Fines For Evading MBTA Fares Are Back At New Levels

BOSTON, MA — Fines for evading MBTA fares are back after a nearly two year absence.

The T's advisory board Thursday approved a new fare punishment policy, the first one to be put in place since state lawmakers changed the fare evasion law in 2020. Transit police have not been handing out fines for fare evasion since January 2021.

With the board's approval, transit police can begin issuing fines again, but at lower levels than before January 2021. State lawmakers eliminated the possibility of arrest for fare evasion in 2020.

Under the new policy, first-time offenders will get a written warning, following by $50 fines for each citation up to the third. A fourth offense will cost $100. Offenders would get a reset after three years.

Misusing reduced-fare tickets will follow similar guidelines, but the first, second and third citations will cost $75, and the fourth $150.

Under the previous policy, fare-evaders faced a $100 fine for the first offense, $200 for the second and $600 for every offense after. There were no first written warnings, and evaders could lose the ability to renew their driver's license.

The new policy has been in the works since early 2021. Before the board could approve, the MBTA had to file the regulation with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, hold two public meetings and get approval from the Executive Office of Administration and Finance.

The T has also been increasing its fare security beyond transit police and fines. The T installed new commuter rail fare gates at North Station in September, with plans to install them soon at South Station and Back Bay.