[2-22-2022 by Ord. No. 22-02]
A. 
No person shall drive a taxicab within the City without a taxicab driver's permit issued by the Chief of Police.
B. 
No owner of a taxicab shall permit any person who does not possess a taxicab driver's permit issued by the Chief of Police to drive his taxicab.
C. 
Before issuing a taxicab driver's permit to any individual, or renewing a taxicab driver's permit, the Chief of Police shall perform the following background check:
(1) 
Confirm the person possesses a valid driver's license issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
(2) 
Obtain a Virginia criminal history records check of that person. If permitted by Virginia Criminal Information Network rules, the background check shall include: i) a Multi-State/Multi-Jurisdiction Criminal Records Database search or a search of a similar nationwide database with validation (primary source search); and ii) a search of the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry and the U.S. Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Website.
(3) 
Obtain and review a driving history research report on that person.
D. 
Each applicant for a taxicab driver's permit shall pay an initial application fee of $50, and a renewal fee of $25. The application shall contain such information as the Chief may require to conduct the background check or to issue the driver's permit.
E. 
Upon approval or renewal of an application, the Chief of Police shall issue a taxicab driver's permit. The permit shall include a picture of the driver. The driver shall post his taxicab driver's permit in the taxicab driven by him in such manner that it will be in full view of passengers. The driver shall keep the permit in good condition, and shall replace the permit whenever, in the opinion of the Chief of Police, it has become dirty, disfigured or mutilated so that it cannot be read or the driver cannot be identified by his photograph.
F. 
The Chief of Police shall deny a taxicab driver's permit or renewal if the background check reveals one of the disqualifying factors listed in Code of Virginia, § 46.2-2099.49, for transportation network company partners.
G. 
The Chief of Police shall suspend or revoke a taxicab driver's permit for any cause which would have been grounds for refusing to issue the permit, whether the cause occurred before or after the permit was issued.
H. 
The taxicab driver's permit shall be valid for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance, unless suspended or revoked as provided in this section.
I. 
The taxicab driver's permit shall not be transferable.