Key facts
How many taxi, limo and NEMT businesses are there in California?
1,418 employer businesses across the three trades in 2023, with 14,128 employees: 224 taxi and ridesharing, 672 limousine and 522 special needs transportation firms. Fastest change since 2022: taxi and ridesharing, +20%.[1][2]
| Industry | Businesses | Employees | Annual payroll | Businesses vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi and ridesharing services (485310) | 224 | 2,777 | $470.8 million | +20% |
| Limousine service (485320) | 672 | 4,351 | $196.7 million | +9% |
| Special needs transportation (485991) | 522 | 7,000 | $296.6 million | +11% |
- Taxi and ridesharing: jobs 3,132 → 2,777 (-11%), payroll $636.0 million → $470.8 million
- Limousine: jobs 3,758 → 4,351 (+16%), payroll $176.7 million → $196.7 million
- Special needs (NEMT-type): jobs 6,125 → 7,000 (+14%), payroll $247.5 million → $296.6 million
How many self-employed taxi and limo drivers are there in California?
201,485 nonemployer taxi and limousine businesses filed in 2023 (183,574 in 2022, +10%), with $5.86 billion in receipts, about $29,075 each. That is 225 for every employer taxi or limo firm.[3]
How does California compare with other states?
California ranks 24th for taxi and ridesharing firms per million residents and 8th for limousine firms per million residents among the 51 states and DC.[1][3][4]
| Measure | California | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi and ridesharing firms per million residents | 5.7 | 5.5 | 24th of 51 |
| Limousine firms per million residents | 17.1 | 6.3 | 8th of 49 |
| Special needs transport employees per 100,000 | 17.9 | 16.6 | 24th of 50 |
| Self-employed taxi and limo businesses per 1,000 | 5.1 | 2.3 | 9th of 51 |
What do taxi, limo and NEMT employers in California pay?
Special needs (NEMT-type) is California's biggest employer of the three, with 7,000 employees.[1]
| Industry | California | Median state |
|---|---|---|
| taxi and ridesharing | $169,544 | $37,725 |
| limousine | $45,198 | $34,898 |
| special needs (NEMT-type) | $42,370 | $34,646 |
How are taxi, limo and NEMT firms in California organised?
Among California's 672 limousine employers, the commonest form is S-corp (454).[1]
| Trade | S-corp | C-corp | Sole prop. | Partnership | Non-profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| taxi and ridesharing | 124 | 66 | 23 | 10 | 0 |
| limousine | 454 | 97 | 54 | 65 | 0 |
| special needs (NEMT-type) | 262 | 103 | 55 | 67 | 35 |
What does this mean if you want to start one in California?
California holds 12.2% of US employer firms in the three trades. Licensing is local for most taxis; check your city or county, and the state for limousines.[1]
- Taxi and ridesharing: 12.4 employees per firm on average
- Limousine: 6.5 employees per firm on average
- Special needs (NEMT-type): 13.4 employees per firm on average
| Trade | 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-19 | 20-49 | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| taxi and ridesharing | 171 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 10 |
| limousine | 506 | 80 | 46 | 21 | 19 |
| special needs (NEMT-type) | 261 | 88 | 85 | 64 | 22 |
Frequently asked questions
How many limo and NEMT companies are there in California?
672 limousine and 522 special needs transportation employers in 2023.
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] Census CBP 2023 (read 8 Nov 2026)
- [2] Census CBP 2022 (read 8 Nov 2026)
- [3] Census Nonemployer Statistics (read 8 Nov 2026)
- [4] Census population estimates (read 8 Nov 2026)
