Laws, Regulations and Fees
The City of Seattle and King County have long partnered to regulate for-hire passenger transportation in the region. This partnership broadly splits duties whereby the City administers vehicle regulations, and the County administers driver regulations. Both jurisdictions administer regional dispatch agency and transportation network company regulations. The partnership is memorialized in an interlocal agreement (ILA) between the City and County. The ILA was last updated in 2023.
Chapter 6.310 in the Seattle Municipal Code governs transportation network companies and chapter 6.311 governs taxicabs and for-hire vehicles. Companion King County code language appears in chapter 6.64 for transportation network companies and chapter 6.65 for taxicabs and for-hire vehicles.
Director's rules interpret the municipal code and outline processes and other requirements for the City, County, and licensees to follow. Rules, most of which are jointly issued by the City and County, relating to the taxi, for-hire and transportation network company industry are available on the Finance and Administrative Services website.
Annual reports concerning the City and County for-hire passenger transportation regulatory programs are available on King County’s Records and Licensing Services website.
Taxicab and for-hire vehicles |
City of Seattle |
King County |
Total |
| Annual medallion & reciprocity endorsement fees | $300.00 | $100.00 | $400.00 |
| Annual wheelchair accessible taxicab medallion and reciprocity endorsement fees (waived when determined eligible by the Director) | $300.00 | $100.00 | $400.00 |
| Medallion and medallion reciprocity endorsement late fees | $30.00 | $10.00 | $40.00 |
For-hire driver fees (except TNC drivers) |
King County |
City of Seattle |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Annual regional for-hire driver license fee |
$25.00 |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Third-party driving history report fee | Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $16.00 | $16.00 |
| Third-party background check fee (regional for-hire driver's license) | Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $24.00 | $24.00 |
|
Total of regional for-hire driver license application fees |
$90.00 | ||
| Fingerprinting fee (for fingerprint-based background check) | Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Fingerprint-based background check fee (required for Enhanced Regional For-hire Driver's License) | Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $34.25 | $34.25 |
|
Late fee |
$15.00 | $2.00 | $17.00 |
|
Replacement license fee |
Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Initial For-hire Driver Training fee (on-line) | Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Training rescheduling fee | Charged as determined by the director to cover cost | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Annual regional dispatch agency and transitional regional dispatch license fees | City of Seattle | King County | Total |
| Fifty or fewer affiliated vehicles | $250.00 | $125.00 | $375.00 |
| Fifty-one or more affiliated vehicles | $500.00 | $250.00 | $750.00 |
| Late fee: Fifty or fewer affiliated vehicles | $25.00 | $12.00 | $37.00 |
| Late fee: Fifty-one or more affiliated vehicles | $50.00 | $25.00 | $75.00 |
| Additional trade names registration fee | $25.00 | $50.00 | $75.00 |
Transportation network company (TNC) quarterly fee
|
|||
| For all rides originating in unincorporated King County or any municipality that contracts with the County for TNC operations | $0.23 per ride | ||
| For all rides originating in the City of Seattle | $0.18 per ride | ||
Wheelchair accessible vehicle surcharge |
|||
|
For all rides originating in unincorporated King County or any municipality that contracts with the County, each taxicab licensee, for-hire vehicle licensee, or TNC company pays |
$0.10 per ride | ||
|
For all rides originating in the City of Seattle, each taxicab licensee, for-hire vehicle licensee, or TNC company pays |
$0.10 per ride | ||
The Consumer Protection Division (CPD) has issued a rule (FOR-HIRE-TRANSPORTATION-2021-02) to reduce the City's medallion and related fees for the 2022 medallion year (beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022). The rule:
- Reduces the annual medallion (license) fee from $500 to $300,
- Reduces the late fee (medallion (license) renewal) from $60 to $30,
- Reduces the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) July - December fee from $500 to $300,
- Reduces the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) January - June (half year) fee from $250 to $150,
- Reduces the taxicab association annual fee from $1,000 to $100, and
- Reduces the for-hire driver's annual license fee from $50 to $25.
King County's Records and Licensing Services (RALS) reduced the County's annual licensing fees for medallions, for-hire driver licenses, and association/company licenses effective May 10, 2021. The fee changes include:
- Reduces the annual medallion (license) fee from $200 to $100,
- Reduces the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) July - December fee from $200 to $100,
- Reduces the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) January - June (half year) fee from $100 to $50,
- Reduces the taxicab association and for-hire company annual fee:
- One to 15 vehicles - from $125 to $65
- Sixteen to 25 vehicles - from $250 to $125
- Twenty-six or more vehicles - from $500 to $250, and
- Reduces the for-hire driver's annual license fee from $44 to $24.
The Consumer Protection Division (CPD) has issued a rule (FOR-HIRE-TRANSPORTATION-2021-03) to reduce the annual estimated Wheelchair Accessible Services (WAS) surcharge by 80 percent for the period beginning April 1, 2020 (paid during the medallion renewal process for the 2022 licensing year, beginning July 1, 2021), reflecting the steep decline in the number of trips provided over the last year. The rule:
- Reduces the estimated WAS Surcharge for City-only and dual (City and County) taxi medallions from $145 to $29 per year, and
- Reduces the estimated WAS Surcharge for County-only taxi medallions and all for-hire vehicle medallions from $85 to $17 per year.
Temporary suspension of the 10-year vehicle age limit remains in place while the City and County propose legislation that would establish a new 15-year vehicle age limit for taxicabs and for-hire vehicles. The City and County hope to have the new age limit in place before December 31, 2023.