How to Start in Canada

How to Apply for the BC Bus Pass Program

The BC Bus Pass Program gives low-income seniors an annual bus pass for 45 dollars a year and gives people receiving disability assistance a bus pass at no cost, and this guide walks through both application routes.

Written November 10, 2026 · 12 min read

Applies in: British Columbia

The short answer

The BC Bus Pass Program gives low-income seniors an annual bus pass for $45 a year, and gives people with the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation who receive disability assistance a bus pass at no cost. The program is run by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. The senior pass runs January 1 to December 31. The disability route works month by month instead: you choose between the bus pass and a $52 monthly Transportation Supplement, and you can switch between them.

Apply online through My Self Serve, by phone at 1-866-866-0800, by fax at 1-855-771-8788, or by mail to BC Bus Pass Program, PO Box 9985, STN PROV GOVT, Victoria, BC V8W 9R6. This guide walks through both routes in full: who qualifies, what to send, how to pay, how long the pass takes to arrive, how to use it, and how renewal works.

Who qualifies

There are two routes, and they work differently. Work out which one fits you before you apply.

Low-income seniors

You may be eligible for a yearly BC Bus Pass at a reduced cost if you:

  • receive one of these federal benefits: the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the GIS Allowance for the Survivor, or the GIS Allowance (Spousal Allowance);
  • are 60 to 64 years old and receive income assistance from the Province of BC;
  • are 60 years or older and the spouse of someone with the Persons with Disabilities designation who receives disability assistance from the Province of BC;
  • are 65 years or older and would qualify for GIS but do not meet the 10-year Canadian residency requirement; or
  • are 60 to 64 years old, live on reserve, and receive financial assistance from your band office.

This route is only for seniors who do not receive disability assistance payments. If you have the PWD designation and receive disability assistance, use the disability route below, even if you are also a low-income senior.

One warning for 2027: changes to federal supplement sponsorship rules may affect 2027 BC Bus Pass eligibility. That includes low-income seniors who have fewer than 10 years of residency in Canada and seniors under sponsorship agreements. Check the program page before you apply for a 2027 pass if either of those applies to you.

People with the PWD designation who receive disability assistance

You can receive a monthly bus pass at no cost if you:

  • receive disability assistance or hardship assistance from the ministry (this does not include CPP disability benefits);
  • are 65 or older, meet all the eligibility requirements for GIS but have not lived in Canada for 10 years, and keep receiving disability assistance from the ministry; or
  • live on a First Nations reserve and receive disability assistance from the band office.

This bus pass is part of the Transportation Supplement. You must stay eligible for disability assistance each month to keep using the pass. There are specific cases where you may still qualify for the pass even if you leave disability assistance — the program calls that Transitional Transportation Support — so ask the ministry about your case rather than assuming the pass ends.

If you have the PWD designation, receive disability assistance, and start receiving Old Age Security (OAS) and GIS when you turn 65, you move to a program called Medical Services Only (MSO). In the year you switch to MSO, you can keep receiving a bus pass through the low-income seniors program and you do not have to pay the fee in that year.

Step 1: Apply

Low-income seniors

If you are a new applicant, apply by contacting the ministry in one of these ways:

  • Online (quickest option): fill out the online request for service through My Self Serve.
  • Telephone: toll-free at 1-866-866-0800. If you have a Person ID (PID) and PIN or a Social Insurance Number (SIN), press option 3 then option 1. If you do not have a PIN, press option 2 then option 1.
  • Fax: send your information to 1-855-771-8788.
  • Mail: BC Bus Pass Program, PO Box 9985, STN PROV GOVT, Victoria, BC V8W 9R6.

New applicants need to provide: SIN, last name, first name, date of birth, phone number, how you prefer to be contacted, and your address.

Two groups may need to send extra documents. Seniors who have lived in Canada for less than 10 years may need to submit additional documents; the ministry sends a letter after receiving the application with a document checklist, and married applicants must send the documents for both spouses. Seniors aged 60 or older living on a First Nations reserve apply through the local band office instead, if they live on reserve and receive assistance from the band office.

If your pass was lost or stolen, it can be replaced. Submit an online request for service or contact the program. You are billed $10 if it is your first replacement pass, $20 if it is your second replacement pass, and $50 for each additional replacement pass during your annual eligibility period. The replacement fee resets to the starting amount on January 1 each year. Your lost or stolen pass is cancelled before a replacement application is mailed to you, and a cancelled pass cannot be reactivated if you find it later.

People with the PWD designation

You can choose to get the Transportation Supplement as $52 monthly or as a bus pass. If you are receiving $52 monthly and want to switch to a bus pass, contact the ministry by the 5th of the month with your request. You will get your new BC Bus Pass the next month.

Ask for a bus pass online through the Service Request tab on My Self Serve, or by phone at 1-866-866-0800 (option 3 then option 1 with a PID and PIN or SIN; option 2 then option 1 without a PIN). If you change your mind later, follow the same route to cancel the bus pass and get the $52 monthly instead.

Step 2: Pay the yearly fee (low-income seniors only)

The pass for low-income seniors costs $45 a year. It is non-refundable, which means you cannot get your money back. There is no adjustment to the fee if the pass is only used for part of the year or bought partway through the year. Clients are responsible for paying the annual fee; the ministry does not pay it.

If you qualify, you get an invoice that explains how to pay the yearly fee. You can pay in one of these ways:

  1. Online or phone banking (fastest): choose the payee name your bank uses for the BC Bus Pass Program, enter your 9-digit Bus Pass Program Account Number (on your bus pass or payment form), and pay the full amount. You do not need to return the invoice if you pay this way.
  2. At the bank: bring your invoice and payment to your bank.
  3. By mail: mail your invoice with a cheque or money order made out to the Minister of Finance.

If you are found ineligible, you will not get a bus pass and your payment will be refunded.

Once your payment is processed, a new or replacement BC Bus Pass Compass Card is mailed to you, usually within four to six weeks. If you are renewing, keep your card — it is reusable and is automatically enabled for the next calendar year.

People with the PWD designation pay no annual fee.

Step 3: Wait for the pass, then use it

Your pass should arrive within 15 business days after the ministry processes your payment. Processing time depends on how you paid: 2 to 3 business days for online banking, 5 business days for in-person banking, and up to 2 weeks by mail. If you are a new applicant asking for a pass for the new year, you will receive your pass at the end of December.

When you apply near the end of the calendar year, say whether you are applying for the current or the coming year's pass. After the second week of November, the program only issues passes for the coming year.

The pass works on TransLink and BC Transit buses that have card readers. Tap your bus pass on the card reader to validate your fare, and tap only the card, not your wallet. For BC Transit buses, a yellow checkmark on the reader means the tap worked; if the first tap does not work, wait 90 seconds before trying again. For TransLink buses, tap your bus pass in and out when you exit.

On BC Transit buses in communities without card readers, you get a sticker to put on your Compass Card to show the driver. You can ask for a BC Transit sticker from the BC Bus Pass Program by email at BCBusPassProgram@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 1-866-866-0800, if you lost your sticker, moved to a BC Transit community without card readers, or are travelling to one.

Step 4: Renew each year

Low-income seniors: the system automatically checks whether you still qualify for next year. If you are still eligible, you get an invoice that explains how to pay the $45 yearly fee. If you are no longer eligible, you get a denial letter. Your pass is reloaded annually, so do not discard it. After you pay the annual fee, your BC Bus Pass is reloaded starting January 1. Pay early when you receive your invoice so it is active by January 1.

The invoice should arrive by the end of October. Contact the program if you changed your address, if you have not received your invoice by mid-November (allow up to 15 business days for a reprinted invoice to arrive), or if you have any other question, at BCBusPassProgram@gov.bc.ca or 1-866-866-0800.

If you no longer want a bus pass, you do not need to do anything. When the renewal invoice arrives, you may ignore it. The cost cannot be refunded, and there is no discount if you only use the pass for part of the year.

People with the PWD designation: there is no annual renewal. To cancel the bus pass and receive the $52 monthly instead, contact the ministry by the 5th of the month; you get the $52 with your assistance payment the next month.

A note on tax slips

The ministry must issue a T5007 tax slip to anyone receiving over $500 in provincial social assistance. That includes the low-income senior's bus pass. If a senior receives the bus pass for all 12 months, the T5007 shows $579. That total is $52 per month for 12 months, minus the $45 fee.

What the opened pages do not state

The pages opened for this guide do not state whether HandyDART or the West Coast Express accept the pass, so this guide claims neither way; the pages state only that the pass works on TransLink and BC Transit buses. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the ministry's decision when it assesses your application.

Related guides:

Applying for a BC Bus Pass, in five steps

  1. Work out which route fits youLow-income seniors pay 45 dollars a year. People with the Persons with Disabilities designation who receive disability assistance pay no fee and choose between the bus pass and a 52 dollar monthly transportation supplement.
  2. Apply online, by phone, by fax, or by mailOnline through My Self Serve is the quickest route. The phone line is 1-866-866-0800. Have your Social Insurance Number and your address ready.
  3. Pay the yearly fee if you are a low-income seniorYou get an invoice that explains how to pay. Pay by online or phone banking, at the bank, or by mail with a cheque or money order.
  4. Wait for the pass to arriveYour pass should arrive within 15 business days after your payment is processed. Passes for the new year arrive at the end of December.
  5. Renew each year and keep the cardYour pass is reloaded annually, so do not discard it. A renewal invoice arrives by the end of October, and paying it activates the pass for January 1.

Questions people ask

How much does a BC Bus Pass cost?

For low-income seniors, the pass costs 45 dollars a year. The fee is non-refundable, and there is no discount if you only use the pass for part of the year. For people with the Persons with Disabilities designation who receive disability assistance, there is no annual fee. If a senior holds the pass for all 12 months, the T5007 tax slip shows 579 dollars, which is 52 dollars a month for 12 months minus the 45 dollar fee.

Who can get a BC Bus Pass as a low-income senior?

You may be eligible if you receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the GIS Allowance for the Survivor, or the GIS Allowance, if you are 60 to 64 and receive income assistance from the Province of BC, if you are 60 or older and the spouse of someone with the Persons with Disabilities designation who receives disability assistance, if you are 65 or older and would qualify for the GIS but do not meet the 10-year Canadian residency requirement, or if you are 60 to 64, live on reserve, and receive financial assistance from your band office.

How do people receiving disability assistance get a bus pass?

If you have the Persons with Disabilities designation and receive disability assistance, you can choose to get the 52 dollar monthly Transportation Supplement as cash or as a bus pass. To switch from the monthly cash to a bus pass, contact the ministry by the 5th of the month and the pass starts the next month. There is no annual fee and no annual renewal for this route. You must stay eligible for disability assistance each month to keep using the pass.

How do I apply for a BC Bus Pass?

Apply online through My Self Serve, which is the quickest option, or call toll-free at 1-866-866-0800, or fax 1-855-771-8788, or mail your information to BC Bus Pass Program, PO Box 9985, STN PROV GOVT, Victoria, BC V8W 9R6. New applicants need to give their Social Insurance Number, last name, first name, date of birth, phone number, how they prefer to be contacted, and their address. On the phone line, if you have a Person ID and PIN or a Social Insurance Number, choose option 3 then option 1. If you do not have a PIN, choose option 2 then option 1.

Where can I use the BC Bus Pass?

The pass works on TransLink and BC Transit buses that have card readers. Tap the card on the reader to validate your fare, and on TransLink tap in and out when you exit. On BC Transit buses in communities without card readers, you get a sticker to put on your Compass Card to show the driver. You can ask for a BC Transit sticker from the program by email or phone if you lose one, move to a community without readers, or travel to one.

How do I renew my BC Bus Pass?

Low-income seniors get a renewal invoice by the end of October, or a denial letter if they are no longer eligible. Once you pay the invoice, your pass is reloaded and active from January 1. Do not discard your pass, because it is reused each year. If you have moved, update your address, and if you have not received your invoice by mid-November, contact the program. People with the Persons with Disabilities designation have no annual renewal.

Keep going

Sources

  • Government of British Columbia, BC Bus Pass for low-income seniors — the senior eligibility routes, the four application routes, the information new applicants must provide, the $45 yearly cost, the January 1 to December 31 validity, the processing times, the renewal invoice timing, and the 2027 sponsorship-rule warning.
  • Government of British Columbia, BC Bus Pass Program — the program overview, both eligibility routes in full, the PWD $52 monthly Transportation Supplement and the switch-by-the-5th rule, the fee and refund rules, the payment methods, the tap and sticker instructions, the renewal and cancellation rules, the replacement fee rule, the MSO transition year, and the $579 T5007 figure.
  • Government of British Columbia, My Self Serve — BC Bus Pass Program — the replacement pass fees ($10 first, $20 second, $50 each additional replacement in the annual eligibility period), the January 1 reset, and that a lost or stolen pass is cancelled and cannot be reactivated if found.

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