The For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application is the City of New Orleans form used to apply for a new or renewed permit in one of seven categories: driver, pedicab, tour guide, carriage, NEMT, school bus driver or school bus aide. It collects your personal details, identification, criminal history and, for drivers, transportation experience, and it includes a certification sworn before a notary. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The original is published by the City of New Orleans at nola.gov, and the form refers to the Ground Transportation Bureau.
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What is For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application – New Orleans, LA?
The For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application is the City of New Orleans two-page form on which an applicant requests a new or renewed permit as a driver, pedicab operator, tour guide, carriage operator, NEMT provider, school bus driver or school bus aide.
At the top you mark New or Renewal and the type of permit. The form then asks for your name, home address, phone numbers, date of birth, Social Security number, email address and every address you have had in the past ten years. An identification section follows, with one block for each permit type, and then questions on work authorization, medical conditions that may affect safe driving, and criminal history. Drivers answer an additional set of questions on transportation experience, such as past suspensions or revocations of for-hire authority.
The last part is a sworn certification. The applicant states that all statements are true and correct and that he or she is in accordance with New Orleans City Code Chapters 22, 30, and 162. The notary then completes the jurat. Tour guides also sign an acknowledgment of the "Standards of Conduct and Ethics for Licensed Tour Guides."
The page for the Pedicab Operator's Permit on nola.gov calls this document the "notarized application" and lists it among the items an applicant submits. The form is a permit application only. It does not by itself grant a permit, and the City sets further requirements for each permit type.
Who needs to file For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application – New Orleans, LA?
Anyone applying to the City of New Orleans for a new or renewed permit in one of these categories uses this form: Driver, Pedicab, Tour Guide, Carriage, NEMT, School Bus Driver or School Bus Aide. You mark the matching box under Type of Permit and complete only the identification block for your permit type.
Conditions printed on the form:
- Driver applicants give a valid Louisiana Chauffeur's or CDL license number.
- Carriage applicants give a valid Louisiana driver's license number.
- Pedicab applicants give a valid driver's license number.
- Tour guide applicants give a valid driver's license, ID card or passport number.
- The Transportation Experience questions apply to drivers only.
- The drug-test and 48-hour accident-notice initials are not required for tour guides.
- Tour guides alone sign the Standards of Conduct and Ethics acknowledgment.
For pedicab permits, the City's page says the applicant must be at least 18 years old with a valid driver's license, and must never have been convicted of the serious offenses it lists, such as homicide, aggravated rape, aggravated battery, armed robbery or sale of narcotics. The form does not say that anyone may sign for the applicant. The applicant signs the certification in front of the notary.
When to file For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application – New Orleans, LA
File this application when you apply for a new permit or renew an existing one, and mark New or Renewal at the top of the form. The form prints no deadline of its own.
For pedicab permits, the City's page says to submit all required documents and information at one time, because incomplete documentation will not be accepted. After you submit, the page lists further steps: a federal background check, a drug test and an examination with a passing grade of at least 70%.
By initialing the form, drivers and other applicants other than tour guides confirm that they must submit to a drug test and must notify the Ground Transportation Bureau within 48 hours of an accident in a for-hire vehicle. The form sets no renewal period or validity period for the permit.
Documents you need
- Driver permit: a valid Louisiana Chauffeur's or CDL license; enter its number and expiration date in the Driver identification block.
- Carriage permit: a valid Louisiana driver's license; enter its number and expiration date in the Carriage block.
- Pedicab permit: a valid driver's license (the City's page accepts a license from any U.S. state); enter its number and expiration date.
- Tour guide permit: a valid driver's license, ID card or passport; enter its number and expiration date in the Tour Guide block.
- A written explanation with supporting documentation, if you answer Yes to any Transportation Experience question.
- Details of each conviction or pending charge (name if different, charge, date, court and location), if you answer Yes to any Criminal History question.
- Identification for the notary, such as the type of identification produced, unless the notary knows you personally.
- Pedicab permit: the physician-signed medical form (TFHV-Pedicab-Medical-Form) showing you are physically qualified, with hearing and eyesight unimpaired.
- Pedicab permit: a defensive driving certificate from a Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles approved program.
- Pedicab permit: an original employment letter or independent operator agreement completed by the company you will work for.
- Pedicab permit: an original letter from an approved company saying you completed training.
- Pedicab permit: a federal background check or criminal history report from the Louisiana State Police or an FBI-approved channeler, returned directly to the Bureau.
- Pedicab permit: results of a standard 5-panel urine drug test from a CLIA-certified laboratory, emailed directly to [email protected].
How to fill out For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application – New Orleans, LA
Enter the date and bureau numbers
At the top, enter the date. The header also has lines for a Ground Transportation Tracking Number and a Bureau License number; complete them if you have those numbers.
Mark application and permit type
Mark New or Renewal. Then mark one Type of Permit: Driver, Pedicab, Tour Guide, Carriage, NEMT, School Bus Driver or School Bus Aide.
Complete the applicant information
Enter your full name, home address, city, state and ZIP, home and work phone, date of birth, Social Security number and email address.
List previous addresses
Under the previous-address line, list all addresses you have had within the past ten (10) years.
Fill in your identification block
Complete only the block for your permit type. Enter the state, the expiration date and the license, ID card or passport number it asks for; Driver and Carriage blocks print Louisiana.
Answer the eligibility questions
Mark Yes or No on authorization to work in the United States and on lapses of consciousness or other conditions that may affect safe driving. Explain any Yes on the health question.
Answer the criminal history questions
Mark Yes or No on each of the six criminal history questions. Read the time periods carefully, because some questions cover three or five years and others have no limit.
Detail each conviction or charge
If you answered Yes to any criminal history question, enter the name (if different), charge, date, and court and location for each conviction or pending charge.
Complete transportation experience (drivers)
Drivers mark Yes or No on CPNC interests, suspensions or revocations, unsatisfied civil penalties and court injunctions. Attach a written explanation and supporting documentation for any Yes.
Initial the drug test acknowledgment
Initial the statement that you must submit to a drug test and notify the Ground Transportation Bureau within 48 hours of an accident in a for-hire vehicle. Tour guides do not need to initial it.
Sign before the notary
Print your name in the certification, then sign and date it in front of the notary. The notary completes the sworn date, name, personally known or identification produced, and commission expiration.
Sign the tour guide acknowledgment
Tour guides sign and date the acknowledgment of the Standards of Conduct and Ethics for Licensed Tour Guides. Other permit types leave this section blank.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that only your permit block is filled and every Yes answer has its explanation. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then follow the channels under How to submit.
How to submit For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application – New Orleans, LA
The form itself names no submission channel. The City's page for the Pedicab Operator's Permit gives these details, and for any other permit type you should confirm them with the Bureau at (504) 658-4000, the number printed on the form.
- Email: the page says the Ground Transportation Bureau office is closed to the public and that all applications must be emailed to [email protected]. The page also describes delivery in person to New Orleans City Hall, One Stop Shop, 7th floor, but its current notice says the office is closed.
- Notarization: a completed application brought in must be notarized. An application filled out and signed in person does not need to be notarized.
- Fee: a permit issuance fee applies for pedicabs. Payments may be made online or mailed to the Bureau. Ask the Bureau for the current amount at [email protected] or (504) 658-7170.
- Background check and drug test results: these go directly to the Bureau. Mail background results to Ground Transportation Bureau, 1300 Perdido St., Room 7W03, New Orleans, LA 70112. Email either set of results to [email protected].
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filling in every identification block instead of only the one for your permit type; the form says to fill out the applicable section.
- Entering an out-of-state license in the Driver or Carriage block, which ask for a Louisiana Chauffeur's, CDL or driver's license.
- Answering Yes to a criminal history question without listing the name, charge, date, and court and location for each conviction or pending charge.
- Answering Yes to a Transportation Experience question without attaching a written explanation and supporting documentation.
- Listing only your current address and leaving out previous addresses from the past ten (10) years.
- Bringing in a completed, signed pedicab application that has not been notarized; the City's page requires notarization in that case.
- Submitting a pedicab application in pieces; the City's page says to submit all documents at one time, and incomplete documentation will not be accepted.
- Leaving out your initials on the drug-test and 48-hour accident acknowledgment when you are not a tour guide.
- Applying as a tour guide without signing the Standards of Conduct and Ethics acknowledgment on page 2.
Frequently asked questions
What is the For Hire Operator Permit (Driver) & Tour Guide Application?
It is the City of New Orleans application for a new or renewed permit as a driver, pedicab operator, tour guide, carriage operator, NEMT provider, school bus driver or school bus aide. It ends with a certification sworn before a notary.
Which permits does this application cover?
Seven permit types are printed on the form: Driver, Pedicab, Tour Guide, Carriage, NEMT, School Bus Driver and School Bus Aide. You mark one, and you complete only the identification block that matches it.
Does the for hire operator permit application have to be notarized?
The form contains a sworn certification with a notary section. The City's pedicab page says a completed application brought into the office must be notarized, while one filled out and signed in person does not need to be.
Where do I send the For Hire Operator Permit application?
The City's pedicab page says the Ground Transportation Bureau office is closed to the public and all applications must be emailed to [email protected]. The form itself names no channel; its printed phone number is (504) 658-4000.
What do I need to apply for a pedicab permit in New Orleans?
Besides the notarized application, the City's page lists a driver's license, a physician-signed medical form, a defensive driving certificate, an employment letter, a training letter, a background check, a drug test and an exam grade of at least 70%.
Is there a fee for the permit, and how do I pay?
The City's pedicab page lists a fee for issuing the permit and says payments may be made online or mailed to the Bureau. For the amount, contact [email protected] or (504) 658-7170, since this page does not state fees.
Do tour guides need to take a drug test?
The form marks the drug-test and 48-hour accident-notice acknowledgment as not required for tour guides. Tour guides instead sign the acknowledgment of the Standards of Conduct and Ethics for Licensed Tour Guides on page 2.
Is this a New Orleans property tax form?
No. It is a permit application for for-hire operators and tour guides, issued under New Orleans City Code Chapters 22, 30, and 162. It asks for no property or tax information.
Can I fill out this application online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the application; you submit it to the City of New Orleans through its channels.
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