YOzone

If you are 18 or under, bus tickets and passes within the York area can cost less than standard versions - see fares and passes. But you need to bring a YOzone card with you, so the bus driver giving or checking the ticket/pass knows that you are the right age. Apply for either the 11-16 or 16-18 YOzone card below.

When your card arrives, simply show it to the bus driver each time you buy or use a child or young person's ticket.

YOzone 11-16

The YOzone 11-16 card is available free to any young person aged 11 to 16 who lives or studies in the City of York Council area. Cards are valid until 31 August after your 16th birthday.

YOzone 16-18

The YOzone 16-18 card is available free to any young person aged 16 to 18 who lives or studies in the City of York Council area.

When you turn 16, keep using your YOzone 11-16 card until you finish Year 11 in order to get the lowest possible bus fares available.

During August, when you've completed Year 11, you can apply for your YOzone 16-18 card as soon as you know which school or college you'll be attending in Year 12. If you live outside York you'll still need to be enrolled at a York school or college.

Apply for a card online

If you don't already have a YOzone card, you can apply online.

Apply online

Before starting your application, you will need:

• A valid email address
• A good quality digital photo of yourself - clearly showing your whole face in front of a plain background with no one else visible in the picture. Photos should ideally be in JPG format, and must be no more than 5MB in size
• Proof of your age - such as a birth certificate or passport. This should be scanned or photographed in JPG or PDF format, clearly showing your date of birth.

By completing an application you authorise City of York Council to verify your details against the current student roll.

To update an expired 11-16 card to a 16-18 card, enter your details then select "YOzone 16-18 card - to replace my expired YOzone 11-16 card". There is no charge for this service.

By Post

Download the YOzone application form, fill it in and post it back to us.

YOzone application form

You will need to send your completed form with a passport-sized photograph and proof of your age to:

We'll normally process your application within 10 working days.

Lost and stolen cards

If you've lost your YOzone card, you can order a replacement for a fee of £12.50 by calling us on telephone: 01904 551670.

Stolen cards can be replaced free of charge on production of a valid police reference number.

Reduced fares for YOzone cardholders

A YOzone card is needed for getting or using any young person’s pass or ticket available within the City of York boundary. Some of those are below. See fares and passes for a full list of passes (for a day’s travel or longer) and search ‘Student or Young Person’.

• £1.00 single fare
• £2.50 All York Young Person's Day ticket
• £12 All York Young Person's Week ticket

These fares are available until 30 March 2025, with financial support from central government through BSIP.