§ 50–301.19. Regulation of taxicab operation and license requirement.

(a)(1) No person, corporation, partnership, or association shall operate a limousine, sedan, or taxicab, a limousine, sedan, or taxicab company, association, or fleet, a limousine, sedan, or taxicab service, or any public vehicle-for-hire service within the District without procuring applicable licenses required by the DFHV pursuant to this subchapter.

(2) In the case of licensure by another jurisdiction, a taxicab or public vehicle-for-hire may provide service in the District only pursuant to, and in compliance with, a DFHV-approved reciprocity agreement or regulation.

(b) The length of time a license is valid to operate a taxicab company, association, or fleet, and application for renewal of such license, shall be determined in a manner and at a fee prescribed by the DFHV.

(b-1) Repealed.

(c) Any license issued pursuant to this section shall be issued as an Inspected Sales and Services endorsement to a basic business license under the basic business license system as set forth in subchapter I-A of Chapter 28 of Title 47.

(d) Any violation of this section shall be punishable by a civil fine or other penalty provided by law or DFHV regulations.

(e) For the purposes of this section, the term “operate” shall include providing taxicab service or public vehicle-for-hire service of any type that physically originates in the District.

(Mar. 25, 1986, D.C. Law 6-97, § 20, 33 DCR 703; Sept. 22, 1994, D.C. Law 10-171, § 2(c), 41 DCR 5149; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-261, § 2003(oo), 46 DCR 3142; Oct. 28, 2003, D.C. Law 15-38, § 3(kk), 50 DCR 6913; Apr. 13, 2005, D.C. Law 15-354, § 83(e), 52 DCR 2638; Nov. 25, 2008, D.C. Law 17-280, § 2(b), 55 DCR 11066; Oct. 22, 2012, D.C. Law 19-184, § 2(p), 59 DCR 9431; Apr. 23, 2013, D.C. Law 19-270, § 2(d), 60 DCR 1717; June 22, 2016, D.C. Law 21-124, § 401(t), 63 DCR 7076.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 40-1719.

2001 Ed., § 50-319.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 50-331.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 15-38, in subsec. (c), substituted “Inspected Sales and Services endorsement to a basic business license under the basic” for “a Class A Inspected Sales and Services endorsement to a master business license under the master”.

D.C. Law 15-354, in subsec. (c), validated a previously made technical correction.

D.C. Law 17-280 added subsec. (b-1).

The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-184 rewrote (a) and (b); repealed (b-1); and added (d) and (e).

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-270 deleted “including dispatch service” and its surrounding commas preceding “within the District” in (a)(1); and deleted the last sentence in (d), which read “A fine or penalty for a violation of this section or implementing regulations by a taxicab or public vehicle-for-hire from another jurisdiction shall be punishable in a manner that is at least equal to the enforcement against a District taxicab or public vehicle-for-hire found to be in violation of the laws, rules, or regulations of surrounding or corresponding jurisdictions.”

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(kk) of Streamlining Regulation Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-145, August 11, 2003, 50 DCR 6896).

For temporary (90 day) amendment, see § 2(b) of Taxicab Company, Association, and Fleet and Limousine License Moratorium Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-490, August 4, 2008, 55 DCR 9162).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(b) of Taxicab Company, Association, and Fleet and Limousine License Moratorium Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-548, October 24, 2008, 55 DCR 11979).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 19-184, § 7, see § 7007 of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-130, July 30, 2013, 60 DCR 11384, 20 DCSTAT 1827).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 19-184, § 7, see § 7007 of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-204, October 17, 2013, 60 DCR 15341, 20 DCSTAT 2311).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 19-270, § 5, see § 7017 of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-130, July 30, 2013, 60 DCR 11384, 20 DCSTAT 1827).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 19-270, § 5, see 7017 of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-204, October 17, 2013, 60 DCR 15341, 20 DCSTAT 2311).

Short Title

Section 7001 of D.C. Law 20-61 provided that Subtitle A of Title VII of the act may be cited as the “Subject to Appropriations Repealers Amendment Act of 2013”.

Editor's Notes

Section 7 of D.C. Law 19-184 provided that the act shall apply upon the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, as certified by the Chief Financial Officer to the Budget Director of the Council in a certification published by the Council in the District of Columbia Register.

Section 5 of D.C. Law 19-270 provided that the act shall apply upon the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, as certified by the Chief Financial Officer to the Budget Director of the Council in a certification published by the Council in the District of Columbia Register.

Section 7007 of D.C. Law 20-61 repealed D.C. Law 19-184, § 7.

Section 7017 of D.C. Law 20-61 repealed D.C. Law 19-270, § 5.