# Which States Require a Chauffeur License in 2027: The Paid Driver License Rule in All 50 States and DC

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/guides/chauffeur-license-by-state/ · Updated 2026-10-06

As of October 2026, 14 states issue a separate license or endorsement for paid passenger drivers who need no CDL: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia. California and New Jersey require a CDL for some paid vans, Maryland's Public Service Commission licenses for-hire drivers, and most other states need only a regular license.

- 14 states issue a separate license or endorsement for paid passenger drivers who need no CDL, and in most of them it reaches a NEMT van driver.
- Delaware treats medical transport vehicles as limousines, so their drivers need the $10 Z taxicab and limousine endorsement.
- New Jersey's MVC lists vehicles used for hire and built for 8 to 15 people, driver included, under CDL Class C.
- A CDL stands in for the paid driver license in Iowa, Indiana, and Tennessee, and Rhode Island and Louisiana Medicaid accept one too.
- Where the state has no such license, a city or county may still license drivers, as Chicago, Dallas, and several Florida counties do.

A chauffeur license is a state license for people paid to drive others in a vehicle that needs no commercial driver's license. Some states call it a chauffeur license, others a for-hire endorsement, a Class E, or a public passenger endorsement. On licenses, federal Medicaid law asks only that each NEMT driver hold a valid one, and CMS's transportation guide (September 28, 2023) says drivers need the right, current license for the vehicles they drive and that states may require a chauffeur's license for taxis and vans. So the answer depends on your state, and sometimes on the vehicle.

## Chauffeur and for-hire license rules in all 50 states and DC

As of October 2026, 14 states issue a separate license or endorsement for paid passenger drivers below the CDL line, and most of them reach a NEMT van driver. Georgia's covers only limousine, taxi, and ride-share drivers, and Indiana's reaches a NEMT driver only if the state reads your van as something other than a medical services vehicle. Look across your state's row: the middle column names the license, and the last column says whether it applies to a driver of a sedan, minivan, or wheelchair van that needs no CDL.

| State | License for paid passenger driving | Applies to a NEMT van driver? |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | None. Class D covers private passenger vehicles | No |
| Alaska | None statewide. Class D covers vehicles that are not commercial or motorcycles | Ask your city or borough |
| Arizona | None. Class D covers any vehicle that needs no CDL | No |
| Arkansas | P endorsement on a Class D to carry passengers for hire, from age 18 | Yes by statute, but see below |
| California | No chauffeur class. A CDL with a passenger endorsement for paid vehicles built or used for more than 10, driver included | Yes, at 11 or more people |
| Colorado | None. The regular license covers vehicles under the CDL line | No |
| Connecticut | F public passenger endorsement for livery vehicles and service buses | Yes |
| Delaware | Z taxicab and limousine endorsement | Yes. Medical transport vehicles operate as limousines |
| District of Columbia | No DMV class. The Department of For-Hire Vehicles licenses taxicab and limousine drivers | Only if DFHV treats your vans as taxis or limousines |
| Florida | None. Class E covers vans built for 15, driver included | Only where a county licenses drivers |
| Georgia | For-hire endorsement on the license, or an employer background check, for limousine, taxi, and ride-share drivers | Only if your company is a certified limousine or taxi carrier |
| Hawaii | None. Category 3 covers buses built for 15 or fewer and vans up to 18,000 pounds | No |
| Idaho | None. Class D covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Illinois | None. Paid drivers must be 18, or 21 with a year of driving in vehicles built for more than 10 | Only where a city licenses drivers |
| Indiana | For-hire endorsement for vehicles built for fewer than 16, driver included | Unclear. Medical services vehicles are not for hire |
| Iowa | Class D chauffeur license for anyone paid to drive people, except ride-share and small taxi drivers | Yes |
| Kansas | None. Class C covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Kentucky | None. Class D is the basic operator's license | No |
| Louisiana | Class D chauffeur's license for vehicles carrying passengers for hire | Yes, and Medicaid requires it or a CDL |
| Maine | None. Class C covers vehicles below the CDL classes | No |
| Maryland | No MVA class. Public Service Commission for-hire driver's license | Yes, for drivers of PSC carriers |
| Massachusetts | None. Class D covers passenger vehicles, vans, and small trucks | No |
| Michigan | Chauffeur license for motor carriers of passengers and bus drivers | Yes, in vehicles seating 9 or more |
| Minnesota | None. Class D covers vehicles of 26,000 pounds or less | No |
| Mississippi | Class D light commercial license for up to 15 passengers | Yes |
| Missouri | Class E for-hire license for paid drivers carrying 14 or fewer | Yes, except taxi and rideshare drivers in vehicles of 12,000 pounds or less |
| Montana | None. Class D covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Nebraska | None. Class O covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Nevada | None. The Transportation Authority permits drivers of the carriers it certifies | Ask the Authority. Carriers under a Nevada Health Authority contract are exempt from its certificate |
| New Hampshire | None. The Class D operator license covers vehicles of 26,000 pounds or less | No |
| New Jersey | No chauffeur class. The MVC lists for-hire vehicles built for 8 to 15 under CDL Class C | Yes, for vans built for 8 or more |
| New Mexico | None. Class D covers vehicles under 26,001 pounds | No |
| New York | Class E for taxi and livery drivers carrying up to 14 riders | Yes. Ambulettes run under NYSDOT authority need a CDL |
| North Carolina | None. The regular Class C covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| North Dakota | None. Class D covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Ohio | None. Class D covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Oklahoma | None. Class D covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Oregon | None. Class C covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Pennsylvania | None. Class C covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Rhode Island | Chauffeur license or CDL, plus a utility division Blue Card, from age 21 | Yes, under the 2024 NEMT law |
| South Carolina | None. Cities and counties may license taxi and bus drivers | Only where local law requires it |
| South Dakota | None. A CDL starts at vehicles built for 16 or more, driver included | No |
| Tennessee | F for-hire endorsement on a Class D | Yes |
| Texas | None. Class C covers vehicles that need no CDL | Only where a city licenses drivers |
| Utah | None. Class D covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Vermont | None. The standard license covers non-commercial vehicles | No |
| Virginia | None. The state issues a regular license, a CDL, and school bus and motorcycle licenses | No |
| Washington | No driver class. The for-hire license is an endorsement on the business license | No state license for drivers |
| West Virginia | Class D for drivers whose main job is carrying people or property for pay | Yes, unless the vehicle is registered in Class A and under 8,001 pounds |
| Wisconsin | None. Class D covers cars and light trucks | No |
| Wyoming | None. Class C covers non-commercial vehicles | No |

A "None" means the state has no separate license, not that nothing applies. Cities and counties can still license drivers. Chicago requires a [city chauffeur license or a CDL for medicar drivers](https://nemtguide.com/states/illinois/chicago/), Dallas issues [transportation for hire driver permits](https://nemtguide.com/states/texas/dallas/), and several Florida counties license wheelchair and stretcher companies, with Miami-Dade registering their drivers as chauffeurs (see the [Florida NEMT license guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/florida-nemt-license/)). South Carolina's licensing law says outright that local boards may require extra licenses for taxi, bus, and other public conveyance drivers (S.C. Code 56-1-20). In Washington, the Department of Licensing's for-hire license is an endorsement on the business license, not a license for each driver, and your local jurisdiction signs the application; the [WA Cares transportation provider guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/wa-cares-transportation-provider/) covers that credential.

Five rows need a closer read:

- **Arkansas.** A Class D license is not valid to carry passengers for hire without a P endorsement, which the state issues from age 18 (Act 241 of 1989, now Ark. Code 27-23-111). The state's own endorsement chart describes P as authorizing up to 15 passengers, driver included, for non-commercial purposes, which does not match the statute's for-hire wording. Ask Driver Services in writing whether your paid drivers need it.
- **Delaware.** Its public carrier regulations say medical transport vehicles, built or used for 15 or fewer people, operate as limousines, and state law requires every limousine driver to hold the Z endorsement (21 Del. C. 2761). See the [Delaware NEMT guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/delaware/).
- **Georgia.** The Department of Driver Services issues the for-hire endorsement to drivers employed by a limousine company, taxi service, or ride-share network that holds a Class B Carrier Certificate from the Department of Public Safety. It is optional: the employer's own background check certification, valid for 5 years, works instead. Anyone driving for a limousine company, in a sedan or a van, needs one or the other. Whether your NEMT vans count as a limousine or taxi operation is a question for the Department of Public Safety, which regulates those carriers.
- **Indiana.** The BMV's $19 for-hire endorsement covers vehicles built for fewer than 16 people that carry passengers for hire. The BMV also lists operating a medical services vehicle as not transporting for hire, and Indiana Code 9-13-2-100 defines one to include a vehicle routinely used to carry patients who are not acutely ill or injured. Ask the BMV in writing whether your vans count, and see the [Indiana NEMT guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/indiana/).
- **Michigan.** The chauffeur license follows the vehicle. Drivers of vehicles that seat 9 or more, driver included, need it, while limousine and taxicab drivers are excluded. The [Michigan chauffeur license guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/michigan-chauffeur-license/) sorts a fleet vehicle by vehicle.

## What each state's license takes and costs

Most of these licenses take a written test and a vision screening at the licensing office, with no road test for a driver who already holds a regular license. Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, and Rhode Island add a criminal background check, and Connecticut also requires a physical. These are the steps and fees as of October 2026:

| State | What the driver does | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Physical within 90 days to the federal driver standard, fingerprints, a background check, and a DMV video on serving riders with disabilities | $88.25 fingerprint processing, then $12 a year on the license plus a $30 change fee |
| Delaware | Age 18 with a year of driving, a state and federal background check, the Class D knowledge test, and an accident prevention course within 30 days | $10, and $10 to renew |
| Georgia | An online application, a letter from a limousine, taxi, or ride-share company that holds a state carrier certificate, and fingerprints | $15 application fee, nonrefundable |
| Indiana | Age 18, licensed more than a year, a vision screening, and the for-hire knowledge test | $19, charged once |
| Louisiana | A vision test and the chauffeur knowledge test, 80 percent to pass, with no road test for a Class E holder | $54.75, or $66 in New Orleans, plus a local fee of up to $6 |
| Michigan | A written test at a Secretary of State office | $35 |
| Mississippi | The Class D written test, with no road test or medical card | $29 for 4 years or $57 for 8 |
| Missouri | A written test that includes commercial vehicle rules, plus vision and road sign tests | $24 for 3 years or $48 for 6 |
| Tennessee | Age 18, 2 years of unrestricted driving, a vision screening, and the for-hire knowledge test | $4.50 |

Iowa asks no knowledge or driving test of a driver who already holds a valid Iowa license, only a vision screening and a clear driving record for the previous two years. Rhode Island's Blue Card asks for a driving record and a state criminal record from the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Identification, each dated within 30 days. New York's Class E fee depends on when the driver's current license expires.

Each state has its own guide with the step-by-step: [Connecticut](https://nemtguide.com/guides/connecticut-public-passenger-endorsement/), [Louisiana](https://nemtguide.com/guides/louisiana-class-d-chauffeur-license/), [Mississippi](https://nemtguide.com/guides/mississippi-class-d-license/), [Missouri](https://nemtguide.com/guides/missouri-class-e-license/), [New York](https://nemtguide.com/guides/new-york-class-e-license/), [Tennessee](https://nemtguide.com/guides/tennessee-f-endorsement/), and [Maryland's PSC license](https://nemtguide.com/guides/maryland-psc-for-hire-driver-license/).

## Your duty as the employer

The license sits on the driver's card, but the risk sits with you. Indiana makes it explicit: an employer may not employ anyone to drive in a way that needs the for-hire endorsement unless that person holds the endorsement, a valid CDL, or an unexpired chauffeur's or public passenger chauffeur's license from before 2017 (Indiana Code 9-24-8.5-7).

Medicaid programs check it too. Louisiana Medicaid requires every NEMT driver to hold a Class D or a CDL, and Tennessee's managed care contract asks for a Class D with the F endorsement or a CDL. Connecticut makes driving without the endorsement an infraction, and a crash with an unlicensed driver at the wheel invites a [negligent entrustment](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/negligent-entrustment/) claim against your company.

Put the license class and endorsement in each driver's file next to the expiration date, and check it again at every renewal. The [driver qualification file checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-driver-file-checklist/) has a line for it, and [NEMT driver requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-requirements/) covers the age, record, and training rules that sit on top of it.

## Drivers who live in another state

Border-area companies often hire drivers licensed next door, and the states treat them differently:

- **Tennessee.** A nonresident may drive with a valid license from the home state that is equivalent to the Tennessee class, and TennCare accepts the equivalent license from the driver's state of residence.
- **Connecticut.** A nonresident may drive a vehicle that needs the public passenger endorsement if the home state issued the equivalent endorsement.
- **Delaware.** Out-of-state taxi and limousine drivers must meet their home state's requirements and Delaware's own qualifications. Their employer keeps a current copy of the home-state driving record, reviews it every year, and keeps their criminal background check on file (21 Del. C. 2765).

The hard case is a driver from a state with no chauffeur class at all, such as Alabama or Kentucky, crossing into a state that has one. There is no equivalent endorsement to show. Ask the licensing office of the state where the trips happen, in writing, before that driver takes a ride there. A driver who moves to your state must switch to a local license within that state's deadline, and then the local paid driver rule applies in full.

## How a chauffeur license differs from a CDL

A CDL follows federal rules and starts at a vehicle designed for 16 or more people, driver included, or rated at 26,001 pounds or more (49 CFR 383.5). A chauffeur or for-hire license is a state class for paid driving below those lines. It usually needs no medical card: Mississippi says its Class D needs no medical card or passenger endorsement. Connecticut is the exception, with a physical to the federal driver standard.

In several states a CDL stands in for the chauffeur license. Iowa's law says a CDL holder needs no separate Class D to drive as a chauffeur. Indiana counts a valid CDL, Tennessee treats a CDL as valid for Class D vehicles, West Virginia counts Class A, B, and C licenses as chauffeur's licenses, and Rhode Island's Blue Card accepts a CDL in place of the chauffeur license. Connecticut, Delaware, and Georgia still ask for their own endorsement or background check.

Two states move the CDL line lower for paid vans:

- **California.** A vehicle designed, used, or maintained for more than 10 people, driver included, that carries riders for pay is a bus, and its driver needs a CDL with the passenger endorsement (Vehicle Code 233, 15210, and 15278).
- **New Jersey.** The MVC's CDL page lists any vehicle used for hire and designed for 8 to 15 people, driver included, in CDL Class C. The statute it rests on, N.J.S.A. 39:3-10.11, describes such vehicles carrying people for hire daily to and from places of employment. Assembly Bill A4920, introduced May 7, 2026, would remove the 8 to 15 rule. Until the MVC tells you otherwise in writing, staff a van built for 8 or more with a CDL driver. Sedans and livery vans also need the MVC's limousine driver approval; see the [New Jersey livery license guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/new-jersey-livery-license/).

New York goes further for ambulettes run under NYSDOT authority, whose drivers need a CDL with the passenger endorsement at any size. The full CDL picture, including how to count seats on a converted van, is in [do NEMT drivers need a CDL](https://nemtguide.com/guides/do-nemt-drivers-need-a-cdl/).

## How to check your state before you hire

1. **Find your state's row** in the table above, and read the linked state guide if there is one.
2. **Check your vehicle against the line.** Count seats by the original design, driver included, and read the weight rating on the door pillar label.
3. **Ask your city or county** whether it licenses drivers, even where the state does not.
4. **Ask each broker** which licenses it accepts. Many write the state rule into the provider manual, and some ask for more.
5. **Record the license class, endorsement, and expiration** in each driver file, and set a reminder 60 days before each one expires.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which states have no chauffeur license at all?

Most of them. As of October 2026, 33 states have no separate license class or endorsement for paid passenger drivers below the CDL line. Nevada says plainly that it issues no chauffeur's license, though its Transportation Authority permits drivers of the carriers it certifies, and DC's Department of For-Hire Vehicles licenses taxicab and limousine drivers. Cities such as Chicago and Dallas also license drivers on their own.

### Does a CDL count as a chauffeur license?

In some states that have one. Iowa law says a CDL holder needs no separate Class D chauffeur license, and Indiana lets an employer use a driver with a valid CDL instead of the for-hire endorsement. Tennessee treats a Class A, B, or C CDL as valid for Class D vehicles, West Virginia counts Class A, B, and C licenses as chauffeur's licenses, and Rhode Island's Blue Card accepts a CDL. Connecticut, Delaware, and Georgia still ask for their own endorsement or background check. Ask your broker too, since some list the licenses they accept.

### Can a driver licensed in another state drive my NEMT vans?

Sometimes. Tennessee lets a nonresident drive with a valid home-state license equal to the Tennessee class, and Connecticut accepts the equivalent endorsement from the driver's home state. Delaware requires out-of-state taxi and limousine drivers to meet its own qualifications as well, and their employer keeps their driving record and background check on file.

### Do New Jersey NEMT van drivers need a CDL?

It depends on how many people the van was built to carry. The MVC's CDL page lists any vehicle used for hire and designed for 8 to 15 people, driver included, in CDL Class C. The statute behind it describes such vehicles carrying people for hire daily to and from work, and a bill introduced May 7, 2026 would remove the rule. Ask the MVC before you put a driver without a CDL in a van built for 8 or more.

### How is a chauffeur license different from a CDL?

A CDL follows federal rules and starts at a vehicle built for 16 or more people, driver included, or rated at 26,001 pounds or more. A chauffeur or for-hire license is a state class for paid driving below those lines. It usually takes a written test and a vision screening, with no road test or medical card, though Connecticut requires a physical to the federal driver standard.

### Do volunteer drivers need a chauffeur license?

Usually not. Tennessee exempts volunteers driving Class D vehicles from the for-hire endorsement, and Michigan excludes volunteer program drivers who receive only reimbursement for operating costs. Iowa's definition covers people driving for wages, compensation, or hire. If a volunteer is paid more than expenses, check the state's definition before the first ride.

## Official resources

- [Connecticut DMV: Public passenger endorsement](https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/licenses-permits-ids/driver-license-endorsements/apply-public-passenger-endorsement)
- [Delaware DMV: Taxicab and limousine endorsement](https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/drivers_license/index.shtml?dc=dr_lic_taxi_limo)
- [Georgia DDS: For-hire endorsement](https://dds.georgia.gov/regulated-programs/hire-endorsement-program)
- [Indiana BMV: For-hire endorsement](https://www.in.gov/bmv/licenses-permits-ids/learners-permits-and-drivers-licenses-overview/drivers-license/for-hire-endorsement/)
- [Iowa DOT: License types and endorsements](https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/get-or-renew-drivers-licenses-ids-permits/drivers-license-types-restrictions-endorsements)
- [Mississippi DPS: License classes and fees](https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/Drivers/ClassR)
- [Missouri Driver Guide (Class E for-hire license)](https://dor.mo.gov/forms/Driver%20Guide.pdf)
- [New York DMV: License class descriptions](https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/new-york-state-learner-permit-and-driver-license-class-descriptions)
- [Tennessee Department of Safety: F (for-hire) endorsement](https://www.tn.gov/safety/driver-services/classd/classf.html)
- [New Jersey MVC: Commercial driver license classes](https://www.nj.gov/mvc/drivertopics/cdl.htm)