Ticket information

Walk-on or in-vehicle passengers

Tickets for walk-on or in-vehicle passengers are for roundtrip travel, except for our Port Townsend/Coupeville route and international sailings to and from Sidney, British Columbia. Drivers pay a separate fare for themselves and the vehicle (see next section). There is an additional fee for adult passengers coming aboard with a bicycle.

We offer reduced passenger fares for the following groups when purchasing tickets in person with proof of eligibility:

• Seniors age 65 and over
• People with disabilities

Children and youth under the age of 19 travel free. At terminals where a ticket is needed for walk-on travel, the youth must be present at the ticket booth to receive a free youth ticket, which is valid for two hours and needed to pass the turnstile. Teenagers behind the wheel of a motor vehicle must pay the adult vehicle and driver fare (see next section). 

Vehicles including driver

Most tickets for vehicles including the driver are one way, except for the following routes, which are roundtrip:

• Anacortes/San Juan Islands
• Fauntleroy/Vashon
• Southworth/Vashon
• Point Defiance/Tahlequah

Vehicle fares vary based on a vehicle’s length, height and width, and are separated into these categories:

• Motorcycles: Includes vehicles under 8 feet long.
• Small vehicles: Under 14 feet long, including three-wheeled vehicles more than 8 feet long and motorcycles towing a trailer. View list of common vehicles under 14 feet (PDF 642KB).
• Standard vehicle: Under 22 feet long, includes most non-commercial vehicles including many trucks.
• Vehicle length-based fare: 22 feet and longer, increasing with vehicle length and height, including anything being towed (tickets not available online).

Check your owner's manual for your vehicle length. You cannot redeem your ticket if it is for the wrong length vehicle. Vehicles over 7 feet 6 inches in height are considered over height. Vehicles more than 8 feet 6 inches wide are considered too wide to travel without special arrangements.

Commercial and oversized vehicles

You cannot buy your tickets online. You will pay your fare at the tollbooth or with an attendant when you arrive at the terminal. Visit our commercial and oversized vehicles page for information on how to arrange travel for these vehicles.

International sailings

You cannot buy your tickets online. Vehicle and walk-on fares are paid when you arrive for your sailing.

Ticket lookup

If you need to look up usage history on a purchased single or multi-use ticket, go to Wave2Go.

Peak season surcharge

During our busiest months, a peak season surcharge is added for vehicles and drivers paying full fare (excludes multi-ride cards and monthly passenger passes) from May 1 through Sept. 30.

Frequent commuters

Visit our passes page to review a variety of passes we offer.

Payment

We accept the following forms of payment at the terminal:

• VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards
• Cash (excludes self-serve kiosks)
• ORCA card
• Digital ORCA card on Google Wallet  (Tap to Pay; excludes handhelds and bicycle lane)
• Traveler’s checks (excludes self-serve kiosks)
• Business account invoicing

We accept the following forms of payment online:

• VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards
• Business account invoicing

3% card payment recovery fee 

Starting Sunday, March 1, 2026, a 3% cost recovery surcharge will be added to all tickets purchased with a credit or debit card. This fee was directed by the Washington State Legislature (RCW 47.60.860) so the state can recover the cost of processing these payments. 

More information on 3% card payment recovery fee

What purchases are subject to this fee?

The 3% surcharge applies to:

• Fares bought in-person, at a kiosk or online (single-ride, multi-ride and ReValue tickets).
• No-show fees for vehicle reservations on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes.
• Carpool and vanpool permits.

What is not subject to this fee?

The 3% surcharge does not apply to fees for:

• Memorial services.
• Annual business accounts.
• Promotional activities like tabletops and film or photo shoots.

Can I avoid this fee?

Yes. You can avoid the 3% surcharge by:

• Paying with cash.
• Using a preloaded ORCA card that was not loaded at one of our facilities.

Are debit card transactions charged the fee? 

Yes. We do not have the technology to process debit cards with a PIN, so all debit card transactions are processed as credit cards.

If I receive a refund, will the fee be refunded as well? 

Yes. If a transaction is refunded, the 3% cost recovery surcharge will also be refunded.