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Youth Ride Free

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Free Rides

Discover new destinations and hidden gems in Orange County while saving money!

Ride Free

Free Rides

Discover new destinations and hidden gems in Orange County while saving money!

Ride Free

What is the Youth Ride Free program?

The Youth Ride Free program provides youth aged 6 to 18 with free travel on safe, clean and reliable buses.

What’s new for the 2025-26 year?

OCTA has launched its new fare payment system called Wave. Youth participants can begin using their Wave card to ride for free throughout Orange County.

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Discover fun places to go with OC Bus.

Your pass is good all the time, which means weekend trips to the beach, the movies or the mall are free, along with daily trips to school, work and other appointments.

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Featured Locations

The Lab Anti-Mall, Costa Mesa
This collection of fun small businesses, eateries and art installations is a great place to visit.
Back Bay Trail, near Newport Beach
This beautiful 2.8-mile loop is popular for hiking and running and takes a little less than an hour to complete. Bring your bike onboard the bus!
Newport Beach
With 10 miles of coastline, this is a great spot to enjoy the sand, pier, ocean, and boardwalk.

What Do Youths Say about OC Bus?

Since the program began in 2021, more than 30,000 youths have enrolled through 600 K-12 schools. Here’s what other youths have to say.
"I like the OCTA Youth Ride Free pass because it is a convenient, safe, and economic way to get to school or wherever else I want to go."
Adam Z., 12th Grade
"OC Buses are among the cleanest public transportation I've been on. They're incredibly accessible and the Youth Ride Free Pass allows me to explore OC with my friends for free!"
Lana N., 12th Grade
Transit mobile app

Transit App

1. Get real-time departure times for nearby routes, plan your trip, and view service alerts.

2. Download the FREE Transit App from the Apple Store or Google Play Store

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Download from google play
Learn to Ride OC Bus

Free Group Training Online

Our new Transit Training workshops are the perfect solution for those who want to develop confident bus-riding skills online before heading out to explore Orange County. In addition to English, workshops are available upon request in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Mandarin. Designed for groups of 10 to 20 people, registrants can participate from the comfort and safety of their homes.

Learn more

Request a Wave Card Today

The Youth Ride Free Wave cards for the 2025-26 school year are now available at your child’s Orange County school. If your school is not participating, you may request a card below. Get a Wave card for your child and make life easier for your whole family.

Grant Funds Offer Many Benefits

The program is grant-funded by the California Department of Transportation and the California Air Resources Board through California Climate Investments which help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment.

OCTA
California Climate Investments
Caltrans
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