Seattle Public Preschools Partnership

The Seattle Department of Transportation has partnered with Seattle Public Schools to provide income eligible families of preschool students attending the Seattle Preschool Program at Seattle Public School sites a transit benefit to help them get to and from preschool.  

Eligible families will be mailed ORCA card to be used on all regional public transit. This ORCA card is loaded with $35 and will automatically reload when your card balance reaches $10. This means cardholders can continue to use their ORCA card no matter what balance is displayed through the end of the school year. The ORCA card will stop auto-reloading on June 21, 2024.  

How to Get Your ORCA Card

Income eligibile families attending Seattle Public Preschool at a Seattle Public School site will automatically be mailed an ORCA card after they enroll in preschool.

How to Use Your ORCA Card

Your ORCA card can be used on all transit services provided by King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, and Washington State Ferries, as well as on Monorail and Seattle Streetcar.

Bus: Tap the ORCA card against the reader after getting on the bus. Pull the yellow cord before your stop to indicate to the driver you would like to exit.  

Light Rail & Streetcar: Tap the ORCA card on the platform before getting on the train and a second time after you leave the train. 

ORCA cards cannot be tapped multiple times on a single journey and each rider must tap their own ORCA card. Children under 6 can ride transit for free without tapping an ORCA card.

How Can I Replace a Lost Card?

We're happy to mail you a replacement card for free to your home address! Just email us at DOT_TAP@seattle.gov with your name and mailing address so that we can verify your participation.

Contact Us

Email: DOT_TAP@seattle.gov 
Text/Call: 206-256-ORCA (6722)