VTA SmartPass

The SmartPass is available FREE to eligible university employees and postdoctoral scholars. It allows unlimited travel on VTA buses and VTA light rail. The SmartPass is valid seven days a week for the full calendar year. Stanford purchases these passes primarily for your commute to Stanford; however, their use is not restricted. You can use them to travel free to a Giants' game, to get to the airport, or to skip exorbitant parking rates while spending the day in the city.

Since Stanford pays for passes for all eligible postdoctoral scholars and employees, regardless of whether or not they use them, it does not save the university any money if you return or do not request your transit passes. So, go ahead and request them – and use them as little or as often as you like. Please note a SmartPass is only available pre-loaded on a Clipper card. Complete Option 1 on the request form to have it mailed to you.

Sign-up now to request your VTA SmartPass

VTA SmartPass Eligibility

For university employees and *postdocs residing off Stanford property and within typical commuting distances.

*Effective January 1, 2024, eligible postdocs can request VTA and AC Transit passes.

Eligible	Not eligible
University and SLAC employees who meet all of the following conditions: work 20 or more hours per week receive regular Stanford University benefits are at Stanford primarily for employment Postdoctoral scholars Residence address is not on Stanford property (outside of the 94304, 94305, and 94309 ZIP codes*) [Note: This ZIP code exclusion doesn’t apply to university employees whose primary worksite is Stanford Redwood City.] Residence address is within a typical commuting range of Stanford's main campus (i.e., Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo counties) Are not in a classification listed under "Not eligible"	Undergraduate students Graduate students Temporary and casual employees, contractors, and visiting scholars employees working less than 20 hours per week anyone whose residence address in the HR database has a 94304, 94305, 94309 ZIP code* [Note: This ZIP code exclusion doesn’t apply to university employees whose primary worksite is Stanford Redwood City.] anyone whose residence address in the HR database has a blank ZIP code* employees whose residence ZIP code and/or worksite is/are not within typical commuting range of Stanford's main campus (e.g., outside of California, Southern California, etc.)

Eligible

Not eligible

University and SLAC employees who meet all of the following conditions:
- work 20 or more hours per week
- receive regular Stanford University benefits
- are at Stanford primarily for employment
Postdoctoral scholars
Residence address is not on Stanford property (outside of the 94304, 94305, and 94309 ZIP codes*) [Note: This ZIP code exclusion doesn’t apply to university employees whose primary worksite is Stanford Redwood City.]
Residence address is within a typical commuting range of Stanford's main campus (i.e., Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo counties)
Are not in a classification listed under "Not eligible"

Undergraduate students
Graduate students
Temporary and casual employees, contractors, and visiting scholars
employees working less than 20 hours per week
anyone whose residence address in the HR database has a 94304, 94305, 94309 ZIP code* [Note: This ZIP code exclusion doesn’t apply to university employees whose primary worksite is Stanford Redwood City.]
anyone whose residence address in the HR database has a blank ZIP code*
employees whose residence ZIP code and/or worksite is/are not within typical commuting range of Stanford's main campus (e.g., outside of California, Southern California, etc.)

* Proof of residence off Stanford property will not be accepted for ineligible (94304, 94305, 94309) or blank ZIP codes in the Stanford Transportation database, and no exceptions can be made.

Please note: If your affiliation has changed or will change, the passes on your Clipper card may be deactivated. Please contact commuteclub@stanford.edu to check the status of the passes on your Clipper card and whether you need to take any additional action.

If You Need to Replace Your Go Pass, SmartPass, and/or EasyPass

If the Clipper card containing your VTA SmartPass, Caltrain Go Pass and/or AC Transit EasyPass is lost, stolen, or damaged, please notify our office immediately so we can deactivate your SmartPass, Go Pass, and/or EasyPass.

Request a replacement pass

University employees

In order to get a replacement Clipper Card pre-loaded with your Caltrain Go Pass and VTA SmartPass (and AC Transit EasyPass if eligible):

Request a replacement via our replacement form.
Your Clipper Card will be mailed to you within 3 to 5 business days

Replacement limits (per calendar year)

In cases of ‘lost’ or ‘stolen’ passes, you are eligible for two replacements of the Caltrain Go Pass and one replacement of the VTA SmartPass per calendar year.

Replacements for other reasons, such as a damaged Clipper card or switching a virtual pass to a new mobile device do not count against ‘lost’ or ‘stolen’ replacement limits.

Please be aware that it can take 3 to 5 business days to load or mail a replacement Go Pass, SmartPass, and/or EasyPass. While you are waiting for your replacement, Stanford Transportation will not provide reimbursements for Caltrain or VTA fare except in cases where the Go Pass, SmartPass, and/or EasyPass needs to be replaced because of a Stanford Transportation error.

Notify us when Clipper replaces your Go Pass

If you get a replacement Go Pass directly through Clipper, we strongly urge you to let us know your new Clipper card number so we can update our records. If we don’t have the new number, your Go Pass will not automatically renew the next time we load the Go Passes (which is done every four months: Jan. 1, May 1, and Sept. 1).

Register your Clipper card

You are encouraged to register your Clipper card in advance on the Clipper website. Although Stanford Transportation can deactivate your Go Pass, SmartPass, and/or EasyPass, we are not able to protect cash value or other passes that you may have loaded on the card. By registering your Clipper card in advance, you can contact Clipper to deactivate your card to protect other products or value you may have on your card if it is lost or stolen.

Report your lost Clipper card

Even if you don't plan to use your Go Pass, please report your Clipper card as lost or stolen to protect yourself in the event of fraudulent use of your pass. Otherwise, you may be held responsible for transferring your pass.

Caltrain Go Pass, VTA SmartPass, and AC Transit EasyPass Renew Automatically

As long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements of the Stanford transit pass programs, your pass(es) will remain active. The Caltrain Go Pass is reactivated every four months (April, August, December) to avoid Clipper’s 180-day deactivation policy. The VTA SmartPass and AC Transit EasyPass are renewed each calendar year.

You can confirm your eligibility and transit pass status at any time through the Transit Pass Eligibility and Status Checker.