Vehicle inspections.
Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 8-245
in effectSec. 8-245. - Vehicle inspections.
(a) Inspections.
(1) Required. No person shall operate or allow or cause to be operated a vehicle for hire until the vehicle has been inspected as prescribed in this section under the direction of the chief of police and director of parking and public transit and found to be in safe operating condition, clean, sanitary, fit and of good appearance, and meeting the applicable standards and requirements of this division.
(2) Inspection criteria. To pass inspection a vehicle for hire shall, at a minimum, meet applicable state laws governing vehicle equipment, including requirements for child passenger restraints and safety belts for front seat occupants, and shall pass an inspection of vehicle components, as applicable for the particular type of eligible livery vehicle, outlined by the director of parking and public transit and identified on an approved city vehicle inspection sheet.
(b) Authority to inspect, inspectors.
(1) Department inspections. The inspecting of eligible livery vehicles or certified vehicles for hire shall be under the control and direction of the chief of police and the director of parking and public transit. The chief of police and the director and parking and public transit are hereby authorized to use such members of or persons assigned to their respective departments as they may designate as deputies and inspectors, to carry out the provisions of this division, including performing vehicle inspections.
(2) Private inspections. In lieu of using department designated personnel to conduct inspections, the chief of police and the director of parking and public transit are hereby authorized to accept or require inspections, in whole or part, be performed by a private technician or mechanic that is ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified (series A) or meeting the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) inspector qualifications of 40 C.F.R. § 396.19, or any succeeding federal regulation, and that is not an employee of a vehicle for hire company. In the case of private inspections, the qualified inspector shall be required to certify to the city that the vehicle meets the inspection criteria established in subsection (a) of this section. The director of parking and public transit shall provide to a certificate holder an approved private inspection form to be completed and certified to by the private inspector.
(3) Wheelchair equipment inspections. In the case of vehicles that are wheelchair accessible, inspections of wheelchair accessibility equipment and related features shall be performed by dealers having National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) Quality Assurance Program (QAP) accreditation or other similar nationally recognized accreditation programs for dealers. The inspectors shall be required to certify to the city that the wheelchair accessibility equipment and related features comply with the standards set forth in section 8-243.
(c) Frequency of inspections; notification of inspections; fee.
(1) Random inspections. The chief of police and director of the department of parking and public transit are hereby authorized to maintain constant vigilance over all certified vehicles for hire to see that they are kept in a condition of continued fitness for public use in compliance with this division and to that end are hereby authorized to make such incidental on-the-road or random inspections as they deem advisable.
(2) Non-routine scheduled inspections. The chief of police and the director of parking and public transit are hereby authorized to inspect or require or cause to be inspected all certified vehicles for hire from time to time or on complaint of any citizen as often as may be necessary. Such non-routine inspections shall be scheduled in advance in accordance with the scheduling provisions of this subsection (c).
(3) Routine scheduled inspections. The chief of police and the director of parking and public transit, shall inspect or require or cause to be inspected all certified vehicles for hire on a routine basis as follows:
a. Except for carriages and pedicabs, all vehicles that undergo department inspections shall be inspected at least every six months;
b. Carriages, pedicabs, and vehicles that undergo private inspections shall be inspected at least every 12 months; and
c. Wheelchair accessibility equipment and features of a vehicle shall be inspected at least every 12 months.
(4) Scheduling of routine and non-routine inspections.
a. In the case of routine and non-routine department inspections, the chief of police or the director of parking and public transit shall send written notice to a certificate holder of the date, time, and place of a scheduled routine or non-routine inspection.
b. In the case of routine private inspections, the inspection must be conducted annually no more than 30 days prior to the date of business license expiration, but in no case any longer than one year from the date of the last inspection.
c. In the case of non-routine private inspections, the chief of police or the director of parking and public transit shall send written notice to a certificate holder that the certificate holder must have performed a non- routine inspection by a stated date.
(5) Requested inspections. In the case of vehicles which undergo department inspections, a certificate holder may request in writing to the director of the department of parking and public transit inspection of a vehicle certified in accordance with the provisions of this division. Such request shall be at the director's option and shall be conducted within three working days of a proper written request to the director of the department of parking and public transit. Where the director of requires or allows a department inspection to be performed, the vehicle is to be delivered to such place at such time specified or the inspection shall be deemed waived until the next scheduled or requested inspection.
(6) Fee; cost of inspection. In the case of department inspections, a fee in the amount of $25.00 for each vehicle is hereby established for each routine, non-routine, or requested scheduled inspection. In the case of private inspections, the certificate holder shall be responsible for paying the costs of private inspections.
(Ord. No. 16-103, § 1, 2-11-2016)
Source: City of Huntsville, Alabama, publisher code (Municode) + enacted ordinances (City Council/Legistar)URL: https://library.municode.com/al/huntsville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH8BU_ARTIVVEHI_DIV2LIVE_SDIVVEAUCOINVE_S8-245VEINFetched: 11/6/2026