(a) 
It shall be unlawful for a person to operate a taxicab inside the city unless he has a valid taxicab driver's permit issued to him under this article, except when authorized by a reciprocal agreement.
(b) 
A holder may not employ or contract with a driver or otherwise allow a person to drive for hire a taxicab owned, controlled or operated by the holder unless the person has a valid taxicab driver's permit issued to him under this article, except when authorized in a reciprocal agreement.
(c) 
The requirements of subsections (a) and (b) are met if the applicant holds a valid taxicab driver's permit issued to him by the City of Dallas and/or Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1996; Ordinance 6922, § 1, adopted 12/5/1996)
(a) 
To qualify for a taxicab driver's permit, an applicant must:
(1) 
Be at least eighteen (18) years of age;
(2) 
Be a legal resident of the United States;
(3) 
Hold a valid driver's license issued by the State of Texas;
(4) 
Not have a driver's license suspension pending against him;
(5) 
Be able to communicate in the English language;
(6) 
Not be afflicted with a physical or mental disease or disability that is likely to prevent him from exercising ordinary and reasonable control over a motor vehicle or that is likely to otherwise endanger the public health or safety;
(7) 
Not have been convicted of more than four (4) moving traffic violations arising out of separate transactions, nor involved in more than two (2) automobile accidents in which it could be reasonably determined that he was at fault, within the preceding eighteen (18) months;
(8) 
Not be under indictment or be charged by information in this or any other state or the United States for a crime involving:
a. 
Capital murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter or criminal negligent homicide;
b. 
Kidnapping;
c. 
Any sexual offense, which if committed in Texas would be a Class "B" offense or greater;
d. 
Any aggravated assaultive offense;
e. 
Robbery;
f. 
Transfer, carrying or possession of a weapon in violation of state or federal law;
g. 
Possession or delivery of a controlled substance, dangerous drug or narcotic in violation of any state or federal law, except misdemeanor possession offenses; and
h. 
Criminal attempt to commit "a" through "g" above, when the offense, if committed in Texas, would be a Class "B" offense or greater.
(9) 
Not have been convicted or released from confinement, whichever is later, within one (1) year of the date of the application for any offense listed in subsection (8) above which is classified as a misdemeanor;
(10) 
Not have been convicted or released from confinement, whichever is later, within two (2) years of the date of the application for any offense listed in subsection (8) above which is classified as a felony;
(11) 
Sections 8, 9 and 10 do not apply to any applicant who has been pardoned by a governor of a state or by the President of the United States for any offense when such pardon specifically finds that the person did not commit the offense;
(12) 
Not have been convicted of, discharged by probation or deferred adjudication for driving while intoxicated:
a. 
Within the preceding two (2) years; and
b. 
More than one (1) time within the preceding five (5) years.
(13) 
Not have driving while intoxicated charges pending;
(14) 
Not be addicted to the use of alcohol or narcotics;
(15) 
Be subject to no outstanding warrants of arrest; and
(16) 
Be recommended by a holder.
(b) 
An applicant who has been convicted of an offense listed in subsection (8) for which the required time period has elapsed since the date of conviction or the date of release from confinement imposed for the conviction, may qualify for a taxicab driver's permit only if the director determines that the applicant is presently fit to engage in the occupation of a taxicab driver. In determining present fitness under this section, the director shall consider the following:
(1) 
The extent and nature of the applicant's past criminal activity;
(2) 
The age of the applicant at the time of the commission of crime;
(3) 
The amount of time that has elapsed since the applicant's last criminal activity;
(4) 
The conduct and work activity of the applicant prior to and following the criminal activity;
(5) 
Evidence of the applicant's rehabilitation or rehabilitative effort while incarcerated or following release; and
(6) 
Other evidence of the applicant's present fitness, including letters of recommendation from prosecution, law enforcement, and correctional officers who prosecuted, arrested or had custodial responsibility for the applicant; the sheriff and chief of police in the community where the applicant resides; and any other persons in contact with the applicant.
(c) 
It is the responsibility of the applicant, to the extent possible, to secure and provide to the director the evidence required to determine present fitness.
(d) 
As an additional qualification, the director may uniformly require applicants to pass an examination given by the director that tests the applicant's knowledge of:
(1) 
Traffic laws;
(2) 
A driver's duties under this chapter;
(3) 
Revised regulations promulgated by the director; and
(4) 
The geography of the city.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
To obtain a taxicab driver's permit or renewal of a taxicab driver's permit a person must file a completed written application with the director on a form provided for the purpose. The director shall require each application to state such information as he considers necessary to determine whether an applicant is qualified.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
(a) 
For the purpose of determining qualification under section 37-24, the director may require an applicant to submit to a physical or psychological examination at applicant's expense conducted by a licensed physician/psychologist and to furnish to the director a statement from the physician or psychologist which certifies that the physician has examined the applicant and that in the physician's or psychologist's professional opinion the applicant is qualified.
(b) 
The director may conduct such other investigation as he considers necessary to determine whether an applicant for a taxicab driver's license is qualified.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
(a) 
If the director determines that an applicant is qualified, he shall issue a permit to the applicant.
(b) 
The director may deny the permit if the applicant:
(1) 
Is not qualified under section 37-24 or 37-26;
(2) 
Refuses to submit to or does not pass a medical/psychological or written examination authorized under section 37-26; or
(3) 
Makes a false statement of a material fact in his application for a taxicab driver's permit or renewal.
(c) 
If the director determines that a permit should be denied the applicant, the director shall notify the applicant in writing that his application is denied and include in the notice the reason for denial and a statement informing the applicant of his right of appeal.
(d) 
A driver's permit is nontransferable and expires on the next birthdate of the applicant.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
If a taxicab driver's permit is lost or destroyed, the director shall issue the permittee a duplicate permit upon payment to the city of a duplicate permit fee of ten dollars ($10.00).
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
(a) 
The taxicab driver's permit shall be prominently displayed on the dashboard or sun visor at all times in full view of persons in the back seat of the taxicab being driven by the permittee. Such permit shall have attached to it a picture of the permittee, his name, age and such other information as may be deemed proper by the director.
(b) 
A taxicab driver shall allow the director or any peace officer to examine his permit upon request.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986; Ordinance 6237, § 1, adopted 3/25/1993)
(a) 
If the director determines that a permittee has failed to comply with this chapter (except section 37-24) the director may suspend the taxicab driver's permit for a definite period of time not to exceed thirty (30) days.
(b) 
If at any time the director determines that a permittee is not qualified under section 37-24, the director shall suspend a taxicab driver's permit until such time as the director determines that the permittee is qualified.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful for a permittee whose taxicab driver's permit is suspended to operate a taxicab inside the city during the period of suspension.
(d) 
The director shall notify the permittee in writing of a suspension under this section and include in the notice the reason for the suspension, the date the suspension is to begin, the duration of suspension and a statement informing the permittee of his right of appeal. This notice can be accomplished either by in-hand delivery or by mailing said notice to the permittee's last reported address. The period of suspension begins on the date specified by the director, or in the case of an appeal, on the date ordered by an appeal hearing officer. The filing of an appeal stays the suspension pending the outcome of the appeal unless the director finds that allowing the permittee to operate a taxicab pending appeal would constitute a danger to the public, which finding will be contained in the notice of suspension. In such an event the permittee may request that his appeal hearing be expedited to the next working day after the date of suspension and such request will be granted.
(e) 
The director may revoke a taxicab driver's permit if the director determines that the permittee:
(1) 
Operated a taxicab inside the city during a period in which his taxicab driver's permit was suspended;
(2) 
Made a false statement of a material fact in his application for a taxicab driver's permit or renewal; or
(3) 
Engaged in conduct that constitutes a ground for suspension under subsection (a), and received either a suspension in excess of three (3) days or a conviction for violation of this chapter, two (2) times within the twenty-four-month period preceding the occurrence of the conduct.
(f) 
A person whose taxicab driver's permit is revoked shall not:
(1) 
Apply for another taxicab driver's permit before the expiration of twelve (12) months from the date the director revokes the permit or, in the case of an appeal, the date the appeal hearing officer affirms the revocation; or
(2) 
Drive a taxicab for hire within the city.
(g) 
The director shall notify the permittee in writing of a revocation and include in the notice the reason for the revocation, the date the director orders the revocation and a statement informing the permittee of his right of appeal. This notice shall be accomplished as in subsection (d).
(h) 
After receipt of notice of revocation, the permittee shall, on the date specified in the notice, discontinue driving a taxicab for hire inside the city and shall surrender his taxicab driver's permit to the director. The filing of an appeal stays the revocation pending the outcome of the appeal unless the director finds that allowing the permittee to operate a taxicab pending appeal would constitute a danger to the public, which finding will be contained in the notice of revocation. In such an event the permittee may request that his appeal hearing be expedited to the next working day after the date of revocation and such request will be granted.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
(a) 
A person may appeal a denial of a taxicab driver's permit application, renewal of a permit, suspension of a taxicab driver's permit or the revocation of a taxicab driver's permit, if he requests an appeal in writing, delivered to the director not more than fifteen (15) business days after notice of the director's action is mailed or delivered in hand.
(b) 
The city manager or his designated representative shall act as the appeal hearing officer in an appeal hearing under this section. The hearing officer shall give the appealing party an opportunity to present evidence and make argument in his behalf. The formal rules of evidence do not apply to an appeal hearing under this section, and the hearing officer shall make his ruling on the basis of a preponderance of the evidence presented at the hearing. The appealing party may be represented by legal counsel.
(c) 
The hearing officer may affirm, modify, or reverse all or part of the action of the director being appealed. The decision of the hearing officer is final.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)
A person commits an offense if he:
(1) 
Forges, alters or counterfeits a taxicab driver's permit, badge, sticker or emblem required by law; or
(2) 
Possesses forged, altered or counterfeited taxicab driver's permit, badge, sticker or emblem required by law.
(Ordinance 5009, § 1, adopted 8/14/1986)