To begin NTD reporting, you will need to request an ID number for your agency. You may do so by completing the information required in the NTD ID Request Application.

Background on Reporting to the NTD

Who reports to the National Transit Database (NTD)?

Recipients and beneficiaries of FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula Program (§5307) and Rural Area Formula Program (§5311) must file regular reports to the NTD. Agencies that receive Chapter 53 funds and own, operate, or manage capital assets in public transportation are also required to file an annual report, even if they do not receive §5307 or §5311 funds. Agencies that do not receive or benefit from FTA funding may elect to submit their data to the NTD as Voluntary Reporters. 

FTA considers a beneficiary to be any transit agency that directly or indirectly benefits from Chapter 53 funds. This includes grant money and grant-funded assets that agencies receive and use from pass-through funding, contracts, or purchased transportation. Beneficiaries that only receive §5307 or §5311 funds for Job Access and Reverse Commute projects and do not provide any public transportation service are exempt from NTD reporting.

What should I report?

All reporters must file a complete report of all transit-related activities. This includes all transit service using funds from Section 5307, Section 5311, other Federal programs, state, local, or private funding. Additionally, the report must include both directly operated (DO) services and purchased transportation (PT) services contracted to a private provider.

Activities not related to public transportation, however, are generally excluded from NTD reporting. Applicants for an NTD ID that also provide intercity, charter, or sight-seeing operations must indicate how they will allocate shared costs (e.g. administrative overhead) between public and non-transit activities in their NTD report.

When is reporting required?

Recipients or beneficiaries must begin reporting to the NTD by the earlier of:
•    The year after they apply for a Section 5307 or 5311 Grant in TrAMS
•    The year in which they first draw down Section 5307 or 5311 funds
•    The year in which FTA funded assets (Ch. 53) enter revenue service. 

Prospective grantees must apply for an NTD ID sufficiently in advance to meet NTD reporting deadlines.

Once NTD reporting begins, reporting must continue through at least the FTA Minimum Useful Life for any capital assets purchased with FTA Funds. Consult FTA's most recent Grants Circulars for the latest information on FTA Minimum Useful Lives.

When is my report due to the National Transit Database?

FTA determines each agency’s NTD report due date based on the agency’s fiscal year end date. Reporters submit their Annual Report four months after the fiscal year expires. Agencies requesting a reporting ID must submit ID requests to NTD by the end of the first fiscal year in which they wish to report. Once your new ID is approved and created, your assigned NTD analyst will reach out to you to confirm your official due date.

For example, an agency whose fiscal year ends on June 30 must submit an ID request by June 30, 2024, to report to the NTD in 2024. In this example, the NTD Annual Report would be due October 31.

Which forms do I need to complete?

All agencies requesting an NTD ID must fill out the forms as prompted in the NTD ID Request Application, including:
1.    User Manager Designation
2.    Agency Information
3.    Vanpool Certification (if applicable)
4.    New ID Request Letter

NTD ID Request Application