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:
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's Government Accountability and Oversight Committee will likely consider the ordinances in October. The City and County expect both councils to pass final versions of all 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
