Legal Status of California Ground Transportation Company

Before You Book Ground Transportation:

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates for-hire passenger carriers including limousine, shuttle, and charter-bus operators. Taxicab companies are regulated by individual counties and or cities within the state of California.

The CPUC website includes a configurator which enables travelers to verify the permit status of a ground transportation company in real-time. The configurator provides information including the company's permit number, address, dba name(s), contact name, phone number, business address and insurance information.

According to state regulation Assembly Bill 1310 (AB 1310), all vehicle for hire carriers are required to include their certificate, license and or permit number in every written or oral advertisement. A company's permit number can be entered into the CPUC configurator to obtain the carrier status (active, revoked, expired, and or denied). Companies with a revoked, expired and or denied carrier status may be operating unsafe vehicles and may not be insured.

Based on research conducted by TransportationReviews.com, up to 50% or more of California ground transportation companies fail to display their permit information on their company website. In addition, many operators fail to clearly communicate their legal business name. For your safety, company names listed with in our directories display the company's legal business name or a registered dba name.


Taxi companies operating within the state of California are regulated by one or more Cities and Counties. According to state regulations, Senate Bill 1519 (SB 1519), all taxi companies are required to include their certificate, license and or permit number in every written or oral advertisment.

Burbank: The License and Code Services Division of the city of Burbank is responsible for regulating taxi companies who pickup passengers within Burbank. Contact 818-238-5280 for general inquiries or to file a formal complaint.

Long Beach: The Vice Investigations / Special Permits division of the Long Beach Police Department is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the metro Long Beach area. Contact 562-570-7219 for general inquiries or to file a formal complaint.

Los Angeles: The Taxi Services division of the City Of Los Angeles Department Of Transportation is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the Los Angeles area. Please contact Taxi Services directly at 800-501-0999 for general inquiries or to file a formal complaint.

Oakland: The Taxi Detail Unit of the Oakland Police Department is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the metro Oakland area. Please contact the Taxi Detail Unit directly at 510-777-8527 for general inquiries or to file a formal complaint.

Orange County: The Orange County Taxi Administration Program (OCTAP) is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within Orange County. The OCTAP website includes a list of all taxi companies who are permitted to pickup passengers. Contact OCTAP directly at 949-654-8294 for general inquiries or to file an official complaint.

Palm Springs (Coachella Valley): The SunLine Regulatory Administration is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the Coachella Valley which includes the city of Palm Springs. Coachella Valley includes the cities of: Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage. Contact the SunLine Regulatory Administration directly at 800-347-8628 for general inquiries or to file an official complaint.

Sacramento: The Business Compliance division is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the city of Sacramento. Call 916-264-5011 for general inquiries or to file an official complaint.

San Diego: The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Taxicab Administration is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the City of San Diego. Please contact the MTS Taxicab Administration directly at 619-595-3086 for general inquiries or to file a compliment, complaint and or suggestion.

San Francisco: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the metro San Francisco area. Please contact SFMTA directly at 415-701-2323 for general inquiries or to file a formal complaint.

San Jose: The Permit Unit Division of the San Jose Police Department is responsible for regulating taxi companies who operate within the city of San Jose. Please contact the taxi unit directly at 408-277-4024 for general inquiries or to file a formal complaint.