter and were able to register afterward but your card still isn’t working the next day, remember it takes 3 to 4 business days before your card will start working again on all buses.

  • I put money on my card to use the 500 (or other buses) but when I use the bus it says insufficient funds.

If you want to use your Orca card on buses that are not covered by our card, then you can put money onto the ePurse of the bus pass at the Transit Center, online at the Transit website, or at some Safeway locations that have Transit Kiosks. You CANNOT add money to your card for the bus pass on campus. You have to add any extra money you want specifically for the bus pass outside of the college.

Additional Resources