# Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Shreveport, LA: The City Class B License (2027)

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/shreveport/ · Updated 2026-10-02

To run non-emergency medical transportation in Shreveport, LA, you need a Class B nonemergency license from the city's chief administrative officer under City Code Chapter 46. As of October 2026, it costs a $50 application fee and a $100 license fee, then $50 to renew before December 1 each year. Each van must pass a fire department inspection, and each driver needs a city ambulance driver's license.

- Shreveport licenses wheelchair and ambulatory transport under its medical services chapter, as a Class B nonemergency license that covers carrying those riders for pay.
- The code calls for a standard-size van with a running board, and a lift for wheelchair riders, so ask the city before you buy a ramp minivan.
- Every driver needs a city ambulance driver's license, which requires first responder or EMT certification on top of the Medicaid driver rules.
- Renew the Class B license before December 1 each year. It cannot be sold, and a change of owner voids it.
- Bossier City, across the Red River, issues its own Class C permit and asks for $1,000,000 in insurance.

## Shreveport NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who licenses NEMT | The city's chief administrative officer, through a Class B nonemergency license under City Code Chapter 46, Article IV, for carrying ambulatory or wheelchair patients inside the city |
| Fees (October 2026) | $50 to apply, not refunded, and a $100 license fee for the calendar year. Renewal costs $50 and is due before December 1 for the next year. |
| Van inspection | The Shreveport Fire Department inspects each van before the license is issued and every year, at $50 a van and $35 a reinspection, and puts a sticker on the lower right of the windshield. |
| Vans allowed | Standard-size vans with a running board and two exits from the rider area. A van for wheelchair riders needs a wheelchair lift. No stretchers, sirens, or red lights. |
| Insurance | Public liability of at least $300,000 per person, $500,000 per accident, and $100,000 property damage, with the city as additional insured and 30 days' notice before cancellation |
| Drivers | A city ambulance driver's license: a Louisiana chauffeur's license, first responder or EMT certification, a written test, and a $10 fee, renewed every year |
| Office | An office inside the Shreveport or Bossier City limits, with a listed phone for ride requests |
| Who is exempt | A company based outside the city, for trips that start or end outside Shreveport (Secs. 46-71 and 46-101) |
| Bossier City | A separate Class C permit from the Bossier City fire chief: $500 to apply and $250 to renew under Sec. 42-117 (Sec. 42-120 points to $1,000 and $500), and $1,000,000 combined single limit insurance |
| Medicaid tie | Louisiana's managed care manual (May 28, 2026) makes NEMT companies keep any local NEMT license current and send copies to the health plan or its broker. |

## Who arranges rides here

- [City of Shreveport Chief Administrative Office](https://www.shreveportla.gov/218/Chief-Administrative-Office): Issues Class B licenses for ambulatory and wheelchair transport (City Code Sec. 46-102). (318) 673-5061
- [Shreveport Fire Department administration](https://www.shreveportla.gov/3271/Fire): Inspects every Class B van before it carries riders and once a year after (Sec. 46-78). (318) 673-6650
- [Shreveport Police Department, Vehicle for Hire Office](https://www.shreveportla.gov/1127/Vehicle-for-Hire): Licenses taxis, limousines, shuttles, and other vehicles for hire and their drivers. (318) 673-6140
- [Bossier City Fire Department](https://www.bossiercity.org/174/Fire): Issues Class C permits for ambulatory and wheelchair transport inside Bossier City. (318) 741-8700
- [MediTrans dispatch and provider support](https://meditrans.com/transportation-providers/): Arranges rides for Healthy Louisiana plan members and credentials ride companies. (844) 349-4326
- [Verida Louisiana provider service line](https://verida.com/louisiana-providers/): Arranges rides for fee-for-service Medicaid members and credentials ride companies. (225) 726-2800

Shreveport licenses wheelchair and ambulatory rides under its medical services chapter, separate from its rules for taxis and limousines. City Code Chapter 46, Article IV, makes it unlawful to carry ambulatory or wheelchair patients inside the city, or to advertise that service, without a Class B nonemergency license (Sec. 46-101). The city last rewrote its Class B vehicle rule in Ordinance No. 54 of 2022, effective May 10, 2022, at the request of the Shreveport Fire Department.

## Which Shreveport license covers a NEMT company

Chapter 46 treats any vehicle that carries sick or injured people, when time is not critical, as a nonemergency ambulance, and anyone being taken to a medical provider as a patient (Sec. 46-1). A Medicaid wheelchair van fits both. The chapter has two classes of nonemergency license:

- **Class A** is for stretcher service. It needs a certificate of public convenience and necessity, an EMT-basic attendant on every trip, and at least two equipped vehicles (Secs. 46-69, 46-71, and 46-76).
- **Class B** is for ambulatory and wheelchair riders who do not need a Class A vehicle. No attendant is required, and the two-vehicle minimum does not apply (Secs. 46-71 and 46-102).

Ask for a Class B license that covers carrying ambulatory or wheelchair patients for pay. Without that, a Class B van may carry only its owner's own patients, free of charge, behind a "not for hire" sign (Sec. 46-107).

The police department's Vehicle for Hire Office, at 1120 South Pointe Parkway, licenses horse-drawn carriages, casino transportation, app-based interactive service, buses, limousines, tow trucks, and taxis under Chapter 102. Medical vans are not one of its classes, but Sec. 102-1 defines a vehicle for hire as any vehicle carrying passengers for a fee on a trip that begins in Shreveport or Bossier City. Ask that office in writing whether your vans also need a vehicle for hire license, especially if you plan to carry riders who are not patients.

A company based outside the city limits does not need the Class B license for a trip that starts outside Shreveport and ends inside, or starts inside and ends outside (Secs. 46-71 and 46-101). A trip that starts and ends inside the city needs it, wherever your office is. Breaking the chapter can bring a fine of up to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both, and each day counts as a new offense (Sec. 1-14).

Your broker cares about the license too. Louisiana's managed care manual, updated May 28, 2026, makes any NEMT company working where a city or parish has its own NEMT license keep it current and send copies to the health plan or its broker. The state's NEMT enrollment checklist, PT 42, revised May 2014, told Caddo Parish companies to attach their Class B permit from Shreveport's chief administrative officer.

Statewide, MediTrans arranges rides for the Healthy Louisiana plans and Verida for fee-for-service members, and your company also needs a Public Service Commission certificate and for-hire plates on every van. The [Louisiana guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/) covers those steps, and [New Orleans](https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/new-orleans/) and [Jefferson Parish](https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/jefferson-parish/) run their own local permits.

## How to get a Class B license in Shreveport

1. **Set up your office.** Keep an office inside the city limits of Shreveport or Bossier City, with a listed phone for ride requests, and keep your business records there (Sec. 46-76). Every business inside Shreveport also pays the city's yearly occupational license tax before it opens. The city asks for a certificate of occupancy, a Caddo-Shreveport sales and use tax number, and your state and federal tax ID numbers. The tax is due before March 1 each year, and a new business pays a share for the rest of the year. Call the Finance Department at 318-673-5500.
2. **Buy the insurance.** The city wants public liability coverage of at least $300,000 per person, $500,000 per accident, and $100,000 for property damage, from an insurer qualified in Louisiana, with the city named as an additional insured. The policy must run at least as long as the license and promise the chief administrative officer 30 days' written notice before it is cancelled. You also sign an agreement, in a form the city attorney approves, to hold the city harmless (Sec. 46-76). MediTrans asks for $1,000,000 in commercial auto liability, so quote at the broker's number. See [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/).
3. **Apply to the chief administrative officer.** The office is at Government Plaza, 505 Travis Street, 318-673-5061. The application must say whether you or anyone working on your vans has been convicted of offenses such as murder, aggravated battery, rape, burglary, kidnapping, robbery, or crimes involving juveniles, and whether you face claims for negligent operation of an ambulance (Secs. 46-72 and 46-102). Pay the $50 application fee. The office looks into your character, finances, and ability to pay claims, and decides within 30 days of a complete application (Sec. 46-103).
4. **Book the fire department inspection.** The Shreveport Fire Department inspects every van before the license is issued, again every year, and any van you add before it carries a rider. It costs $50 per van and $35 per reinspection. A van that passes gets a sticker on the lower right corner of the windshield, and running a van without a current sticker breaks the code (Sec. 46-78).
5. **License each driver.** Each driver needs a city ambulance driver's license, described below.
6. **Pay the license fee and renew on time.** The license costs $100 and covers one calendar year, with no discount for part of a year. Apply to renew before December 1 for the next year, at $50. The license cannot be sold or assigned, and a change of owner voids it, so a buyer of your company applies fresh (Sec. 46-77).

## What a Class B van must have

Since May 10, 2022, Sec. 46-102(5) calls for a standard-size, van-type vehicle with a running board and at least two exits from the rider area. A van that carries wheelchair users needs a wheelchair lift, and no passenger car other than a van qualifies. That wording leaves out sedans and does not mention ramps, so get the fire department's answer in writing before you buy a ramp minivan. A Class B van may not carry a stretcher, a siren, or red warning lights (Secs. 46-102 and 46-107). See [wheelchair vans for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/wheelchair-van-for-nemt/) for lift and ramp choices.

The code also lists what each van carries and how it looks (Sec. 46-76):

- **Medical equipment.** A portable suction unit with wide-bore tubing, a portable oxygen unit of at least 300 liters with adult, child, and infant masks that can deliver 10 liters a minute, and a first aid kit approved by the American Red Cross.
- **Fire extinguisher.** One five-pound, dry powder, type BC extinguisher.
- **Van condition.** Working heat, defroster, and air conditioning, both side mirrors and an inside mirror, a working speedometer, power steering, wipers and washer, factory shock absorbers, and tires with at least 4/32 inch of tread and a six-ply rating.
- **Markings.** Your company name on both sides and the rear in block letters at least 5 inches tall, with your name and number, in colors unlike the city's emergency ambulances.
- **Posted rates.** A sign riders can see showing your rates, no higher than the rates on file with the city.

Two older lines say no patient rides without the authorization of a physician or registered nurse, and that every Class B call comes from a physician or at a physician's direction (Secs. 46-76 and 46-107). Ask the chief administrative officer in writing how the city applies them to trips a Medicaid broker books.

## Driver licenses for Shreveport NEMT drivers

Every Class B van must be driven by someone with a city ambulance driver's license (Sec. 46-102). The code gives that license to the chief of police, who issues it once the driver (Sec. 46-131):

1. Holds a current Louisiana chauffeur's license, or another state's license the chief accepts as equal.
2. Is certified as a first responder or a state EMT, or holds an equal or higher certification.
3. Has no more than one moving violation in the year before applying, and no conviction ever for DWI or a drug-related traffic offense.
4. Passes a written test on the city's geography and the chapter's rules.
5. Pays a $10 fee.

The license lasts one year, or until the driver's certification runs out, and renewal is due at least 30 days before it expires, at the same fee (Sec. 46-133). The card belongs to the city, so you return it when a driver leaves. A Class B van needs no separate attendant.

Medicaid sets its own floor on top: drivers at least 21 with a Class D license or CDL, no more than two moving violations in three years, and never a DUI, under the managed care manual. Ordinance No. 152 of 2025 says Act 66 of 2025 removed the Class D requirement for taxicab drivers, and the city changed its vehicle for hire driver rule to match on December 27, 2025. That change left Chapter 46 and the Medicaid rules alone, so keep your NEMT drivers on a chauffeur's license. See [NEMT driver requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-requirements/).

## Bossier City runs its own permit

Bossier City, across the Red River, does not use Shreveport's license. Its own code requires a Class C permit from the Bossier City fire chief to carry ambulatory or wheelchair patients inside that city (Bossier City Code Sec. 42-116). As of October 2026, the code sets:

- **Fees.** $500 to apply and $250 to renew, neither refunded (Sec. 42-117). Sec. 42-120 says the Class B fees, $1,000 and $500, apply instead, so confirm the amount with the fire department.
- **Insurance.** At least $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident (Sec. 42-121).
- **Drivers.** A current driver's license, plus an emergency medical responder certificate with CPR from the Red Cross, the American Heart Association, or an equal agency, or state EMT certification. No more than one moving violation in the past year, and no DWI or drug-related traffic conviction. You keep records showing each driver qualifies (Secs. 42-117 and 42-161).
- **Office.** Inside Bossier City or Shreveport (Sec. 42-98).

The same exemption works the other way: a company based outside Bossier City needs no Class C permit for a trip that starts or ends outside it (Sec. 42-93). The Bossier City Fire Department is at 620 Benton Road, 318-741-8700.

## What to do first

1. **Call the chief administrative officer** at 318-673-5061 for the Class B form, and ask which office handles the ambulance driver's license.
2. **Ask the fire department in writing** whether your van, lift, and equipment list will pass, before you buy or convert anything.
3. **Quote insurance at the broker's limits,** not just the city's, so one policy covers both.
4. **Book first responder or EMT training** for your drivers early, since the city license depends on it.
5. **Contact MediTrans and Verida.** MediTrans accepts companies based on how full your area is and which vehicle types it needs, and says onboarding takes 2 to 4 weeks. See the [MediTrans](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/meditrans/) and [Verida](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/verida/) guides.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need a city license to run non-emergency medical transportation in Shreveport?

Yes. Shreveport City Code Sec. 46-101 bars anyone from carrying ambulatory or wheelchair patients inside the city, or advertising that service, without a Class B nonemergency license from the chief administrative officer. A company based outside the city needs it only for trips that start and end inside Shreveport. You also pay the city's yearly occupational license tax like any business in the city limits.

### How much does a Class B license cost in Shreveport?

As of October 2026, the city code sets a $50 application fee, not refunded, and a $100 license fee for the calendar year, with no discount for part of a year. Renewal costs $50 and is due before December 1. The fire department charges $50 to inspect each van and $35 for each reinspection, and each driver's ambulance driver's license costs $10 a year.

### Can I use a ramp minivan for NEMT in Shreveport?

Get the city's answer in writing first. Since May 10, 2022, City Code Sec. 46-102(5) calls for a standard-size, van-type vehicle with a running board and at least two exits from the rider area, and a wheelchair lift on any van that carries wheelchair users. It rules out passenger cars other than vans and does not mention ramps.

### What do NEMT drivers need in Shreveport?

A city ambulance driver's license from the chief of police. Under Sec. 46-131, the driver holds a Louisiana chauffeur's license, is certified as a first responder or EMT, has no more than one moving violation in the past year and no DWI or drug-related traffic conviction, and passes a written test. It costs $10 and lasts one year. Medicaid adds a minimum age of 21 and a lifetime DUI bar.

### Does Louisiana Medicaid check the Shreveport license?

Yes, through your broker. The managed care manual, updated May 28, 2026, makes any NEMT company working where a city or parish requires its own NEMT license keep that license current and send copies to the health plan or its broker. The state's NEMT enrollment checklist, PT 42, revised May 2014, told Caddo Parish companies to attach their Class B permit from Shreveport.

### Do I need a Bossier City permit as well?

Only for trips Bossier City's code covers. Bossier City Code Sec. 42-116 requires a Class C permit from its fire chief to carry ambulatory or wheelchair patients inside that city. A company based outside Bossier City needs none for a trip that starts or ends outside it, so a Shreveport company taking a Bossier City rider to a Shreveport clinic is exempt there.

## Official resources

- [Shreveport City Code, Chapter 46, Medical Services](https://library.municode.com/la/shreveport/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH46MESE)
- [City of Shreveport: Chief Administrative Office](https://www.shreveportla.gov/218/Chief-Administrative-Office)
- [City of Shreveport: Occupational License Tax](https://www.shreveportla.gov/286/Occupational-License-Tax)
- [City of Shreveport: Vehicle for Hire](https://www.shreveportla.gov/1127/Vehicle-for-Hire)
- [Bossier City Code, Chapter 42, Ambulances](https://library.municode.com/la/bossier_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH42EMSE_ARTIIAM)
- [Louisiana Medicaid Managed Care Organization Manual (PDF)](https://ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/Manuals/MCO_Manual.pdf)
- [MediTrans: Transportation Providers Hub](https://meditrans.com/transportation-providers/)
- [Verida: Louisiana transportation providers](https://verida.com/louisiana-providers/)