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Dec
07

Regulations and notices

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Regulations and notices

Overview

King County is responsible for approving taxi, for-hire, and TNC companies and drivers who wish to operate in the following areas: King County, Port of Seattle including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (requires additional Port of Seattle authorization) and within the city limits of Auburn, Bellevue, Burien, Covington, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Kirkland, Maple Valley, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, and Shoreline.

King County and the City of Seattle partner to regulate the for-hire industry under the terms of an interlocal agreement whereby King County manages all for-hire driver licensing functions for both jurisdictions and Seattle manages all for-hire vehicle licensing functions for both jurisdictions. Regulations across the two jurisdictions vary slightly. Detailed information available online:

Annual reports and history

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

1976-2021 Summary

Recent and upcoming legislation


In 2022, the state legislature passed a bill adopting new state-wide transportation network company (TNC) regulations. The bill permits the City and County to continue regulating TNCs but limits the ability of either government to update those regulations to address changes in the TNC industry, unless such changes align with state-wide TNC regulations. As a result, the City and County transmitted several ordinances to the City Council and the County Council in June 2023. The City Council's Finance and Housing Committee passed the ordinances at a meeting on September 20. The County Council adopted the ordinances on November 28. City Council is expected to adopt final versions of the ordinances before the end of the year.

  • Summary of core policy changes
  • The first ordinance amends existing City and County law to effectively remove taxicab and for-hire vehicle owners, drivers, and companies from the code, leaving in place the existing regulations on TNCs.
  • The second ordinance establishes a new chapter, in City and County codes respectively, focused on the taxicab and for-hire vehicle industries to ease and streamline regulations.
  • The third ordinance authorizes an updated Interlocal Agreement for the City and County to jointly regulate and enforce SMC 6.310, SMC 6.311, KCC 6.64, and KCC 6.65.
  • The fourth ordinance authorizes an updated Interlocal Agreement template that may be executed with local jurisdictions reflecting the updates to KCC 6.64 and enactment of KCC 6.65.

If you have any questions, please email them to FAST@kingcounty.gov.


In response to the pandemic's effect on the for-hire transportation industry, the County is taking action to provide immediate relief for licensees and to reduce barriers to re-starting for-hire transportation service. The County is reducing fees assessed to licensees under King County Code (KCC) 6.64.026 and KCC 4A.750.100(B) beginning May 10, 2021. The new fees:
  • Reduce the annual medallion (license) fee from $200 to $100,
  • Reduce the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) July - December fee from $200 to $100,
  • Reduce the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) January - June (half year) fee from $100 to $50,
  • Reduce the taxicab association and for-hire company annual fee
    • One to fifteen vehicles - from $125 to $65,
    • Sixteen to twenty-five vehicles - from $250 to $125,
    • Twenty-six or more vehicles - from $500 to $250, and
  • Reduce the for-hire driver's annual license fee from $44 to $24.
The proposed fee changes were available for comment through April 29, 2021 and the final notice applies to licensing fees beginning May 10, 2021.
The City of Seattle has issued a proposed 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 proposed rule would:
  • Reduce the annual medallion (license) fee from $500 to $300,
  • Reduce the late fee (medallion (license) renewal) from $60 to $30,
  • Reduce the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) July - December fee from $500 to $300,
  • Reduce the change of vehicle medallion owner (licensee) January - June (half year) fee from $250 to $150,
  • Reduce the taxicab association annual fee from $1,000 to $100, and
  • Reduce the for-hire driver's annual license fee from $50 to $25.
The proposed fee changes were available for comment through April 23, 2021 and the final notice is now available.
The City of Seattle has issued a proposed 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 proposed rule would:
  • Reduce the estimated WAS Surcharge for City-only and dual (City and County) taxi medallions from $145 to $29 per year, and
  • Reduce the estimated WAS Surcharge for County-only taxi medallions and all for-hire vehicle medallions from $85 to $17 per year.
The proposed fee changes were available for comment through April 23, 2021 and the final notice is now available.
The City will not enforce the City's taxi and for-hire vehicle 10-year age limit through June 30, 2024, which is the end of the medallion year. In consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the for-hire industry, the County and City will temporarily suspend enforcement of the 10-year vehicle age limit on taxis, for-hire vehicles, and TNC vehicles. Enforcement of those limits will resume when the taxi or for-hire vehicle medallion or TNC vehicle endorsement is renewed in 2024. This requirement does not apply if the vehicle is a taxicab or for-hire vehicle with a King County-only medallion. Please note that the annual vehicle safety inspection requirement remains in effect during this time.
Taximeters (LIC-8-4-PR): guidance for testing and approving taximeters, including smart taximeters, and authorizes taxis to vary fares from those established in SMC 6.310.530 and KCC 6.64.760 when using the application dispatch system (ADS) function of a smart taximeter system.
Application Dispatch Systems (LIC-8-5-PR): updated requirements for using an application dispatch system (ADS) and recognition of the ADS function within a smart taximeter system.
Temporary Changes to Insurance Requirements for Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles (LIC-8-6-PR): temporary changes to insurance requirements with the goal of increasing cost-effective insurance options for taxicab and flat-rate/for-hire vehicle owners.
The director of King County's Department of Executive Services (DES), acting under the authority of King County Code chapter 2.98 and chapter 6.64, section 6.64.021 and section 6.64.760, adopted a rule concerning the authorization of a fuel surcharge for taxicabs beginning August 12, 2022.

We want to hear from you! If you have questions or feedback, please email our For-Hire and Shared Transportation team at FAST@kingcounty.gov.

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Records and Licensing Services (RALS)

King Street Center
201 S. Jackson St., Suite 206
Seattle, WA 98104

  Get directions

206-263-1982

TTY Relay 711

forhiredriver@kingcounty.gov

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday thru Friday

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