Kern Transit is pleased to offer a free reduced fare photo identification card for seniors and persons with disabilities. The card provides seniors and persons with disabilities convenient proof of eligibility for discounted bus fares.

To be eligible for the discounted bus fare, you must be 62 years of age or older and/or meet the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) definition of disability “with respect to an individual.” For details about what constitutes a disability, please scroll to the bottom third of the page.

In order to receive a reduced fare card, ALL of the following documents must be submitted to Kern Transit:

  1. A completed application.
  2. A copy of a valid government issued identification card containing a photograph.
  3. A color photo of the applicant (photos are non-returnable).
  4. IF YOU ARE YOUNGER THAN 62 AND WISH TO BE ELIGIBLE DUE TO DISABILITY: Proof of eligibility due to disability

Details for applicants:

  1. A valid government issued identification card is one such as a driver’s license, state issued identification card, student ID, or passport.
  2. The color photo must show head, shoulders and be front view facing camera. Photo should be taken against a plain white or light background. Do not wear hats, scarves, sunglasses, headbands that obscure features.*If the applicant wears a head covering for religious reasons, or shaded glasses due to a vision impairment, submit a note with your photo and it will be accepted.
  3. Proof of eligibility due to disability, Kern Transit will accept a Medicare card, a current disabled ID card from another transit or paratransit service, Department of Motor Vehicles disability placard ID or receipt, current SSI, SSD, or SSDI eligibility document.  *If none of the items above are available as proof of eligibility, the certification section of this form (Section B) must be completed by a doctor or a health care professional. All medical information will remain confidential.
  4. Upon receipt of this application, we will review all documents and take the photo provided for our records. Upon approval, a photo ID will be mailed to the applicant. Upon denial of eligibility, applicant will be notified by mail.
  5. The Kern Transit Reduced Fare Card MUST be shown to the Kern Transit bus operator as proof of eligibility for a reduced fare.
  6. The application process is free. However, there will be a $3.00 fee for replacement cards.

Submit the form below to apply for a reduced fare card.

The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) definition of Disabled

“Disability means, with respect to an individual, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.”

Section 99206.5
“Disabled person” means any individual who by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, including, but not limited to, any individual confined to a wheelchair, is unable, without special facilities or special planning or design, to utilize public transportation facilities and services as effectively as a person who is not so affected.
As used in this section, a temporary incapacity or disability is an incapacity or a disability which lasts more than 90 days.”

Section 295.5 of the Vehicle Code:

  1. Any person who has lost, or has lost the use of, one or more lower extremities or both hands, or who has significant limitation in the use of lower extremities, or who has diagnosed disease or disorder which substantially impairs or interferes with mobility, or who is so severely disabled as to be unable to move without the aid of an assistant device.
  2. Any person who is blind to the extent that the person’s central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye, with corrective lenses, as measured by the Snellen test, or visual acuity that is greater than 20/200, but with a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle not greater than 20 degrees.
  3. Any person who is impaired by cardiovascular disease to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV based upon standards accepted by the American Heart Association.
  4. Any person who suffers from lung disease to the extent of any of the following
    1. The person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second when measured by spirometry is less than one liter.
    2. The person’s arterial oxygen tension (pO2) is less than 60 mm/Hg on room air while the person is at rest.

    Determination of Rules

    Notice of decision
    Each applicant will be notified in writing of the decision on the request for a Reduced Fare ID Card within 21 days after such request is received by Kern Transit. If applicant is refused a Reduced Fare ID Card, the specific reasons for this decision will be included.

    Appeal Process
    Once an application for eligibility has been denied by Kern Transit, an appeal will be accepted for up to 60 days after notification of denial. After 60 days, a new application and documentation (if necessary) will be required.

    Policy for Visitors
    Visitors from outside Kern Transit area will be allowed use of the service at a reduced rate as long as they can produce documentation of eligibility or documentation of eligibility by another transit agency.

    Rules for Service Animals
    Under Department of Transportation (DOT) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations at 49 C.F.R. Section 37.3, “service animal” is defined as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.”

    1. Service animals are welcomed in the buses but must be kept under the control of the rider and not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
    2. A comfort animal is NOT considered a service animal. Although Kern Transit is not obligated to accommodate comfort animals, it reserves the right to do so at its own discretion.

    Personal Care Attendant
    A personal care attendant, which is required in order to travel, will not be charged a fare. A friend or relative who is not a personal care attendant will be required to pay the normal fare.