# Palm Beach County Vehicle for Hire Permit for Wheelchair and Stretcher Companies (2027)

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/palm-beach-county/ · Updated 2026-09-30

A wheelchair or stretcher company in Palm Beach County needs a vehicle for hire business permit from the Division of Consumer Affairs, a county decal for each vehicle, and a county ID badge or approved company ID for each driver. A new company needs at least two vehicles, and the new-business application lists a $10,000 initial fee plus $100 for the permit and $50 per vehicle decal.

- Palm Beach County permits wheelchair and stretcher companies under its vehicle for hire ordinance, not a separate NEMT license.
- Budget for two vehicles and the $10,000 new-business fee before you apply, and confirm the fee with Consumer Affairs first.
- Wheelchair and stretcher vehicles need a yearly county visual inspection, plus an ASE mechanic inspection once they are older than one model year, but there is no age limit.
- Sunshine Health, which sends its rides through Alivi, has the most Medicaid members in the county.
- Palm Tran's paratransit contracts, held since 2015 by two national operators, are being rebid in 2026.

## Palm Beach County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| The rule | The Vehicle for Hire Ordinance, chapter 19, article IX of the county code (Ord. 08-043 as amended), in every city unless a city exemption applies |
| Who permits | Division of Consumer Affairs, 50 South Military Trail, Suite 201, West Palm Beach, 561-712-6600 |
| New company minimum | Two wheelchair or stretcher vehicles. A new sedan, SUV, or van company needs seven. |
| Out-of-county companies | May drop off a rider picked up in another county and bring that rider back on a prearranged trip without a Palm Beach permit (section 19-217) |
| Fees | $10,000 initial fee for a new vehicle for hire business (January 2020 form), $100 business permit, $50 per vehicle decal. The permit year ends April 30, and renewals are due the first business day of March. |
| Insurance | $125,000 per person and $250,000 per accident for injuries, plus $50,000 property damage, or $300,000 combined single limit |
| Inspections | A yearly ASE mechanic inspection for vehicles older than one model year (2026 checklist), plus a yearly county visual inspection. No vehicle age limit. |
| Drivers | Age 18 or older, a county ID badge good for two years or company-issued ID, a lifetime driving record, and a criminal background check |
| Medicaid plan members | 153,932 in the main health plans as of August 31, 2026, in Medicaid Region G. Members outside a plan ride with Modivcare. |
| Paratransit contracts | Palm Tran is rebidding its door-to-door paratransit work through a 2026 Invitation to Negotiate |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Palm Beach County Division of Consumer Affairs](https://discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/consumeraffairs/Pages/Vehicle_for_Hire_Business_Forms.aspx): Issues vehicle for hire business permits, vehicle decals, and driver ID badges. (561) 712-6600
- [Palm Beach County Tax Collector](https://www.pbctax.gov/taxes/business-tax/): Issues the local business tax receipt the permit application requires. (561) 355-2264
- [Palm Tran Connection, Community Transportation Coordinator](https://www.palmtran.org/our-services/connection-plus/): Runs county paratransit and contracts its door-to-door operators. (561) 812-5360
- [Modivcare, Florida Medicaid fee-for-service](https://www.modivcare.com/transportation-providers-contact-us/): Books rides for Medicaid members who are not in a health plan. (866) 726-1457

Palm Beach County has no separate NEMT license. It permits wheelchair and stretcher companies under its Vehicle for Hire Ordinance, as "non-medical wheelchair and stretcher transportation," alongside taxis, sedans, and shuttles. That puts two costs up front: a two-vehicle minimum and, on the county's new-business form, a $10,000 initial fee. Florida's statewide steps, Medicaid enrollment with AHCA and the Level 2 screening for owners, are on the [Florida guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/).

## What the vehicle for hire permit covers

The ordinance is chapter 19, article IX of the county code, adopted September 23, 2008 as Ordinance 08-043 and amended several times since, most recently by Ordinance 2019-040 on December 17, 2019. It applies in both incorporated and unincorporated Palm Beach County unless a city exemption applies (section 19-211). It defines non-medical wheelchair and stretcher transportation as carrying people on stretchers or in wheelchairs, or people whose condition makes a bus or taxi impractical.

Some operators are outside it (section 19-214): vehicles run by a government agency or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, rides given without pay, school and church buses, and ride-hailing companies that operate under state law.

The ordinance also sets rules that shape how you run the business:

- **Prearranged rides only.** Outside of approved airport service, a non-taxi company may not pick up riders who hail it (section 19-216).
- **A website and a 24-hour line.** Every company must keep a website and a customer service phone number or email that works around the clock.
- **Rates in advance.** Show riders the rate or price before the trip, and never charge more. Wheelchair and stretcher companies are the one kind allowed to price differently for riders with disabilities.
- **Records for a year.** Keep vehicle inspections, background checks, manifests, and insurance at least one year, and let Consumer Affairs see them on 48 hours' notice (section 19-219).

### If you already run in another county

Section 19-217 gives out-of-county companies two openings. First, any company may drop off in Palm Beach County a rider it lawfully picked up in another county, then pick that rider up and take them back to the home county, as long as the trip was prearranged. Keep proof of the booking for enforcement officers.

Second, a company with a current business permit in a reciprocal county can apply for business permit reciprocity instead of a new permit, and skips the initial new-business fee. It still sends its company details, ASE inspections, and proof of insurance, pays the other fees, and renews every year. The code names Martin, St. Lucie, Broward, and Miami-Dade as possible reciprocal counties, but only if that county has adopted matching vehicle for hire rules that let Palm Beach companies in. Ask Consumer Affairs which counties qualify today.

### The permit year

A business permit runs one year and ends April 30 (section 19-218). The county's 2026 checklist puts the on-time renewal deadline on the first business day of March, with late fees of $50 for 1 to 30 days, $75 for 31 to 60 days, and $100 after that. Report changes to your application within 20 calendar days. A new owner or new company name needs a new application within 45 days of the change. An application still incomplete 30 days after the county's notice is denied, and a denied or revoked company waits a year to reapply.

## How to apply

Consumer Affairs is at 50 South Military Trail, Suite 201, West Palm Beach, 561-712-6600, or toll free 1-888-852-7362 from Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and the Glades. The application is sworn before a notary, and the 2026 checklist says the owner or an officer, not an authorized representative, must sign its notarized agreement. It needs:

1. **A local business tax receipt** from the Palm Beach County Tax Collector (561-355-2264) at your physical address. Post office boxes and mail drops are not accepted.
2. **Your articles of incorporation or fictitious name registration** from the state.
3. **A certificate of insurance** sent directly by your agent, listing your vehicles and drivers, with the county Consumer Affairs Division as certificate holder. Have it faxed to 561-712-6610 before you file.
4. **A registration for each vehicle.** A decal cannot move from one vehicle to another.
5. **An ASE inspection form for each vehicle**, described below.
6. **Three color photos of each vehicle**, at least 8 by 10 inches, showing side, front, and rear. Lettering must be vinyl or paint, at least 4 inches high on each side, with your company name, phone number, vehicle for hire permit number, and unit number.
7. **A driver list**, and a copy of the driver's license of the owner or officer who signs.

| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial fee for a new vehicle for hire business (January 2020 form) | $10,000 |
| Business permit, yearly | $100 |
| Vehicle decal, per vehicle | $50 |
| Airport decal, per vehicle (Palm Beach International) | $50 |
| 30-day placard for a rental vehicle | $25 |
| Late renewal | $50 to $100 |

The $10,000 fee appears on the county's new-business application, revised January 2020, but not on its 2026 owner's checklist. Ask Consumer Affairs to confirm it before you file. The county takes checks, money orders, and cards, never cash.

## Vehicle and inspection rules

Palm Beach sets no vehicle age limit, as long as each vehicle passes inspection (section 19-220). The fleet minimums are where the county is strict:

| New company type | Minimum fleet |
|---|---|
| Non-medical wheelchair and stretcher | 2 vehicles |
| Limousine | 2 vehicles |
| Sedan or SUV | 7 vehicles |
| Van or shuttle | 7 vehicles, including one wheelchair-accessible |
| Taxi | 7 vehicles, including one wheelchair-accessible |

So an owner with one wheelchair van cannot get a permit alone. See [starting with one van](https://nemtguide.com/guides/start-nemt-with-one-van/) for other ways to begin.

Each wheelchair and stretcher vehicle goes through two kinds of inspection every year:

- **ASE mechanical inspection.** A mechanic certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence checks brakes, steering, glass, wipers, lights, doors, horn, speedometer, bumpers, exhaust, tires, mirrors, and seat belts on the county's form, and writes in the ASE number, its expiration, and the repair shop's state license number (section 19-223). The 2026 checklist asks for it on vehicles older than one model year, so 2025 and 2026 models skip it. The [vehicle inspection checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-vehicle-inspection-checklist/) covers the same items.
- **County visual inspection.** Consumer Affairs inspects each wheelchair and stretcher vehicle when it first enters service and every year after, including its wheelchair and stretcher equipment. In 2026 it held these inspections on four days from March 25 to April 1 at its office, first come, first served, and only for vehicles listed on the application. A vehicle that fails is red-tagged and must come back for reinspection within five business days, or a fee applies.

Miss your inspection slot and you pay a rescheduling fee, then must rebook within five business days. A vehicle you buy after filing can replace one already scheduled only if you send its papers at least 10 business days before the inspection. Use a rental vehicle only with a 30-day placard, and show the county it meets the insurance minimum.

## Drivers and insurance

Every driver needs one of two IDs before driving (section 19-227):

- **A county ID badge.** The driver applies through the county's online portal, which works best on a desktop or laptop computer, sends a state and FBI fingerprint check (Level 2) through Consumer Affairs, and passes a one-time test of county geography and English. A driver who fails may retest free within 30 days.
- **Company-issued ID.** Instead, your company can authorize the driver and issue a digital ID with the driver's photo, after a county-approved, accredited background screening company checks local, state, and national records, the national sex offender registry, federal court records, a Social Security trace, and driving history. You name the screening company to the county and certify each driver meets the rules.

Either way, the driver must meet the same core rules:

- Age 18 or older and a valid Florida license.
- A Florida driving record no more than 30 days old. Badge applicants bring the lifetime record, plus other states' records if they have lived in Florida less than five years. Consumer Affairs prints Florida driving records at its office for $16.25 as of September 2026.
- No more than three moving violations, and no major violation such as reckless driving, in three years.
- No felony in seven years, no DUI or leaving the scene of an accident in seven years, no first-degree misdemeanor involving violence, theft, or property damage in three years, and no conviction ever for a sex crime, a crime with a deadly weapon, homicide, or kidnapping.

A badge lasts two years and can be renewed up to 90 days early. As of September 2026 it costs $116.25, which covers the fingerprint check and the driving record, and a late renewal or a replacement badge costs $30. See the [Level 2 background check](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/level-2-background-check/) for what the fingerprint check covers.

Each vehicle needs at least $125,000 per person and $250,000 per accident for injuries and $50,000 for property damage, or a $300,000 combined single limit (section 19-226 and the application). Policies must run at least six months, give the county 30 days' notice of nonrenewal and 10 days' notice of cancellation, and list the Board of County Commissioners, care of Consumer Affairs, as certificate holder and additional insured. The state health plan contract sets higher limits, listed on the [Florida guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/), so price insurance with plan work in mind.

## Who sends the rides in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach is part of Medicaid Region G with Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie (section 409.966). Plan members book through their plan's broker, and members outside a plan book through Modivcare. As of August 31, 2026:

| Health plan | Members in Palm Beach | Ride broker, Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| [Sunshine Health](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/sunshine-health-florida/) | 66,275 | [Alivi](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/alivi/) |
| [Humana](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/humana-healthy-horizons-florida/) | 48,236 | [Modivcare](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/) |
| [Simply Healthcare](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/simply-healthcare-florida/) | 29,206 | Ride2MD |
| [Community Care Plan](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/community-care-plan-florida/) | 7,947 | Modivcare |
| [Florida Community Care](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/florida-community-care/) | 2,200 | Ride2MD |

Aetna, Molina, and UnitedHealthcare had fewer than 20 members each here. Sunshine alone holds 43% of the county's main plan members, so Alivi is the broker to call first.

The state's 2025 capacity count listed 84 vehicles in MTM Health's Palm Beach network (26 cab, 57 lift, 1 stretcher) and 49 in Modivcare's (21 ambulatory, 22 wheelchair, 6 stretcher). Modivcare's network here is far smaller than its 361 vehicles in [Broward](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/broward-county/).

### Palm Tran's paratransit contracts

The county, through Palm Tran, is the [Community Transportation Coordinator](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/community-transportation-coordinator/) under a memorandum of agreement with the state commission that runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027. Palm Tran Connection handles registration, eligibility, reservations, dispatch, and carrier contracts itself, and pays contractors to drive. In fiscal 2024-25 the state counted 953,733 trips in the county, all by two transportation operators and none by coordination contractors. Of those, 228,815 were ride-hailing trips, the most in Florida, and a paratransit trip cost $98.42 on average. The county's state grant rates in the FY 2027 plan update, set with the state's rate model, are $32.66 per ambulatory trip and $55.98 per wheelchair trip.

The door-to-door work has been held since February 1, 2015 by MV Transportation (Run Package A) and First Transit (Run Package B, listed as Transdev in the plan's vehicle list), under extensions of a 2014 request for proposals sent out locally, statewide, and nationally. That vehicle list shows Palm Tran Connection buses assigned to the two contractors. The FY 2027 service plan update says the county is running an Invitation to Negotiate in 2026, with Packages A and B for operations and Package C for the call center and ride-hailing service. The 2014 criteria included insurance and a performance bond, accident history, safety and training, and financial strength. A small company can ask the winning operators about subcontract work. Palm Tran also reimburses two agencies, Federation Transportation and Seagull Industries, for trips they give their own clients.

Since January 18, 2026, Palm Tran has run two services. Connection ADA covers trips within three-quarters of a mile of a bus route, and Connection Plus covers Transportation Disadvantaged riders outside that corridor. When Connection Plus trip requests exceed its funding, critical care and medical trips come first.

## What to do first

1. **Call Consumer Affairs** at 561-712-6600 and confirm the new-business fee, and whether your city has an exemption. If you already hold a permit in Broward, Miami-Dade, Martin, or St. Lucie, ask about reciprocity first.
2. **Plan for two vehicles.** One van cannot be permitted alone here.
3. **Get the business tax receipt** at your physical address, then insurance that lists both vehicles and your drivers.
4. **Book ASE inspections** for each vehicle older than one model year, and watch for the county's spring inspection dates.
5. **Start driver badges** through the online portal so drivers are cleared when your permit issues.
6. **Enroll with Florida Medicaid** and apply to Alivi, Modivcare, and Ride2MD in that order of plan size.
7. **Follow Palm Tran's 2026 Invitation to Negotiate** and the operators that win it, if you want paratransit work.

Region G continues north into Martin County and St. Lucie County.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need a vehicle for hire permit for a wheelchair van in Palm Beach County?

Yes, unless your company is a government agency or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or you carry riders without pay. The Vehicle for Hire Ordinance covers non-medical wheelchair and stretcher transportation in incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county, unless a city exemption applies. You need a business permit, a decal on each vehicle, and a county ID badge or approved identification for each driver.

### How much is the Palm Beach County vehicle for hire permit?

The business permit costs $100 a year and each vehicle decal $50, per the county's 2026 business checklist. The new-business application, revised January 2020, adds a $10,000 initial fee for a new vehicle for hire business. An airport decal is $50 per vehicle, and a 30-day placard for a rental vehicle is $25. Fees are nonrefundable and the county takes no cash.

### How many vehicles do I need to start a wheelchair company in Palm Beach County?

At least two. Section 19-220 of the county code requires every new non-medical wheelchair and stretcher company to have a minimum of two vehicles in its fleet when it applies. A new sedan or SUV company needs seven, and a new van or shuttle company needs seven including one wheelchair-accessible vehicle.

### What insurance does Palm Beach County require for vehicles for hire?

Each vehicle needs at least $125,000 per person and $250,000 per accident for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage, or a $300,000 combined single limit. The certificate must come straight from your agent, list the vehicles and drivers, and name the county Consumer Affairs Division as certificate holder. Policies shorter than six months are not accepted.

### How do drivers get a Palm Beach County vehicle for hire ID badge?

They apply through the county's online badge portal. A driver must be 18 or older, hold a Florida license, show a lifetime Florida driving record no more than 30 days old, and pass a state and FBI fingerprint check and a test of county geography and English. The ordinance bars more than three moving violations in three years, a felony in the last seven years, and a DUI in the last seven years. A badge lasts two years.

### Can a Broward or Miami-Dade NEMT company drive riders into Palm Beach County?

Yes, for drop-offs and the ride home. Section 19-217 lets a company drop off in Palm Beach County a rider it lawfully picked up in another county, then pick that rider up and return them to the home county on a prearranged trip. Any other pickup in Palm Beach County needs a county business permit. A company permitted in a county the ordinance treats as reciprocal can apply without the new-business fee.

### Who handles Medicaid rides in Palm Beach County?

Palm Beach is in Medicaid Region G. Members in a health plan book through the plan's broker, and members outside a plan book through Modivcare. As of August 31, 2026, Sunshine Health had the most members in the county, followed by Humana, Simply Healthcare, and Community Care Plan, so Alivi, Modivcare, and Ride2MD send most of the trips.

## Official resources

- [Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs: Vehicle for Hire business forms](https://discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/consumeraffairs/Pages/Vehicle_for_Hire_Business_Forms.aspx)
- [Palm Beach County: New vehicle for hire business application](https://discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/consumeraffairs/CA_PDFs/VFHBusinessApp.pdf)
- [Palm Beach County: ASE mechanical and safety inspection form](https://discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/consumeraffairs/CA_PDFs/ASEMechanicalInspectionForm2018.pdf)
- [Palm Beach County: Apply for a VFH driver ID badge](https://discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/consumeraffairs/Pages/Apply-for-VFH-ID-Badge-Online.aspx)
- [Palm Beach County Code, chapter 19, article IX, Vehicles for Hire](https://library.municode.com/fl/palm_beach_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PABECOCO_CH19MOVETR_ARTIXVEHI)
- [AHCA: Fee-for-service NEMT brokers and provider contacts](https://ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/medicaid-policy-quality-and-operations/medicaid-policy-and-quality/medicaid-policy/federal-authorities/federal-waivers/fl-1915-b-managed-care-waiver.html)