a. No person shall drive any motor vehicle for hire which is regulated by the provisions of this chapter without first obtaining from the commission:
(i) a taxicab or universal driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a taxicab; or
(ii) a coach driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a coach; or
(iii) a for-hire vehicle or universal driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a for-hire vehicle; or
(iv) a wheelchair accessible van driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a wheelchair accessible van; or
(v) a commuter van driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a commuter van.
The issuance of a license to a person to drive any one of the aforementioned licensed vehicles shall not entitle such person to drive any other such licensed vehicle without first obtaining the additional appropriate driver's license, except that a person who has obtained a universal driver's license shall be entitled to drive a taxicab and for-hire vehicle without obtaining an additional commission-issued driver's license. The commission shall not issue taxicab driver's licenses or for-hire vehicle driver's licenses. Each taxicab driver's license and for-hire vehicle driver's license issued and in effect, including any such license which is suspended, shall be deemed a universal driver's license. For purposes of this section, a universal driver's license is a license which authorizes a driver to drive taxicabs and for-hire vehicles.
b. Each applicant for a license, other than a commuter van driver's license must:
1. Hold a New York state chauffeur's license.
2. Be nineteen years of age or over.
3. Be of sound physical condition with good eyesight and no epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble or any other infirmity of body or mind which might render him or her unfit for the safe operation of a licensed vehicle.
4. Be fingerprinted.
5. Be of good moral character.
6. Not be addicted to the use of drugs or intoxicating liquors.
c. Applications for driver's licenses must be filed as directed by the commission, and must be accompanied by the required license fee. Such application shall be on a form provided by the commission and contain such information as the commission deems reasonably necessary.
d. Each applicant for a driver's license under the provisions of this chapter, other than a commuter van driver's license, shall be examined as to such applicant’s physical condition by a duly licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, designated by the commission; each such applicant shall also be examined by the commission as to such applicant’s knowledge of the city, as well as city and state laws governing the idling of engines, and if the result of any of these examinations is unsatisfactory, such applicant shall be refused a license.
e. Each applicant for a driver's license must file with his or her application two recent photos of such applicant of a size which may be easily attached to his or her license, one of which shall be attached to the license when issued and the other filed with the application in the office of the commission.
f. Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the applicable requirements, there shall be issued to the applicant a driver's license which shall be in such form as the commission may direct.
g. Original driver's licenses and renewals thereof shall be valid for a period of not less than one year nor more than three years.
h. The commission may renew a driver's license provided the driver shall have made application on the prescribed form during the period which the commission shall designate, and the commission may require the same standards and tests as are applicable for original applications.
i. The commission may revoke any driver's license for nonuse, in the event it shall determine that the driver has not worked at least twenty-five days as a licensed driver in the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which such determination is made, provided that such failure to work as a licensed driver shall not have been caused by strike, riot, war or other public catastrophe. However, in the event that it is shown to the commission by competent proof that a driver has been disabled through illness, his or her license shall not be revoked because of such nonuse as provided in this subdivision.
j. Fees shall be paid by each applicant for a driver's license, as determined by the commission, but not to exceed the following: For each original one-year license $84.00. For renewal of a one year period $84.00. The fee for an original license or a renewal thereof shall be paid at the time of filing the applications and shall not be refunded in the event of disapproval of the application. An additional fee not exceeding twenty-five dollars shall be paid for each license issued to replace a lost or mutilated license. There shall be an additional fee of twenty-five dollars for late filing of a license renewal application where such late filing is permitted by the commission.
k. Every driver who has obtained a license pursuant to this section shall comply with the rules and regulations promulgated by the commission for drivers of the type of vehicle for which the driver is licensed.
l. The commission may, after a hearing, suspend or revoke any driver's license for failure to comply with any provision of this chapter applicable to licensed drivers or for failure to comply with the commission's rules and regulations.
m. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commission shall not issue a commuter van driver's license to an applicant unless the applicant: (1) has been fingerprinted for the purpose of securing criminal history records from the state division of criminal justice services for which the applicant shall pay any processing fee required by the state division of criminal justice services; (2) satisfies the commission that such applicant is fit and able to drive the commuter van for which the license is sought; (3) possesses a commercial driver's license which pursuant to the vehicle and traffic law is valid for the operation of such commuter van for the transportation of passengers for-hire; (4) has met the qualifications set forth in article nineteen-A of the vehicle and traffic law for the operation of a bus as defined in such article; and (5) has not engaged in any conduct that would be a basis for suspension or revocation of such license pursuant to rules promulgated by the commission.
n. The commission shall approve or disapprove an application for the issuance of a commuter van driver's license within one hundred eighty days after the completed application is filed. The failure to approve or disapprove such application within such time shall be deemed a disapproval of such application.
o. Every commuter van driver's license shall be issued on the condition that the applicant possesses a commercial driver's license and complies with article nineteen-A of the vehicle and traffic law as described in paragraphs three and four of subdivision m of this section during the time that such commuter van driver's license is in effect. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, suspension or revocation of such commercial driver's license pursuant to the vehicle and traffic law or noncompliance with article nineteen-A of the vehicle and traffic law shall render the commuter van driver's license suspended on and after the date of the suspension or revocation of such commercial driver's license or noncompliance with such article nineteen-A and during the period of such suspension revocation or noncompliance, and any person who drives a commuter van that is required to be licensed pursuant to section 19-504 of this chapter during the period of such suspension revocation or noncompliance shall be deemed to be driving a commuter van without a license required by this section.
p. Any commuter van driver's license issued pursuant to this section shall be revoked after the holder of such license has had an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with procedures to be established by the commission and such holder is found to have failed to comply with paragraph two of subdivision a of section 19-529.1 of this chapter three times within a period of six months.
q. Not more than one hundred eighty days following the enactment of this subdivision, the commission shall develop and commence a program to notify drivers of all vehicles licensed by the commission that facilitating sex trafficking with a vehicle is illegal. Such program shall inform such drivers of the specific laws defining and proscribing such facilitation, including the provisions of this section and section 19-507 of this chapter, and of article 230 of the penal law, and shall inform such drivers of the civil and criminal penalties associated with such facilitation, including but not limited to monetary penalties, license revocation and incarceration. Such program shall also provide information to such drivers about the resources available to assist victims of sex trafficking. Such program shall also inform such drivers that they may not refuse fares solely based on the appearance of an individual and that it is unlawful to refuse a fare based upon an individual's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender, whether or not an individual's gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the legal sex assigned to an individual at birth, as set forth in chapter one of title eight of this code. Such program may be presented through live instruction, video or an interactive computer course, and shall be updated regularly to reflect changes in law or other relevant circumstances. Completion of such program shall be a requirement for initial licensure and subsequent license renewal for such drivers, except that any driver who has completed such program at least once may subsequently satisfy the requirements of this subdivision, at the discretion of the commission, by reviewing written materials, to be developed by the commission, that contain the information in such program. All drivers licensed by the commission shall be required to certify that they have completed such program or received and reviewed such written materials.
r. Any procedures established by the commission to determine the ability of an applicant for a universal driver's license to speak and understand English shall not include a written examination.
(Am. L.L. 2016/051, 4/21/2016, eff. 8/19/2016; Am. L.L. 2023/165, 12/3/2023, eff. 12/3/2023)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 1986/076, L.L. 1988/048, L.L. 1989/050, L.L. 1993/115 and L.L. 2012/036.