(a) In order to qualify for a license, whether upon initial application or upon application for renewal of a license:
(1) an applicant shall be in compliance with all City, State of Illinois and Federal laws, and the provisions of this chapter; and
(2) an applicant shall have a place of business in the City of Chicago:
(i) with respect to any business entity applicant, the applicant shall be organized or qualified to do business under the laws of the State of Illinois; or
(ii) with respect to an individual applicant, the applicant shall reside and be domiciled in the City of Chicago; and
(3) an applicant for the issuance of a taxicab license shall submit a copy of the licensee's agreement with a taxicab affiliation licensed by the City. However, a licensee who owns only four or less medallions need not be affiliated.
(4) an applicant does not owe debt to the City as the term "debt" is defined in Section 4-4-150 of this Code.
(b) In determining whether an applicant is qualified for a license, or the renewal thereof, the Commissioner shall take into consideration:
(1) The character and reputation of the individual applicant and of the members, partners, owners, managers, officers or directors of a business entity applicant, including, if applicable, the disciplinary record of the applicant in the operation of the taxicab vehicle and the disciplinary record of the individual applicant, or of any member, partner, owner, manager, officer or director of a business entity applicant, as a public chauffeur;
(2) The applicant's financial ability to render lawful, safe, suitable and comfortable service and to maintain or replace the equipment for such service;
(3) The applicant's ability to maintain mandated insurance, including, but not limited to, liability insurance and worker's compensation insurance for the payment of personal injury, death, property damage, or other insurable claims; and
(4) The applicant's financial ability to pay all judgments and awards which may be rendered for any cause arising out of the operation of a taxicab vehicle.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this section, no applicant is eligible for the issuance or renewal of a license if: (1) any Chicago taxicab or public passenger vehicle license or any Chicago public chauffeur license or restricted public chauffeur license held by the applicant (i) was revoked within the previous three years or (ii) was denied or rescinded within the 12-month period preceding the date of application; or (2) if the applicant, within the three years immediately preceding the date of application, has been either convicted, held in custody, under parole, or under any other noncustodial supervision resulting from a conviction in a court of any jurisdiction for the commission of any felony as defined by Article 2 of the Illinois Criminal Code of 2012, or its equivalent under federal or other jurisdictional law. Provided, however, that this subsection (c) shall not apply to any conviction for a minor cannabis offense, as defined in Section 4-4-005. For purposes of this section, the term "applicant" includes: (i) any individual; (ii) any officer, director, shareholder, member or manager of a company applicant; (iii) any partner in a partnership applicant; or (iv) any owner or manager of an applicant that is another type of business entity.
(d) When an applicant's Chicago taxicab or public passenger vehicle license or any Chicago public chauffeur license or restricted public chauffeur license is revoked as the result of a municipal code violation, the applicant may submit a written request to the Commissioner for eligibility to renew other existing taxicab licenses held by the applicant. In order to be eligible to renew other existing taxicab licenses held by the applicant at the time of revocation, any debt owed to the City for the revoked taxicab license must be satisfied or resolved by a settlement agreement. Upon receiving such written request, the Commissioner has the authority to grant or deny the request based upon objective factors including, but not limited to, the following considerations: (i) the grounds for revocation identified in Sections 9-112-380, 9-112-390, and other sections of this Code, (ii) an evaluation of the severity of the violation that resulted in the revoked license, (iii) additional and prior violations by the applicant, and (iv) other revocations of the applicant's licenses. Any applicant may seek review of the decision of the Commissioner denying such request in the manner provided by law.
(e) Eligibility for issuance of any license under this chapter shall be a continuing requirement for maintaining such license.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-6-12, p. 28356, § 16; Amend Coun. J. 12-10-14, p. 101074, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 38042, Art. VI, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 12; Amend Coun. J. 2-19-20, p. 14101, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-27-21, p. 26741, Art. II, § 12; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6)