Proof of Payment

VTA light rail operates on a proof-of-payment system. You must possess validated fare to board. Fare inspectors regularly patrol the system and ask passengers at random to produce a valid transit pass. Violators are subject to fines up to $250 dollars and can lose their transit privileges.

Fare Types

Single Ride Pass-  A single ride light rail ticket is valid for up to (2) hours in any direction only on Light Rail and Historic Trolley service. It is not acceptable toward the fare on bus service.

Day pass- VTA day passes expire at 2:59 a.m. the day after the date of purchase.

Monthly pass-  Monthly passes are only valid for the calendar month printed on them.

Clipper- When using Clipper on VTA light rail, customers only need to tap their card on the platform reader once, at the beginning of their trip, before entering the vehicle. If you need to transfer to a second or third light rail vehicle to complete this trip, you do not need to tap your Clipper card again prior to boarding unless the transfer is more than 2 hours after starting the original trip. For customers using cash on the Clipper card to pay for a light rail single ride, once customers tag their Clipper card at a light rail station they will have 2 hours to complete a trip on light rail.  If they tag again when they board another light rail vehicle, they will be charged for the ride.

• Other passes accepted on light rail
• How to Use a VTA Ticket Vending Machine (TVM)

Fare Compliance

Failure to comply with VTA's fare policy is in violation of California Penal Code 640.  Violation of California Penal Code 640 is punishable up to the maximum penalty allowed by law.

If you have been cited for not having valid fare and need information on how to pay the fine, you can use the Santa Clara County Public Access Traffic Case Information Website. Information can be found by citation number or searching by name.