Key facts
- Who licenses taxis
- Cities and towns, under General Laws chapter 40, section 22[1]
- Boston licence
- Hackney Carriage Driver's Licence, from the Boston Police[2]
- Minimum age, Boston
- 21[2]
- Tests, Boston
- English examination and a hackney carriage driver's test[2]
- Driving history, Boston
- A valid licence, held in the US for at least two years[2]
- Commercial passenger vehicles
- P (passenger transport) endorsement on a commercial licence[3]
Who licenses taxi drivers in Massachusetts?
Cities and towns. General Laws chapter 40, section 22 lets a city or town make ordinances, bylaws or rules for the regulation of carriages and vehicles used in it, set penalties for breaking them, and set and receive an annual fee for each licence it grants.[1]
What does Boston require of a hackney carriage driver?
Under Boston Police Rule 403 an applicant must be 21 or older, pass an examination in speaking, reading, writing and understanding English, pass a hackney carriage driver's test, hold a valid Massachusetts driver's licence (or a valid state licence if not a resident) and have had a US driver's licence for at least two years. Applications are made in person at Boston Police Headquarters.[2]
Which driving records rule an applicant out in Boston?
Being judged a habitual traffic offender within the past five years, having unresolved driving infractions that could bring a suspension, or a suspension for five or more surchargeable incidents within five years. More than four traffic violations or at-fault accidents in the last three years also disqualify, as does a hackney licence revoked or suspended anywhere.[2]
What must a licensed taxicab show?
Outside Dukes and Nantucket counties, state law requires every metered taxicab licensed under section 22 to carry the owner's name or trade name and the name of the city or town that licensed it, painted on its sides in letters at least four inches high and half an inch wide.[1]
When is a commercial licence needed?
To carry passengers in a commercial vehicle a driver needs the P (passenger transport) endorsement on a commercial driver's licence, which takes a written and a road exam, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.[3]
Frequently asked questions
How old must a Boston taxi driver be?
At least 21, under Boston Police Rule 403.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] Massachusetts General Laws: Chapter 40, Section 22, regulation of vehicles; taxicab licenses (read 17 May 2026)
- [2] Boston Police Department: Rule 403, Hackney Carriage Rules and Regulations (28 March 2024) (read 11 Nov 2026)
- [3] Massachusetts RMV: Commercial Driver's License (CDL) classes and endorsements (read 12 Jul 2026)
