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(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license or any Chicago public chauffeur license or restricted public chauffeur license held by the applicant (i) was revoked within the previous three years or (ii) was denied or rescinded within the 12-month period preceding the date of application; or (2) if the applicant, within the three years immediately preceding the date of application,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)
(a) Upon receipt of an application for the issuance or renewal of a license, the Commissioner may investigate the applicant for compliance with all provisions of this code, including but not limited to: (1) the character and reputation of the applicant; and (2) the ability of the applicant to render safe transportation service, to maintain or replace the equipment for such service, and to pay all fees, fines, taxes, judgments and awards which may be rendered for any cause arising out of the operation of a taxicab during the license period.
(b) Every individual applicant and every agent of a business entity applicant shall be required to submit to a criminal background check as defined in Section 9-104-010, and shall provide photos of such person as required by the Commissioner. Applicants shall be responsible for the costs of such criminal background check and photos.
(c) As part of the application process, fees sufficient to cover the costs of processing the criminal background check and photos will be assessed in addition to the license fees set forth in Section 9-112-150 of this Code. Such fees shall be assessed regardless of whether the license applied for is issued or denied. The amount of the fees shall be set forth in rules promulgated by the Commissioner.
(d) The licensee shall provide a vehicle that is in safe and proper condition at the time the license is issued; and shall register the vehicle in applicant's name or, in the case of a leased vehicle, shall provide a copy of the lease, in a form acceptable to the Commissioner, that must cover at least the duration of the license for that vehicle and must include an acknowledgment by the lessor of the vehicle that he has given his consent for the vehicle to be used as a taxicab as licensed.
(e) All licenses shall expire on the date noted on the license unless renewed prior to the date of expiration or as specified by rule.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 38042, Art. VI, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 13)
The commissioner shall have the power to rescind any license erroneously or illegally issued, transferred or renewed pursuant to this chapter. In order for such a rescission to be effective, the commissioner must notify the licensee of the date the rescission will take effect. The notice shall take place by certified mail or in-person notification. The commissioner must indicate in such notice the basis for the rescission and must also indicate a date and time, prior to the proposed rescission date, upon which the licensee may appear before the commissioner, or his or her designee, to contest the proposed rescission. The licensee shall also be informed that he or she shall be entitled to present to the commissioner or his or her designee any document, including affidavits, relating to the proposed rescission. Following the appearance of the licensee before the commissioner, the commissioner may affirm or reverse his or her rescission decision. The commissioner's decision shall be in writing and shall be mailed to the licensee at least five days before a license rescission is effective. A licensee may appeal the commissioner's decision to any court of competent jurisdiction.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)
Every licensee shall pay each judgment or award for loss or damage in the operation or use of a taxicab vehicle rendered against the licensee by any court or commission of competent jurisdiction within 90 days after its judgment or award shall have become final and not stayed by supersedeas. If any such judgment shall not be so paid, the commissioner may revoke the license of the licensee concerned.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)
(a) Licensees are required to equip all their taxicabs, while the vehicles are operating as a taxicab, with at least one of the following safety features or combination of safety features, all of which must be in compliance with specifications set forth in rules promulgated by the commissioner:
(1) A safety shield device capable of completely separating the driver's seat from the rear passenger compartment; or
(2) A mounted camera unit that will take a visual record or photograph(s) of the passenger(s); or
(3) Such other system that the commissioner determines by rule which provides at least as much protection as the systems described above.
The specifications of the safety system that the commissioner promulgates by rules pursuant to this section shall be designed to maximize chauffeur and passenger safety in light of current technology and reasonable economic concerns.
(b) The equipment required by this section shall be maintained in good working order at all times. The license of any licensee who violates this section shall be subject to immediate suspension until the licensee demonstrates compliance with this section.
(c) The requirements of this section do not apply to an owner-operator.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)
(a) Licenses shall be issued for a two-year period.
(b) The license term for licenses shall be from March 1 of the current year to the last day of February two years subsequent to the current year.
(i) License issuance or renewal fee is $500.00 for taxicabs that are not wheelchair-accessible. In addition, as part of the license issuance or renewal fee, a licensee shall pay $22.00 per month to the City’s accessibility fund for each taxicab which is not wheelchair-accessible. The licensee may pay the $22.00 per month fee at the same time as the licensee pays the ground transportation tax imposed in Chapter 3-46 of this Code; provided, however, that no fee shall be due for any calendar month during which such a taxicab is out of operation for the entire month and the license for such taxicab is surrendered for the entire month. The $22.00 fee shall not be subject to proration for portions of a calendar month. The Department shall deposit the $22.00 per month fee to the City’s accessibility fund.
(ii) License issuance or renewal fee for wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs is $500.00. The license must be attached to a wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicab during the entire licensing term.
(c) A license fee shall be paid in advance of the issuance of a license. A licensee must renew and pay for the medallion license before the expiration date of the licensing term. Any taxicab medallion licensing fee paid on or after the first day of the licensing term is considered a late payment, and is subject to late payment fees, interest accrued as specified in the Code, and promulgated in the rules by the Commissioner.
(d) A license not renewed in a timely manner is considered lapsed, and the taxicab vehicle operating under this lapsed license shall be considered an unlicensed taxicab subject to revocation.
(e) Nothing in this section shall affect the right of the City to impose or collect a vehicle tax and any occupational tax, as permitted by law, in addition to the license fee herein provided.
(f) The fees specified in this section shall be in addition to any amounts payable pursuant to the competitive bidding process.
(g) The Commissioner is authorized to adopt rules for the administration of the Accessibility Fund.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-28-14, p. 82771, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-15, p. 12062, Art. XI, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61858, Art. II, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-19, p. 11514, Art. I, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-16-24, p. 23004, Part 1, Art. I, § 1)
(a) Indebtedness: All licensees must be in good standing with the city in reference to debt pursuant to and as defined in section 4-4-150 of this Code.
(b) Child support: All licensees must be in compliance with court-ordered child support pursuant to and as defined in section 4-4-152 of this Code.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)
(a) Whenever any changes occur in the officers of the licensee, the licensee shall notify the department in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. For purposes of this section, the term "officer of the licensee" means the members of a partnership, the officers, directors, managers or shareholders of a corporation, or the managers or managing members of a limited liability company or other legal entity licensed pursuant to this chapter.
(b) If any officer of the licensee is removed from office in accordance with the bylaws, operating agreement, partnership agreement for the licensee, pursuant to law or court order, by reason of death, or for any other reason, and such officer is not replaced, then the licensee shall notify the department of the change by notarized letter within 30 days of the effective date of the change. The licensee shall submit any additional information pertaining to the removal of any officer requested by the commissioner within 10 days of such request. The commissioner will assess a $25 fee for processing the removal of the officer.
(c) If any officer of the licensee is removed from office in accordance with the bylaws, operating agreement or partnership agreement for the licensee, pursuant to law or court order, by reason of death or for any other reason, and the person removed from office is replaced by another person, then the licensee shall notify the department of the change by filing with the department a change of officer form provided by the department within 30 days of the effective date of the change. The person replacing the removed officer must meet the qualifications specified in Section 9-112-100 and is subject to investigation as detailed in Section 9-112-110. The licensee shall submit to the department: (i) the change of officer form as promulgated by the commissioner in rules; (ii) a $100.00 change of officer processing fee; and (iii) any other supplementary materials promulgated by the commissioner in rules.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)
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