Regional Dispatch Agencies and Transportation Network Companies
Dispatch agency license application for 2026
The license year for regional dispatch agencies (RDAs) starts April 1 and ends March 31. After March 31, 2026, Seattle and King County will no longer issue a transitional regional dispatch agency (TRDA) license. Current TRDAs and RDAs must apply for an annual RDA license by submitting a 2026 license application form and supplemental materials by March 10, 2026.
An agency that has not previously been licensed as a TRDA or RDA by Seattle and King County and wishes to operate as an RDA in Seattle and King County may use the 2026 form to apply for a license. Please contact Seattle’s Consumer Protection Division (consumerprotection@seattle.gov or (206) 386-1267) to obtain a 2026 application form and for more information on the application process and other requirements to become licensed.
For-hire vehicle medallion system
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.
To ensure an orderly transition, City and County staff have developed a process to convert the medallion. If you currently own a for-hire vehicle medallion, please carefully review this guidance and conversion form, and consider the steps involved. While immediate conversion is not required, we do not recommend waiting until the last minute to convert.
The decision to convert is permanent and irreversible. There is no fee to convert your medallion. However, if the medallion is inactive/expired, then the applicable medallion renewal fee for the current year, though not past years’ fees, will be due at time of conversion. Additionally, converting a medallion does not change the jurisdiction of the medallion – a dual medallion remains dual, a City-only medallion remains City-only, and a County-only medallion remains County-only.
Taxis
Taxicabs are vehicles that transport people for compensation. The passenger controls the route or destination. The vehicles are painted one solid color and have signs or lettering that include the words taxi, cab or taxicab. While the City and County have sets regional taximeter rates, which are recorded by a taximeter, dispatch agencies may also dynamically price trips provided by their affiliated taxicabs. Taxicabs may use a dispatch system or service, or taxicabs can be hailed from the street.
Transportation network companies (TNCs)
TNC vehicles transport people for compensation. Unlike taxicabs and for-hire vehicles, they connect with passengers only through an online application using a device such as a smartphone or tablet. Fares are set by the TNC and must be shown to passengers and paid through the online application. Learn more about TNCs.