# Putnam County Class B Certificate: The $3 Million Insurance Rule for Medical Ride Companies

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/putnam-county/ · Updated 2026-10-04

A Putnam County Class B certificate is the county license for any business that drives people to or from medical appointments when they are not likely to need medical care on the way. It lasts one year, and chapter 20 of the county code ties it to $3,000,000 of combined single limit insurance naming the county, a permit and inspection for each vehicle, and trained drivers.

- Putnam County's code defines the Class B certificate by the trip, not the vehicle, so it reaches any business giving non-emergency rides to or from medical appointments.
- The certificate requires $3,000,000 of combined single limit coverage with the county as additional insured, renewed and inspected every year.
- The Ride Solution runs every Transportation Disadvantaged trip itself and kept the job in 2026, scoring 95 of 100 points to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's 74.
- County program trips fell from 67,914 in FY 2022-23 to 35,840 in FY 2024-25, then rose to 44,216 in FY 2025-26, every one carried by Ride Solution.
- Sunshine Health covers 59% of the county's main Medicaid plan members, so Alivi is the broker to apply to first.

## Putnam County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| County license | Class B certificate under chapter 20, article II of the county code (Ord. 2010-45, amended July 27, 2021). It lasts one year; file the renewal at least 60 days before it expires. |
| Who needs it | Businesses, agencies, and hospitals giving non-emergency rides to or from a medical appointment to people not likely to need medical attention on the way |
| Insurance | $3,000,000 combined single limit with Putnam County named as additional insured, and a copy sent to the county administrator every year |
| Vehicles | A county permit and a yearly county inspection for each vehicle. Wheelchair vans need a lift, two locking points per chair, and 50 inches of headroom. |
| Drivers | Age 18 or older, first aid and CPR cards, a defensive driving course, and no reckless driving, DUI, or license suspension in the past three years |
| License fee | Set by resolution of the county commission (section 20-105). Ask the county for the current amount before you apply. |
| TD coordinator | The Ride Solution, Inc., of Palatka, designated again for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031. It has no contracted operators. |
| TD rates, 2026-27 | $4.33 ambulatory and $7.42 wheelchair per passenger mile, billed to the state from July 2026, down from $4.75 and $8.15. No stretcher rate. |
| County program trips | 44,216 in FY 2025-26 on 19 vehicles and 13 drivers at $53.18 a trip, as Ride Solution reported in August 2026, up from 35,840 in FY 2024-25. |
| Medicaid | Region B. MTM Health serves members outside a plan. Sunshine Health had 8,685 of 14,751 main plan members on August 31, 2026. |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Putnam County Board of County Commissioners](https://www.putnam-fl.gov/your-government/administration/): Takes Class B license and vehicle permit applications; the county administrator issues the license. (386) 329-0205
- [The Ride Solution, Inc.](https://theridesolution.org/): Coordinates Transportation Disadvantaged rides in Putnam County and provides every trip itself. (386) 325-9999
- [Northeast Florida Regional Council, TD program](https://www.nefrc.org/transportation-disadvantaged): Staffs the Putnam TD board and ran the search that kept Ride Solution as coordinator in 2026. (904) 279-0880
- [MTM Health, Florida Medicaid rides](https://www.mtm-inc.net/floridaffs/): Arranges rides for Putnam Medicaid members who are not in a health plan. (844) 239-5974
- [Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged](https://www.fdot.gov/ctd/community-transportation-coordinators): Designates the county coordinator and funds rides no other agency pays for.

Putnam County writes its own license for medical ride companies. Chapter 20, article II of the county code, adopted as Ordinance 2010-45 on November 23, 2010 and amended by Ordinance 2021-028 on July 27, 2021, sorts every medical transport service into four certificate classes. Classes A, C, and D cover rescue units and ambulances. Class B is the class without medical care: rides to or from a medical appointment for people who are not likely to need medical attention on the way.

The county also has a state-funded ride program for residents who cannot drive or pay for a ride, run by one [community transportation coordinator](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/community-transportation-coordinator/), and Medicaid rides go through brokers. The statewide rules for both are on the [Florida guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/), and the other Florida counties that license vans are compared in the [Florida NEMT license guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/florida-nemt-license/).

## Who needs a Class B certificate in Putnam County

Section 20-93 defines Class B by the service, not by the vehicle. It covers government entities, businesses, agencies, and hospitals that give non-emergency transportation to or from a medical appointment to people whose condition is not likely to need medical attention during the trip. The vehicle rules in section 20-99 then add equipment for wheelchair and stretcher vans. The same words also describe an ambulatory car or van service driving people to the doctor, so ask the county how it reads your fleet before you assume you are outside it.

A Class B certificate lasts one year. The other three classes belong to ambulance work: Class A for government rescue units, valid two years, Class C for non-emergency basic life support ambulances, and Class D for hospital-to-hospital and specialty care transfers. Section 20-93 gives the county fire rescue department the emergency and non-emergency ambulance work, and private certificate holders handle requested and interfacility transports.

The certificate carries a duty too. Section 20-93 names Class B among the private certificate holders that must be capable of emergency service when the county commission or the fire-rescue chief asks for help in a disaster the department cannot handle alone. Ask the county what it expects from your vans in a hurricane evacuation before you sign up.

A license from the county where your company is based does not carry into Putnam. Section 320.0603 of the Florida Statutes lets a vehicle-for-hire license from your home county work in other counties, but subsection (4) leaves out rides for people on stretchers or in wheelchairs and for anyone who cannot ride a bus or taxi, the riders section 20-104 says Class B serves.

## The $3 million insurance rule

Section 20-94 sets the insurance before a license is issued:

- **Amount.** At least $3,000,000 [combined single limit](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/combined-single-limit/), meaning one limit covering bodily injury and property damage together.
- **Coverage types.** Commercial general liability, commercial vehicle, and machinery insurance, in amounts and policy forms the county may review from time to time.
- **The county on the policy.** Putnam County must be named as [additional insured](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/additional-insured/).
- **A yearly copy.** Proof goes to the attention of the county administrator every year.

That is the highest floor of any county compared in the [Florida NEMT license guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/florida-nemt-license/), so get a quote before you commit vans to Putnam work. The [NEMT insurance requirements guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/) explains how combined limits are written, and [what NEMT insurance costs](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-cost/) shows how agents price them.

## Vehicle permits and the yearly inspection

Every vehicle needs its own county permit. Section 20-94 asks for a permit application on the county's form and proof that each vehicle passed the county inspection in section 20-100, and the permit issues when you pay its fee. An agent of the county commission inspects each vehicle every year and may inspect at any other time. A vehicle that fails cannot be used for medical transport.

A wheelchair van in Putnam County must have, under section 20-99:

- **A lift** that works electrically, hydraulically, or mechanically, strong enough to raise riders smoothly.
- **Two locking points for each wheelchair,** built to stop the chair from moving sideways, forward, back, or up, plus a belt or strap that holds each rider in the chair. See [wheelchair securement](https://nemtguide.com/guides/wheelchair-securement/).
- **An inside mirror** that shows the driver the whole passenger area, and door latches with striker plates.
- **A five-pound A:B:C fire extinguisher** in the driver's area.
- **At least 50 inches** from finished floor to finished ceiling in the rider area.
- **Two-way contact with your base** by radio or wireless phone.

A stretcher van also needs a quick-release crash table litter fastener, side or center mounted, and restraints on every stretcher, plus clean blankets, linen, or disposable sheets for each stretcher patient under section 20-98. The [stretcher van requirements guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/stretcher-van-requirements/) covers the equipment in more detail.

## Driver files, trip records, and ads

Section 20-102 makes you document that every person who drives for you:

1. Is at least 18 years old.
2. Swears in writing to not being addicted to alcohol or any controlled substance, and to having no physical or mental condition that could impair driving.
3. Has had no conviction for reckless driving or driving under the influence, and no license suspension, in the past three years.
4. Holds a valid Florida driver's license.
5. Is trained on the wheelchair or stretcher equipment and has taken a National Safety Council defensive driving course or its equal.
6. Carries a Red Cross standard first aid card and a Red Cross or American Heart Association CPR card, or their equal.

Section 20-103 adds the paperwork. Keep a file for each employee with hire date and qualifications, and one for each vehicle with its registration, inspections, county permit, and insurance. Log every trip with the time, origin, rider's name, and destination, and keep those logs for at least three years for the county or the state to inspect.

Section 20-104 controls your ads. A Class B company must say plainly that it gives no medical attention and that it serves people whose impairments make regular common carrier or taxi service impractical. Only an ambulance service may call itself an ambulance. Keep that in mind when you write [NEMT marketing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-marketing/) for Putnam.

## How to apply and renew

1. **Ask for the forms and the fee.** Section 20-94 sends the license application to the county commission on its own form. Section 20-105 sets fees by resolution, and the fee schedule for the year that began October 1, 2026 lists the county's ambulance charges but no Class B amount, so call the county at 386-329-0205.
2. **Bind the insurance first.** The $3,000,000 policy, with the county named, has to exist before the license.
3. **Get each vehicle inspected and permitted.**
4. **Show trained staff.** The application needs evidence that your vehicles carry adequately trained and certified people for safe loading and transport.
5. **Wait for the decision.** The county administrator issues the license once you comply and the county finds it in its best interest.
6. **Renew 60 days early.** Under section 20-95, the license expires one year after it is issued. Renewals for the license and, under section 20-97, for each vehicle permit go in at least 60 days before expiration, with the fee and proof that you still meet the standards.

The county can revoke, change, or suspend a license if you fail to give the service it requires, if your application left out or misstated facts, or if the commission decides the service no longer serves the county's interest.

## Who runs the county ride program

The Ride Solution, Inc. of Palatka coordinates the county's Transportation Disadvantaged trips and provides all of them. It started coordinating county rides in 1985 as ARC Transit, Inc., which the county's ARC chapter formed after a service plan the commission adopted in April 1984 recommended that group as the county's ride provider. The Northeast Florida Regional Council advertised a request for proposals in December 2025 for the term starting July 1, 2026, and two bids came in. The evaluation committee scored The Ride Solution 95 of 100 points and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority 74, and the state commission designated Ride Solution on April 8, 2026 for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031.

Ride Solution runs deviated routes around Palatka, Interlachen, and Crescent City, door-to-door trips where no route fits, and routes to St. Augustine, Gainesville, and Orange Park. Service runs every day around the clock, booked at 386-325-9999 by noon the workday before, or by noon Friday for a weekend ride.

The county's operating reports to the state show a program that lost almost half its trips in two years and then won part of them back. The FY 2025-26 column is the report Ride Solution filed in August 2026, ahead of the Commission's statewide summary:

| Putnam county program | FY 2022-23 | FY 2024-25 | FY 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All trips | 67,914 | 35,840 | 44,216 |
| Medical trips | 15,672 | 12,843 | 13,337 |
| Paid by Medicaid (AHCA) | 528 | 1,366 | 1,285 |
| Paid by APD | 13,232 | 5,536 | 5,315 |
| Vehicles | 26 | 17 | 19 |
| Drivers | 24 | 16 | 13 |
| Cost per trip | $37.94 | $63.68 | $53.18 |

The swing came mostly on the deviated routes: 47,251 trips in FY 2022-23, 18,051 in FY 2024-25, and 23,648 in FY 2025-26. Every trip in all three years was carried by Ride Solution, none by an outside operator. The draft 2026-2031 plan on the board's September 21, 2026 agenda says Ride Solution carries Medicaid trips only for brokers it holds a contract with, and that the only one is Alivi. The Commission's draft trip and equipment grant for Putnam in FY 2026-27, published in June 2026, is $460,307 plus a $51,145 local match.

## How a private company gets ride program work

No operator holds a contract with Ride Solution today, and both its 2021-2026 plan and the 2026-2031 draft say it uses a competitive request for proposals when it buys service from a private for-profit operator. The draft plan and Ride Solution's 2026 filings to the state set out what that work would look like:

- **Rates.** Ride Solution's own 2026-27 rate model, cleared by Commission staff on May 5, 2026, sets $4.33 per ambulatory and $7.42 per wheelchair passenger mile, on 15,587 planned trips averaging 6.2 miles. Its invoices to the Commission for July and August 2026 bill at those rates, down from $4.75 and $8.15 in the 2021-2026 plan. These are what the program pays Ride Solution, not a price set for operators.
- **Stretcher trips.** There is no stretcher rate, and the 1,461 July and 1,381 August 2026 trips Ride Solution billed to the Commission included no stretcher rides. The plan says local ambulance service meets the demand for stretcher trips, a gap a licensed stretcher van could fill.
- **Drivers.** First aid every year, CPR every two years, a favorable FDLE background screening, and federal transit drug and alcohol testing. See [NEMT driver drug testing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-drug-testing/).
- **Payment.** Subcontractors are paid within 15 days after Ride Solution is paid.

The draft plan also notes a county transit study expected by the first quarter of 2028, which will recommend how public transit grows across the county. The county's coordinating board has had no member for the private for-profit transportation industry through its September 2026 roster. Taking that seat puts you in the room when the board approves rates and the service plan. Its next meeting, the annual public hearing, is scheduled for November 16, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. in the Planning and Development conference room, Suite 300, 2509 Crill Avenue, Palatka. See [subcontracting NEMT trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/subcontract-nemt-trips/) for what an operator agreement usually covers.

## Medicaid rides in Putnam County

Section 409.966 of the Florida Statutes puts Putnam in Medicaid Region B, where [MTM Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/) arranges rides for members with no health plan under the state's waiver for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. MTM's 2025 capacity table for the waiver counted 15 vehicles in Putnam, 9 cabs and 6 lift vans, and no stretcher vehicle. The [MTM Health in Florida](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/florida/) page covers how to join its network.

Plan members book with their plan's broker. Of the 14,751 Putnam residents in the main Medicaid plans on August 31, 2026:

- **[Sunshine Health](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/sunshine-health-florida/)** covered 8,685, with rides arranged by [Alivi](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/alivi/).
- **[UnitedHealthcare](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/unitedhealthcare-community-plan-florida/)** covered 3,703, with rides arranged by MTM Health since March 1, 2026.
- **[Humana](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/humana-healthy-horizons-florida/)** covered 1,898, with rides arranged by [Modivcare](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/).
- **[Simply Healthcare](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/simply-healthcare-florida/) and [Florida Community Care](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/florida-community-care/)** covered 458 between them, with rides arranged by [Ride2MD](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/ride2md/).

## What to do first in Putnam County

1. **Get an insurance quote at $3,000,000 combined single limit** with Putnam County as additional insured. If the premium does not work, Putnam work does not work.
2. **Call the county at 386-329-0205** for the Class B application, the vehicle permit form, the current fees, and an inspection date.
3. **Build the driver files** from section 20-102: oath statements, three-year driving records, first aid, CPR, and defensive driving cards.
4. **Enroll with Florida Medicaid, then apply to Alivi first,** followed by MTM Health, Modivcare, and Ride2MD. The state's February 2026 enrollment policy asks a transportation company for its local license, and Putnam's license for medical ride companies is the Class B certificate.
5. **Ask The Ride Solution at 386-325-9999** whether it plans to buy stretcher or overflow trips, and where it would post a request for proposals for operators.
6. **Attend the November 16, 2026 board meeting** and ask the regional council at 904-279-0880 about the private transportation seat.

Ride Solution's routes reach St. Augustine and Gainesville, whose county programs are on the [St. Johns County](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/st-johns-county/) and [Alachua County](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/alachua-county/) pages.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need a Class B certificate to give medical rides in Putnam County?

Yes, if your business gives non-emergency rides to or from medical appointments for people who are not likely to need medical attention on the way. Chapter 20 of the county code defines the certificate by the trip, not by the vehicle, and adds equipment rules for wheelchair and stretcher vans. Call the county at 386-329-0205 before your first ride and ask how the license applies to your fleet.

### How much insurance does Putnam County require for a medical transportation license?

At least $3,000,000 combined single limit, with Putnam County named as additional insured. Section 20-94 says the coverage must include commercial general liability, commercial vehicle, and machinery insurance in amounts and forms the county reviews, and a copy goes to the county administrator every year.

### How much does the Class B certificate cost?

Section 20-105 leaves license and vehicle permit fees to a resolution of the county commission. The fee schedule adopted August 11, 2026 for the year that began October 1, 2026 (Resolution 2026-071) lists the county's own ambulance charges, such as $500 for a non-emergency basic life support transport, but no amount for this license, so ask the county what it charges.

### How long does a Putnam County Class B certificate last?

One year from the day it is issued. File the renewal application, the fee, and proof that you still meet the standards at least 60 days before it expires, along with proof that your vehicles passed the county inspection. Each vehicle permit is renewed the same way, 60 days ahead.

### Does a license from my home county let me give medical rides in Putnam County?

No. Section 320.0603 of the Florida Statutes lets a vehicle-for-hire license from your home county count in other counties, but subsection (4) excludes rides for people in wheelchairs or on stretchers and for anyone who cannot use a bus or taxi. Plan on a Putnam Class B certificate and a Putnam permit for each vehicle, even if another county already licenses you.

### Who coordinates Transportation Disadvantaged rides in Putnam County?

The Ride Solution, Inc., at 220 North 11th Street in Palatka. The Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged designated it on April 8, 2026 for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031, after a Northeast Florida Regional Council request for proposals. Riders book at 386-325-9999 by noon the workday before the trip.

### Can my company get trips from The Ride Solution?

Not today. The county program has no subcontracted operators, and its service plan says Ride Solution uses a competitive request for proposals when it hires a private for-profit operator. If one opens, the plan requires first aid training every year and CPR every two years for drivers, a favorable FDLE background screening, federal transit drug testing, and payment to subcontractors within 15 days after Ride Solution is paid.

### Who books Medicaid rides in Putnam County?

A member with no health plan calls MTM Health at 1-844-239-5974. A plan member books with the plan's broker: Alivi for Sunshine Health, MTM Health for UnitedHealthcare since March 1, 2026, Modivcare for Humana, and Ride2MD for Simply Healthcare and Florida Community Care.

## Official resources

- [Code of Putnam County: chapter 20, article II, Emergency and Nonemergency Medical Transportation](https://library.municode.com/fl/putnam_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH20HEHUSE_ARTIIEMNOMETR)
- [Putnam County: Current fee schedule](https://www.putnam-fl.gov/community/fee-schedule/)
- [The Ride Solution: rides, schedules, and service plan](https://theridesolution.org/)
- [Northeast Florida Regional Council: Putnam County TD board agendas and Zoom links](https://www.nefrc.org/transportation-disadvantaged)
- [Florida CTD: Community Transportation Coordinators by county](https://www.fdot.gov/ctd/community-transportation-coordinators)