Medallions

Medallion Renewal

The City of Seattle’s 2024/2025 medallion renewal season will start May 1, 2024, and end June 30, 2024. With for-hire legislation passed by both the City and King County in 2023, there are several changes of which you should be aware. Please carefully read through the information presented here.

Medallion renewal information on this page is also available in translated versions – Amharic (አማርኛ), Oromo (Afaan Oromoo), Somali (Af-Sooomaali), Tigrinya (ትግሪኛ) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ).

How to Renew

Renew Online

• Create a Seattle Services Portal account if you do not already have one.
• Use the Portal’s self-service option to complete your renewal
• Pay online using a credit card – no phone call or office visit necessary

Request Assistance

• Email a picture of your vehicle registration, including the medallion number in the subject line, to taxicab@seattle.gov.
• Ensure the vehicle associated with the medallion has passed a safety inspection performed within the past 12 months by a City approved mechanic.
• Verify that your insurance broker has sent your active insurance policy/binder to vehicleinsurance@seattle.gov.
• Beginning May 1, you can schedule a virtual appointment for assistance over the telephone.

Attend a Workshop

• Beginning May 1, City representatives will host in-person workshops to assist medallion owners with the online renewals. Workshop timeslots will be filled by appointment only.
• Appointments may be made online for the location and date you prefer. You will receive a confirmation email with the appointment details.
• Have your email address and ID (driver’s license or passport) available if you have not already created a Seattle Services Portal account. 

Effects of New For-Hire Legislation

Medallion Reciprocity Endorsements
To allow for the regional operation of all taxicabs and for-hire vehicles, the City and King County have created medallion reciprocity endorsements. Medallion reciprocity endorsements are required for any vehicle associated with a City-only medallion or with a County-only medallion and will allow the vehicle to operate in both the City and King County.

The City and King County will now require the owner of a City-only medallion or a County-only medallion to pay a medallion reciprocity endorsement fee. This fee is in addition to the medallion renewal fee. The fee amount is the same as the City medallion renewal fee or King County medallion renewal fee, whichever is applicable to the owner. Owners of dual medallions will continue paying both the City’s and King County’s medallion renewal fees; a dual medallion does not require a medallion reciprocity endorsement.

Waiving of Past Years’ Medallion Renewal Fees and Late Renewal Fees
When renewing a medallion, the City and King County will waive any outstanding renewal or late renewal fees from past years. The City and King County will waive the wheelchair accessible services surcharge only if the medallion owner did not operate at all within the past 12 months.

For-Hire Vehicle to Taxicab Conversions
The for-hire vehicle medallion system retires on March 31, 2026. After that date, any previous for-hire vehicle medallion will be a taxicab medallion. The City and King County have announced a process to convert a for-hire vehicle medallion into a taxicab medallion and that process can be completed during a medallion renewal. The decision to convert is permanent and irreversible.

Vehicles with Rebuilt Titles
If you are adding a vehicle with a rebuilt title that has never been in taxicab or for-hire vehicle service, you will need a completed frame and airbag inspection performed by a City approved mechanic.

Vehicle Age Limit
The vehicle age limit is now 15 years. Any vehicle associated with a taxicab or for-hire vehicle medallion must be model year 2009 or newer to operate.

Taximeter Tests
Taximeter tests for those changing vehicles or associations will require a scheduled visit to our office at 805 S. Dearborn St. Seattle, WA 98134. Appointments will be made at the time of medallion renewal. 

Ownership Transfers
Ownership transfers done at the time of the renewal will require the voluntary medallion transfer form to be completed and emailed to taxicab@seattle.gov. Transfers cannot be completed using the Seattle Services Portal. A $25 transfer fee must be paid to complete a transfer.

Dearborn
Medallion renewal assistance will not be available at the 805 S Dearborn St. location. For assistance, you may contact a regulatory licensing representative by phone ((206) 386-1267) or email (taxicab@seattle.gov) or schedule an appointment for an upcoming medallion renewal workshop.

City Fees and Surcharges (King County fees available here)

1.       Annual medallion (license) fee: $300

2.       Annual medallion (license) reciprocity endorsement fee: $300

3.       Late medallion (license) renewal fee: $30

4.       Annual for-hire driver’s license fee: $25

5.       Annual wheelchair accessible services surcharge (estimated): $29

Medallion Exchange

King County and Seattle medallion owners can now list their medallions for sale, for lease, or for a shift lease on a new website. Also, anyone can post that they are interested in buying or leasing a medallion. There are no fees to use the site. The website gives visibility to the medallion market and is a place for interested parties to voluntarily share their information. There is no obligation to use the site.

Visit kingcounty.gov/medallion to browse listings or submit one of your own. If you see a listing you are interested in, click the “Send my contact info” button or the envelope icon to share your contact information (name, phone number, and email address) with the person who submitted the listing. When you decide to proceed with a transfer or lease, follow the applicable steps with the City of Seattle to complete the transaction.

Medallion Lease

Download the medallion lease summary form.

All proposed medallion transfers shall be listed in the table below within two days of submission to the Consumer Protection. By rule, a temporary medallion will be issued. If you would like to receive notice of updates to this list, click this link to subscribe to the data set via email or RSS feed.