Clipper Card

Clipper CardClipper is the Bay Area's Reloadable All-in-One Transit Card

Clipper is the all-in-one transit card accepted by 24 transit agencies throughout the greater Bay Area.  In addition to paying cash fares, Clipper Cards are also programmed to hold transit bus passes.   And, any applicable fare discounts when transferring between regional agencies are recognized by Clipper when calculating your fare.

When using a Clipper Card to ride CityBus, you will be charged the regular cash fare amount and any discounts for youth, seniors and people with disabilities will be included.  A new adult Clipper Card costs $3 and the activation fee is waived if you order your card online* and sign up for Autoload.  (*Clipper Cards for youth, seniors and persons living with a disability are only sold in-person with an applicable ID.)

Your Clipper card can hold transit passes, cash value or any combination.  You can purchase a Clipper Card at the Customer Service Kiosk in the Transit Mall Downtown, and at the Walgreens stores, Whole Foods stores, and SMART train platforms in Santa Rosa.  Add value to your Clipper Card as you go, or for added convenience, set up Autoload, which automatically reloads your card whenever your pass expires or your cash value balance falls below $10.

Clipper Cards are accepted by an extensive list of Bay Area transit operators including Santa Rosa CityBus, Sonoma County Transit, Petaluma Transit, SMART, Golden Gate Transit, Napa VINE, Marin Transit, BART, and the San Francisco Bay Ferry.  See a full list of operators accepting Clipper.   Learn more about the Clipper Card.

View a map of retail locations where you can add value to your Clipper Card.

Visit Clipper START pilot reduced fare program

Clipper START
Clipper Mobile

CityBus Joins Bay Area Transit Agencies Clipper START Program!

The new Clipper START program allows lower-income adults age 19-64 to receive 20% - 50% fare discounts on several public transit systems in the region including CityBus, SMART, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, Sonoma County Transit, and Petaluma Transit. Riders can apply for the program today at clipperstartcard.com.

Clipper Mobile App for Use with Smartphones!

Paying fares with a smartphone or other mobile device is easy with Clipper Mobile. By linking a Clipper Mobile account to a Google Pay or Apple Pay account, smartphone users who ride any of the 24 participating Bay Area transit systems can pay fares with a swipe of their smartphone on buses, trains, and ferries.
Download the Clipper Mobile App to your smartphone today! 

Unlimited Rides UR Free

Youth Ride Free - Let's Go

  • For Youth grades TK-12
  • Ride CityBus, Sonoma County Transit, and Petaluma Transit Free anywhere/anytime.
  • Youth grades 9-12 show student ID when boarding the bus, student ID from the Spring 2023 school year are accepted through the end of September.
  • Youth grades 8 and under shall identify their grade level or the school they attend to the driver.  If the school provides a student ID then the student should show the ID to the driver upon boarding.
  • Youth grades 9-12 without a student ID may acquire a special pass from their school with valid proof of age documents such as:
    • Birth Certificate
    • Passport
    • State issued ID or driver's license
    • Permanent resident card
    • Matricula consular/consular ID card
    • Military dependent card
    • Medical benefit card (if it has a date of birth)

Youth Ride Free on CityBus, Sonoma County Transit, and Petaluma Transit through June June 1, 2023. 

Youth Ride Free with Water Quality logo

Benefits of taking public transportation

Beyond the benefit of getting to experience world-class educational and entertainment opportunities, taking public transportation is in itself a learning experience and good for the environment. Teaching teenagers how to ride public transit fosters a greater sense of independence at this critical stage of their development. Children riding with parents and older siblings learn social and navigational skills that will help them in many other situations. Navigating our community on the train and bus builds a sense of confidence that young people can use for the rest of their lives.

UR Free - Employers

  • Employers may purchase deeply discounted passes for their employees
  • Employers interested in providing unlimited access to their employees through this program should reach out to:     
  • This program is also available to residential development groups, and other community organizations.
  • This program is funded for three years

Unlimited Rides UR Free Funding

The Unlimited Rides UR Free programs are subsidized by funds from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) grant program, which is managed locally by the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA). Funding for the UR Free - Youth program will fully cover an 18-month pilot program. The other program will offer employers, residential groups and other community organizations, deeply discounted fare rates for the next three years so that they may in turn provide free rides to their employees, residents, and/or members. This initial subsidy will provide the opportunity for CityBus ridership to grow and the benefits of the program to be demonstrated.
For additional information on the Unlimited Rides UR Free Program call CityBus at 707-543-3333.

CityBus Fares

 Cash Fare 24-hour Day Pass 31-day Month Pass
Adult $1.50 $4.00 $50.00
Senior (Half Price)
 $0.75 $2.00 $25.00
Disabled Person (Half Price)
 $0.75 $2.00 $25.00
Child 4 years & under
free
free
free
Youth free free free
SRJC Student free
free
free
U.S. Veteran free
free
free
 Transfer Between CityBus and SMART, Sonoma County Transit or Golden Gate Transit

When transferring from CityBus

  • issued when a fare is paid (cash or ticket)
  • valid on any CityBus for 2 hours
  • valid for a discount on Golden Gate Transit
  • valid on Sonoma County Transit for a discount or one zone ride
  • valid on SMART for a discount equal to the amount of your CityBus fare, the discount issued on your on Clipper Card
  • non-transerable


When transferring on to CityBus

  • transfers issued by Golden Gate Transit and Sonoma County Transit are valid for one CityBus trip
  • transfers issued by SMART are issued on your Clipper Card and are valid for a fare discount on CityBus equal to one bus trip
  • non-transerable
Fare Categories

Adult:  Ages 19 - 64

Youth:  Ages 5 - 18. Unlimited Rides UR Free Pilot program is effective July 1, 2021 - December 31, 2022 

Senior:  Ages 65 and over.  Anyone with a valid Medicare Card or with valid proof of age.

Disabled Person:  With a qualifying Disabled identification such as a: Regional Transit Connection Discount ID Card, or a Department of Motor Vehicles Placard ID.   The RTC Discount ID Card is a photo ID that identifies people as being eligible for discounted fares on all Bay Area Transit Systems including Santa Rosa CityBus. The RTC Discount ID Card must have value on it at time of boarding.  Paratransit eligible riders ride free and must show ID to the bus operator at the time you board the bus.

Child:  Ages 4 years and under ride free.

SRJC Student:  SRJC students ride free on “Any line, Any time” on Santa Rosa CityBus, Petaluma Transit, and Sonoma County Transit. SRJC students show the bus driver their valid CubCard when boarding for travel anywhere in Sonoma County, not just for trips to and from campus. SRJC students recognized the importance of transit services and in 2017 elected to use revenue generated from the Student Transportation Fee (STF) to pay for all student transit trips in Sonoma County.

U.S. Veteran:  U.S. Veterans ride free by showing a Veterans Administration identification card or a Sonoma County Veterans identification card. The Sonoma County Veterans Services Center at 707-565-5960 can assist eligible Veterans in obtaining an identification card.

Types of Passes Available

24-Hour Day Pass: 24-Hour Day Pass: This pass is handy for days when you need to make multiple trips within a 24-hour period. The day pass may be purchased from the bus driver when boarding a CityBus and is valid for unlimited rides for 24 hours once issued. Day passes are non-transferable.

31-Day Month Pass: This convenient 31-Day Pass eliminates the need to carry exact change for bus fare and can save money. The pass is activated by the fare box on the first use and remains valid for unlimited rides for 31 consecutive days. This pass is non-transferable and may be purchased at the Customer Service Window in the Downtown Transit Mall, online, at some schools, at the Oliver’s Market on Stony Point Road and at all Safeway stores in Santa Rosa.

Tickets Books
A ticket book eliminates the need to carry exact change for bus fare, they never expire, and are great for occasional CityBus riders. Ticket Books are available in packets of 10 and 40 tickets. Ticket Books may be purchased at the Customer Service Window in the Downtown Transit Mall or online.


 10 tickets 40 tickets
Adult $14.50 $58.00
Senior (Half Price)
 $7.00 $28.00
Disabled Person (Half Price)
 $7.00 $28.00