Montgomery County residents under 18 won’t be able to use their student IDs next year to travel for free on Ride On buses.

The Department of Transportation is phasing out the use of students IDs for their Kids Ride Free program. Student IDs will no longer be accepted starting January 1, 2015.

Students will now be required to register at an in-store location for a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card. Students can then use the card to ride free on weekdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m by tapping their card against the fare box upon boarding.

Montgomery County created this policy to simplify the boarding process, Ride On spokesperson Will Kenlaw said.

Each Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card costs a flat rate of $2. Customers can purchase cards at the TRiPS Commuter Store in either Silver Spring or Friendship Heights, or the Montgomery County Treasury in Rockville. In order to purchase a card, minors must provide proof of age and county residence.

“I’m fine paying the two dollars,” said sophomore Theresa Colston, who uses Ride On regularly. “But that fact that I have to go somewhere that’s not just my school, and go all the way to Friendship Heights or Rockville and I have to prove my residence is a little ridiculous.”

Ride On is also looking to provide registration services in county schools to encourage and ease enrollment, Kenlaw said.

Whitman has not signed up to offer registration services yet, but the administration has intentions of signing up soon, principal Alan Goodwin said.

Users are also able to load the Youth Monthly Pass, $11, or Youth Summer Pass, $18, onto their SmarTrip cards to ride outside of Kids Ride Free hours, or use the card to ride free during specified hours. Customers can store value on the card to ride Metrobus or Metrorail services, in addition to Ride On.