A. License Requirements:
1. License Required: No person shall drive, operate or control, while in use for hire on the streets of the city, any public taxi or vehicle for hire for carrying passengers in the city until he shall satisfy the chief of police, or his designee, that he is a person of sufficient age and discretion, of good character and integrity, and not addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors or narcotics, and shall have received a chauffeur's license as in this section required. The owner of the taxi or vehicle shall not place in charge of the taxi or vehicle any person not having such license.
2. Application: Any person desiring to secure a license as driver of a vehicle for carrying passengers for hire shall make application in writing to the licensing division, the application to set forth the name of the applicant, his residence and certification to having ever been convicted of, pled guilty to, pled nolo contendere, or been found guilty by a court of law of a felony or an offense involving violence or moral turpitude.
3. Investigation: No license shall be issued to any applicant who does not comply with the applicable requirements of this code. The chief of police, or his designee, shall indicate on the application for a license the results of his investigation, and his recommendation to approve or deny the application. Upon receipt of the application, the chief of police, or his designee, shall make a careful and diligent inquiry as to the character and record of the applicant for honesty, sobriety and capability, and if it be found that the applicant is lacking in any of these respects, the license shall be refused.
B. Fee: All applicants for a chauffeurs' license shall pay the fee set forth in section 4-18-1 of this title.
C. Requirements:
1. Age: No public vehicle driver's license shall be issued to any person under eighteen (18) years of age.
2. Identification Card: Every person licensed under the provisions of this section shall at all times, while acting as driver or operator of any public vehicle, display a public vehicle driver's license in a conspicuous place in the vehicle, which shall have inscribed thereon "Des Plaines, Illinois, Public Vehicle Driver", the year for which the license is issued and a number corresponding to the number of the license issued to the driver. The city shall furnish the identification card.
3. Transfer Of License: No license issued under the provisions of this section shall be transferred to another person.
D. Regulations: No driver of any taxi or vehicle used for carrying passengers shall:
1. Use any vulgar or profane language while in charge of the taxi or vehicle;
2. Leave his taxi while operating the same upon any of the streets or alleys of the city;
3. Carry or permit to ride in his taxi or vehicle any person except a bona fide passenger;
4. Permit any loitering in his taxi or vehicle while the same is being held out for public hire upon the streets of the city; or
5. Smoke or allow patrons to smoke in the vehicle.
E. Penalty: Any person violating any provision of this section shall be fined as provided in the general penalty in section 1-4-1 of this code for each offense; and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during which a violation occurs or continues. (Ord. M-19-13, 10-7-2013)