Lummi Island Ferry riders have one more chance to buy or exchange multi-ride punch cards for the third quarter of 2026. The Whatcom County Ferry Division will hold its scheduled punch card sale and exchange event on Wednesday, September 9, from 5:40 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. at the Lummi Island Ferry Office on the island-side terminal.
This is the last punch card sale and exchange opportunity for Q3. Fourth-quarter dates have not yet been announced but are expected to be posted soon on the county's ferry information page. Riders who want to lock in punch cards at current prices or swap out partially used cards from previous periods will want to make it to the island-side terminal during Wednesday's window.
The Schedule Is Changing as Summer Ends
The timing of this sale also marks a shift in how the ferry program handles punch card opportunities. Throughout the summer months, the Whatcom County Ferry Division offered supplemental Saturday punch card sales and exchanges in addition to the regular once-a-month schedule. Those weekend supplemental events have now ended for the season.
Beginning in September, punch card sales and exchanges return to the standard monthly cadence. That means fewer opportunities to buy or exchange cards compared to what riders had available over the summer, making it more important to track the scheduled monthly dates going forward. The county typically announces the next quarter's dates well in advance, so riders should watch for the Q4 schedule announcement in the coming weeks. Missing a sale date means waiting until the following month's event, which can create complications for frequent commuters who rely on punch cards to manage their ferry costs.
The Lummi Island Ferry is the only car ferry serving Lummi Island, connecting the island-side terminal at Gooseberry Point to the mainland terminal near Ferndale. The crossing takes approximately five minutes, and the ferry operates on a regular schedule throughout the day. For the roughly 900 or so residents who live on Lummi Island year-round, the ferry is the primary link to the mainland for work, school, medical appointments, and grocery shopping. There is no bridge to the island and no other public transit option, which means reliable ferry access is not a convenience but a necessity for daily life.
Punch cards offer a discounted multi-ride option for frequent users compared to paying individual fares each crossing. For residents who commute to mainland jobs five days a week, the difference in cost between single fares and punch card rates adds up significantly over the course of a quarter. That financial calculus makes staying current on sale dates a practical priority for island households.
How Punch Card Exchanges Work
Multi-ride punch card exchanges must be completed in person at a scheduled exchange event. This policy means riders cannot mail in old cards or swap them at the mainland terminal outside of designated sale windows. The in-person requirement is firm, so riders who have unused punches remaining on cards from previous quarters should plan to attend Wednesday's session if they want to complete an exchange before Q3 closes out.
Payment for new punch cards may be made by check, valid U.S. money order, or credit card. Cash is not accepted at punch card sale events. Riders who arrive expecting to pay with cash will be turned away without completing their purchase, so double-checking payment method before making the trip to the island-side terminal is worthwhile. The no-cash policy has been in place for some time and reflects the county's preference for traceable payment methods when managing pre-paid ferry passes.
The ferry office on the island side is the only location where these transactions take place. The event runs from 5:40 a.m. through 2:40 p.m., which aligns roughly with the ferry's operating hours and allows commuters heading to the mainland in the early morning to stop by the office before boarding their crossing. The early start time is intentional and accommodates island residents who need to catch ferry sailings for morning work shifts on the mainland. Riders who cannot make it during the Wednesday window will need to wait for the first Q4 sale date, which has yet to be announced.
What Else Is Happening With the Ferry This Fall
The punch card sale comes just days before a significant disruption to ferry service. The Whatcom Chief, the primary vessel on the Lummi Island run, is scheduled to enter dry dock for maintenance beginning September 12 and running through October 4. During that roughly three-week outage, the ferry service will operate using a smaller relief vessel on a modified schedule. The reduced capacity of the relief vessel means that peak-hour crossings may fill more quickly than usual, and riders should plan accordingly by checking the modified sailing schedule before heading to the terminal.
Additionally, two ferry parking lots were temporarily closed from September 8 through 11 in connection with preparation activities for the dry dock period. Those closures affected access to terminal parking, adding another layer of logistical complexity for regular riders during the same week as the final Q3 punch card sale. Riders with vehicles who planned to use the lots during that window needed to identify alternative parking options near the terminal.
The combination of parking lot closures, the final Q3 punch card sale, and the approaching dry dock period makes the week of September 8 one of the more logistically demanding stretches for Lummi Island residents in recent months. Keeping track of multiple overlapping changes to ferry operations requires consistent attention to county communications.
The Whatcom County Public Works Ferry Division posts schedule updates, punch card dates, and service alerts on its website. Riders can also contact the Ferry Division directly at the email address listed on the county's ferry information page for questions about card balances, exchange eligibility, or schedule details during the dry dock period.
With the supplemental summer Saturday sales now ended and the dry dock period approaching, September is a particularly important month for frequent ferry riders to stay current on ferry service changes affecting Lummi Island access. Riders who let their punch card supply run low during the dry dock period may find themselves paying single fares during an already disrupted stretch of service, making Wednesday's sale an opportunity worth prioritizing.
