Key facts
- Everyday licence
- Regular Class C, for a single vehicle under 26,001 lb[1]
- Commercial licence
- From 16 passengers, including the driver, with a passenger endorsement[2]
- Taxi driver permit
- Issued by the city, where its ordinance requires one[3]
- Permit fee cap
- $15 for a taxicab driver's licence or permit[3]
- Limousine plates
- For-hire plates that set limousines apart from taxicabs[4]
Does North Carolina have a chauffeur licence?
The state driver handbook describes regular Classes A, B and C and the commercial licence, and no chauffeur licence. It says most drivers need only a regular Class C licence, which covers a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating under 26,001 pounds.[1]
When does a paid driver need a commercial licence?
When the vehicle is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver. NCDMV says commercial licences are required for those drivers, paid or volunteer, and that transporting passengers needs a special endorsement on top of the licence.[2]
Who licenses taxi drivers in North Carolina?
Cities. G.S. 160A-304 lets a city license and regulate all vehicles operated for hire and require taxicab drivers to obtain a licence or permit from it, for a fee of no more than $15. A city may require a controlled substance examination, and a national criminal history check with fingerprints where its ordinance authorises one.[3]
What can cost an applicant the taxi permit?
The statute lists grounds a city may use to refuse or revoke a permit. They include conviction of a felony, a violation of federal or state law on alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs, and addiction to or habitual use of them.[3]
How are limousines registered?
As for-hire passenger vehicles. G.S. 20-87 taxes limousine vehicles, meaning for-hire passenger vehicles on call or demand that do not solicit passengers along the street, at the same rate as other for-hire passenger vehicles, and gives them registration plates that set them apart from taxicabs.[4]
Frequently asked questions
How much can a North Carolina city charge for a taxi driver permit?
No more than $15, under G.S. 160A-304.
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] North Carolina DMV: North Carolina Driver Handbook (read 11 Nov 2026)
- [2] North Carolina DMV: Commercial driver license (read 11 Nov 2026)
- [3] North Carolina General Statutes: G.S. 160A-304, regulation of taxis (read 28 Feb 2026)
- [4] North Carolina General Statutes: G.S. 20-87, passenger vehicle registration fees (read 10 Nov 2025)
