Once you reach eligible age, you can apply for an older person’s bus pass for free local travel throughout England, subject to peak-hour time restrictions.
Check your age eligibility for travel concessions on GOV.UK to see if you're able to apply for an older person's bus pass, before completing the application. Eligibility is based on State Pension age.
Apply online for an older person's bus pass
You will receive your pass by post within 5 working days.
We cannot accept applications any earlier than 2 weeks before you become eligible for an older person's bus pass.
Renewing your older person’s bus pass
If your pass is due to expire and your address has not changed, we'll renew your pass automatically and send it in the post at least a week before your old pass expires. If you've changed your address, please let us know as soon as possible so that your new pass goes to the correct address.
Contact the Concessionary Bus Passes Team if you've not received your new pass one week before your old one expires.
If your pass has expired, you won't be entitled to concessionary travel. To help prevent fraud, bus drivers will confiscate any passes which are more than 1 month past their expiry date.
Lost and stolen bus passes
If you've lost your pass, you don't need to complete another application form or provide further supporting documents in order for us to issue a replacement.
Contact the Concessionary Bus Passes Team to request your replacement.
The charge to replace a lost bus pass is £12.50. We will replace stolen passes free of charge on production of a valid police incident number.
Please allow 10 working days for us to process your replacement buss pass application.
If you find your old pass after ordering a replacement, please destroy the old one to prevent it being used fraudulently.
Other ways to apply for an older person's bus pass
Apply in person
You'll need to contact the Concessionary Bus Passes Team to make an appointment if you'd like help with your bus pass application in person at our Customer Centre.
When you attend your appointment, you'll need to bring:
- proof of your address
- proof of your age
We'll check your documents and take your photograph.
If you're applying on behalf of someone else, please bring their documents and a passport-sized photograph of them.
You should allow up to 5 working days for us to process your application.
Apply by post
Complete the bus pass postal application form to apply for (or renew) a bus pass by post. Forms are also available from our Customer Centre.
When you return your form by post, you must include:
- a passport sized photograph (please write your name on the back)
- proof of your address (for example, photocopies of a current utility bill dated within the last 3 months)
- proof of your age (for example, photocopies of passport, birth certificate, driving licence, medical card or letter/statement from the DWP)
You should allow up to 10 working days for us to process postal applications.
Also see
Concessionary bus passes
Free post: RTEG-TYYU-KLTZ
Concessionary bus pass appointments
To get bus pass advice in person at West Offices, you need to make an appointment.