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United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo requirements

The 1.5 × 2 in photo rules set by Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo?

If you apply by mail for the MTA Reduced-Fare program for people 65 and older, attach a recent photo 1 1/2 inches wide and at least 2 inches high (38 x 51 mm), with a solid background and a full front view of your face, and write your name on the back. In person, the MTA takes your photo for free. New members get a Reduced-Fare OMNY Card, which has no photo on it, or link the benefit to their own contactless card or phone.

The MTA Reduced-Fare program, managed by MTA New York City Transit, gives riders 65 or older half fares on subways, local, limited and Select Bus Service buses and the Staten Island Railway. Express buses charge the reduced fare outside weekday peak periods, and the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North give up to 50% off the full one-way peak fare. People with qualifying disabilities use a separate application.

New members no longer get a Reduced-Fare MetroCard. The MTA has stopped issuing them, and since January 1, 2026 no MetroCard can be bought or refilled. You choose instead between a Reduced-Fare OMNY Card and linking the benefit to your own contactless credit or debit card or phone. The photo still matters: MTA webinar slides on Reduced-Fare OMNY say the card has no photo, but one is required with the application and kept for verification.

You can apply in person or by mail; the MTA says its online application is not currently available. The photo rules below are for mailed applications, because staff take your picture when you apply in person.

United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Metropolitan Transportation Authority:[1]

Print size1.5 x 2 inches (38 x 51 mm), width x height; at least 2 inches high
Digital sizeNo digital file: mail a printed photo with the paper form, or be photographed free when you apply in person
BackgroundSolid background (no color specified)
Photo ageRecent (no time limit given)
Print qualityMust fit the photo box on page 1 of the application; your name written on the back
Pixels when printed450 × 600 px at 300 dpi · 900 × 1200 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
1.5 in2 in
1.5 × 2 in photo drawn to scale.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

NY MTA Reduced-Fare (Seniors)

Reduced-Fare OMNY webinar slides (English)[4]

Key requirements

  • Portrait, 1.5 x 2 inches

    The photo box on the senior application is 1 1/2 inches wide and 2 inches high. The form says the photograph must be at least two inches high and one-and-a-half inches wide and must fit in the space provided. The MTA web page gives the size as 2 inches by 1.5 inches.

  • Solid background, full face

    The photo needs a solid background and a full front view of your face. The MTA does not name a background color.

  • Name on the back

    Write your name on the back of the photograph before you put it with the application.

  • Only for mail applications

    The form asks for a photo from applicants who mail it. At Customer Service Centers and Mobile Sales vehicles the MTA offers free photography, and the form tells walk-in applicants that a photo will be taken.

  • Proof of age with photo ID

    Include a photocopy of one proof-of-age document: a birth certificate or Medicare card together with a photo ID, a driver's license from any state, a passport from any country, a state photo ID, or an IDNYC card. Applications without it are returned.

  • No photo on the OMNY card

    The Reduced-Fare OMNY Card looks much like a full-fare card, with an RF icon on the back. The MTA keeps your application photo for verification instead of printing it on the card.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Measure the print: 1.5 inches wide and at least 2 inches high.
  • Use a recent photo against a solid background.
  • Face the camera for a full front view.
  • Write your name on the back of the photo.
  • Enclose a photocopy of your proof-of-age document.
  • Sign the affirmation on page 2 of the application.

Don't

  • Do not send a photo that is wider than it is tall.
  • Do not use a print too large for the box on the form.
  • Do not use a busy or patterned background.
  • Do not send a profile or angled shot.
  • Do not use the senior form if you get Medicare because of a disability.
  • Do not fill in the form in a language other than English.

Sample photos

How a United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 1.5 × 2 in and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

The MTA publishes no rule on glasses, hats or head coverings for the Reduced-Fare photo. The composition rules on the senior application are a solid background and a full front view of your face, on a recent photo that fits the box.

Nothing in those rules addresses eyewear either way; the requirement that applies is that your whole face is shown from the front. If you apply in person, you do not supply a photo at all, because the MTA takes it.

There is no digital option for the photo at the moment. With the online application unavailable, a mail application needs a physical print that fits the box on page 1 of the form. A digital photo can be printed at 1.5 x 2 inches on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter; trim it so it fits inside the box.

In person, you do not need to bring a photo. The MTA offers free photography to people who apply at its Customer Service Centers and Mobile Sales vehicles, and the application tells walk-in applicants that a photo will be taken.

Where to submit the photo

By mail, send the completed and signed application, the photo and a photocopy of your proof of age to MTA New York City Transit, Attn: Reduced Fare Program, 130 Livingston St, Brooklyn, NY 11201-9625. While it moves customers from MetroCard to OMNY, the MTA warns that new customers who apply by mail may wait up to three months for their Reduced-Fare OMNY Card.

In person, go to a Customer Service Center in select subway stations, open 24/7, the Customer Service Center at 3 Stone St in Lower Manhattan on weekdays, or a Mobile Sales vehicle when it visits your neighborhood. Bring a valid photo ID that shows your date of birth. If you are 65 or older you can sign up and receive the Reduced-Fare OMNY card the same day, although some applications need further review.

How to get your United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors: 1.5 × 2 in print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: portrait, 1.5 x 2 inches; solid background, full face; name on the back; only for mail applications.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. There is no digital option for the photo at the moment. With the online application unavailable, a mail application needs a physical print that fits the box on page 1 of the form.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. By mail, send the completed and signed application, the photo and a photocopy of your proof of age to MTA New York City Transit, Attn: Reduced Fare Program, 130 Livingston St, Brooklyn, NY 11201-9625.

Make this photo online

United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo FAQ

A portrait photo 1 1/2 inches wide and at least 2 inches high (about 38 x 51 mm) that fits the box on page 1 of the form. The MTA web page gives the same size as 2 inches by 1.5 inches. The background must be solid and the photo must show a full front view of your face.

No. When you apply in person at a Customer Service Center or Mobile Sales vehicle, the MTA takes your photo, and it offers this photography for free. Bring a valid photo ID that shows you are 65 or older.

No. MTA webinar slides on Reduced-Fare OMNY say the card has no photo, but a photo is still required with the application and kept for verification purposes. The card is similar to a full-fare OMNY card and carries an RF icon on the back.

Not as a new customer. The MTA says it is no longer issuing Reduced-Fare MetroCards and that new Reduced-Fare enrollments are issued on OMNY. Since January 1, 2026, MetroCards cannot be bought or refilled. An existing Reduced-Fare MetroCard can be used until its expiration date, or its balance moved to a Reduced-Fare OMNY Card at a Customer Service Center or Mobile Sales vehicle.

The application says only that the background must be solid; it does not name a color. A plain wall in a single color fits that description, as long as the photo also shows a full front view of your face.

Not at the moment. The MTA says the online application is not currently available, so you apply in person or by mail. Existing members who already linked the benefit to their own credit or debit card or phone keep using it and are not mailed a card.

A photocopy of one of these: a birth certificate with a photo ID, a Medicare card with a photo ID, a valid driver's license (or legal equivalent) from any state, a valid passport from any country, a valid state photo ID, or an IDNYC card. Applications sent without proof of age are returned.

Related photo specifications

Other United States documents

Also 1.5 × 2 in

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Official sources

  1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare program mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Application for MTA Reduced-Fare Program for Senior Citizens (65 years or older) mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare OMNY mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare OMNY webinar slides (English) mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. MetroCard mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare program terms and conditions of use mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare program mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Application for Reduced-Fare Program for People with Disabilities (134_20 PD, rev. February 2025) mta.info. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Metropolitan Transportation Authority before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

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"United States NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-states/ny-mta-metrocard-for-seniors-photo

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