PERMITS

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 46, art. III, div. 2

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-151 Permit required.

Sec. 46-151. - Permit required. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a pedicab service without first obtaining a permit pursuant to the terms of this division. (b) Each applicant for a permit required by this division must: (1) Have no conviction of an offense listed in subsection (c) of section 1-10 of this Code; (2) Identify each pedicab the applicant desires to receive a certification decal for, including trade name, if any, serial or identification number and body style of the pedicab; (3) Provide proof of insurance pursuant to the requirements of this article; (4) If a natural person: a. Be 18 years of age or older; and b. Hold a current and valid driver's license issued by a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States. (5) Provide evidence that the applicant has a place of business within the metropolitan area from which the applicant's pedicab service will be operated and that the use of the location is in compliance with any applicable deed restrictions enforceable by the city; and (6) Provide any other information reasonably requested by the director for administration of this article. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014; Ord. No. 2022-387, § 3, 5-18-2022; Ord. No. 2025-1050, § 9, 12-17-2025)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-152 License required.

Sec. 46-152. - License required. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a pedicab without a license issued pursuant to this chapter. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-153 Fees.

Sec. 46-153. - Fees. (a) There shall be a nonrefundable application processing fee in the amount stated for this provision in the city fee schedule payable upon the filing of an application for a permit. (b) In addition to the application processing fee provided in subsection (a) of this section, an annual permit fee in the amount stated for this provision in the city fee schedule shall be paid in advance to the department of administration and regulatory affairs for each pedicab before it is placed into service and annually thereafter on or before February 1 of each year. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014; Ord. No. 2015-997, § 18, 10-14-2015; Ord. No. 2022-387, § 4, 5-18-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-154 Application.

Sec. 46-154. - Application. (a) Each person desiring to obtain a permit shall apply on forms provided by the director and shall include all information required by this article. (b) Each permit applicant (including the proprietor if a proprietorship, each partner if a partnership, or each corporate officer if a corporation) shall appear at a location specified by the director for identification and fingerprinting to determine the existence of any conviction of any applicable offense(s) set forth in subsection (c) of section 1-10 of this Code. If any conviction exists, the director shall follow the procedures set forth in section 1-9 of this Code and conduct a hearing if timely requested. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014; Ord. No. 2015-997, § 19, 10-14-2015)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-155 Review.

Sec. 46-155. - Review. (a) Following review of the application, the director shall provide the applicant with written notification of the approval or denial of the requested permit. The director shall initially review each application for issuance or amendment of a permit to determine whether the application is complete and all required information has been provided. If not, the director shall return the application with a statement of deficiencies. (b) The submission of any false information or a materially incomplete application, including but not limited to an applicant's failure to provide any information reasonably requested by the director, shall be grounds for denial of the application. In the event of denial, the director shall give the applicant written notice of the basis for the denial. The applicant shall be entitled to appeal a decision based, in whole or in part, upon section 1-10 of this Code. Notice of any denial shall comply with section 1-9 of this Code and applicable state laws. (c) If the application is denied on the basis of the applicant's failure to satisfy any other requisites stated in this division, the applicant may request a hearing by submitting a written notice of appeal to the director within 15 business days following the date notice of the director's decision is deposited in the United States Mail. A hearing official shall conduct an informal hearing and shall render a decision within 30 business days from the date of the filing of the appeal. At the hearing, the burden shall be upon the applicant to demonstrate that he is entitled to the permit. (d) If the reason for the denial of an application is curable, the director shall allow the applicant, upon a written request, to submit an amendment within the time allowed in subsections (b) and (c) for an appeal, in lieu of filing an appeal. If the director denies the application again, the applicant shall still be entitled to file an appeal within 15 business days following the date notice of the director's decision regarding the amended application is deposited in the United States Mail. (e) The director shall not issue a permit until the applicant has identified each pedicab, if not provided with the application, and has also obtained a satisfactory inspection and certification decal, provided proof of insurance, and provided proof of ownership or lease of each pedicab. (f) The director shall promulgate regulations and procedures for any required hearings which shall be consistent with sections 1-9 and 1-10 of this Code and applicable state laws. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-156 Transfer; nonexclusive; fee.

Sec. 46-156. - Transfer; nonexclusive; fee. (a) A permit is personal to the permittee to whom it is issued and may not be transferred or otherwise assigned. Any change of ownership, partnership interests, corporate officer or director on the permit application shall render a permit void, unless an application for transfer is filed within ten days following the effective date of the change. The director shall promulgate procedures for the processing of amendments and may suspend the permit pending the completion of the processing if any additional person who has acquired an interest in the business is determined to have been convicted of an offense listed in section 1-10(c) of this Code. The fee for filing an application amendment is stated for this provision in the city fee schedule. (b) Each permit is nonexclusive, and no limits or restrictions shall exist upon the number of pedicabs that may be approved, provided that each must be operated pursuant to a permit and in accordance with all applicable requirements of this article. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 46-157 Permit term.

Sec. 46-157. - Permit term. (a) A permit shall be valid for five years from the date of issuance. (b) In accordance with regulations promulgated by the director, a permit may be amended, without charge, for the limited purpose of adding, deleting or substituting any number of pedicabs; provided however, the addition, deletion, or substitution of any pedicabs pursuant to a current and valid permit shall require an inspection as provided for in section 46-161 of this Code, including the payment of the inspection fee. (Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH46VEHI_ARTIIIPE_DIV2PEFetched: 10/26/2026