No person shall drive any vehicle requiring a license pursuant to this chapter upon the streets of the City nor shall the holder of any license granted pursuant to this chapter permit any such vehicle to be so driven unless such driver shall possess a valid hackney license issued pursuant to this chapter. The driver and/or owner of any vehicle operated without such a hackney license or otherwise in violation of this chapter or any rule or regulation issued pursuant to this chapter may be fined up to $300 per violation. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense.
The Superintendent shall have the authority to issue hackney licenses pursuant to this chapter and upon such terms and conditions as the Superintendent may deem reasonably appropriate. Such hackney licenses shall be valid for a term of one year from the date of issuance and shall be renewed annually.
Upon the issuance or renewal of any hackney license required by this chapter, said driver shall pay, to the City of Lowell, a fee as shall be determined by the Superintendent and as provided for by rules and regulations adopted pursuant to § 254-3.
The Superintendent may issue hackney licenses only to applicants who shall:
A. 
Be 18 years of age or older.
B. 
Possess a valid driver's license.
C. 
Be of good physical and mental health. The applicant, at the discretion of the Lowell Police Department, may be required to submit to a physical examination, including examination of the applicant's eyesight and/or hearing.
D. 
Be able to read and speak the English language.
E. 
Have taken and successfully completed a written examination, prepared and administered by the Lowell Police Department, which examination shall test the applicant's knowledge of this chapter and the geography, street system and landmarks of the City.
F. 
Have such person's fingerprints taken by the Police Department.
G. 
Have taken and successfully completed a road test administered by the Police Department if such test shall be deemed necessary by the Police Department.
H. 
Consent and submit to a full criminal background investigation, including but not limited to a CORI check and any other such further investigation as may be deemed necessary by the Police Department.
I. 
Be a person of good moral character. The applicant shall not have a criminal record including, within the past seven years, any of the following:
(1) 
Conviction of a felony.
(2) 
Violations of parole or probation.
(3) 
Conviction of illegal gambling and/or lottery.
(4) 
Conviction of sex offense.
(5) 
Conviction of assault and battery on or disobeying the directives of a police officer.
(6) 
Conviction of narcotics- and/or alcohol-related offenses.
(7) 
Conviction of illegal possession of firearms.
(8) 
Conviction of four or more violations of motor vehicle laws.
A. 
Each application for a hackney license or for a renewal of a hackney license shall be made upon forms furnished by the Police Department and shall contain the information set forth in Subsection A(1) through (3) and such further information as the Superintendent may require.
(1) 
Name, age, residence, sex, height, weight, color of eyes and hair, nationality, place of birth, whether a citizen of the United States, length of time the person has resided in the greater Lowell area and place of employment.
(2) 
Whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a violation of a federal or state law or a City ordinance and whether the applicant has, currently pending against him, any criminal charges and the court in which such charges are pending.
(3) 
Whether the person has previously been authorized by any city or state as a taxicab or livery vehicle driver and, if so, where and whether such authority was ever suspended or revoked and the cause and circumstances of such suspension or revocation.
B. 
Each applicant shall file with the application two copies of a photograph of the applicant depicting the applicant as of the date of the application. Each applicant shall file with the application one copy of the applicant's driver's license. Every applicant shall submit with the application a signed release authorizing the license administrator to have access to such criminal history record information as the Superintendent may lawfully demand and have access to.
The holder of a hackney license issued pursuant to this chapter shall provide to the Superintendent written notice of any change in the information required by § 254-21. Such notice shall be either mailed, via first-class mail, within 24 hours of such change or shall be delivered in hand within 48 hours of such change.
A hackney license issued pursuant to this chapter shall terminate automatically and simultaneously with the suspension or revocation of said driver's license to operator a motor vehicle. Said driver shall thereupon immediately surrender his/her hackney license to the Police Department.