Commuter benefits compliance in Richmond, CA

Meta description: Richmond, CA employers with 10+ employees must offer commuter benefits under Chapter 9.62. Here's what qualifies and how Alice runs the pretax option.

Target keywords: Richmond CA commuter benefits ordinance, Richmond California pretax commuter, Richmond 9.62 commuter, Richmond employer commuter law

Footnote stack: Eligibility, IRS limits, Trademarks, Tax & legal advice

Body

Richmond, CA Municipal Code Chapter 9.62 requires every registered Richmond business with 10 or more employees averaging at least 10 hours per week to offer one of four commuter benefit options. The ordinance closely tracks IRC §132(f) and the Bay Area regional program.

The four options

(1) A pretax payroll election allowing employees to exclude transit passes, vanpool, or bicycle commuting costs up to the federal monthly cap ($340/month transit and $340/month parking in 2026). (2) An employer-paid transit pass or vanpool reimbursement at least equal to the local adult monthly transit pass. (3) Employer-provided transportation in a vanpool, bus, or similar multi-passenger vehicle. (4) A pre-approved alternative benefit signed off by the City of Richmond.

Bay Area regional registration

Richmond businesses with 50+ employees in Richmond or across the entire Bay Area region must also register with the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program run by BAAQMD and MTC. The federal pretax option (#1) is the most common and is what Alice administers.

How Alice satisfies option 1

Alice handles the §132(f) election with payroll-deducted contributions and Alice Card spending at eligible transit and parking merchants. No up-front employer cost. No manual open enrollment to manage. No employee pre-funding required and only a small reserve deposit from the employer. We'll get you onboarded in one call. Alice connects with 30+ payroll providers, including connections to ADP, UKG, Paylocity, Paycom, Paychex, Toast, and others.

Who's affected in Richmond

Richmond's covered employers include the refinery, port, healthcare, and warehouse/logistics operators who employ shift and hourly workers. Many of these workers commute by AC Transit, BART (Richmond station), Capitol Corridor, or carpool/vanpool. Alice covers the transit side and qualified parking near worksites.

Richmond employers: sales@thisisalice.com or (929) 552-4625. Employees: support@thisisalice.com or (888) 431-4355.

For the full list of eligible commuter expenses, see "What parking and transit expenses are eligible?" at help.thisisalice.com/article/52. Eligibility is set by IRC §132(f). Figures shown are for the 2026 plan year and are set by the IRS. Limits are indexed annually; we update this article each November when the IRS issues the following year's Revenue Procedure. Trademarks, brands, and product names referenced in this article are the property of their respective owners. References are for descriptive purposes only and do not imply endorsement. Alice does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult your own tax preparer, lawyer, or financial advisor for guidance specific to your situation.