APPLY
If you wish to operate a taxi service at SFO, you must first contact the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Once the SFMTA authorizes your company to operate, they will inform the Airport about medallions and color scheme.
KEY POLICIES
Effective December 1, 2020, only Ramp and Purchased Medallion taxis are permitted to pick up at SFO, per SFMTA, unless specifically authorized by SFO due to a temporary taxi shortage. Purchased medallions begin with a “P” while Ramp medallions have wheelchair ramps and are numbered in the 9000s.
Taxis wishing to pick up at SFO must use the TaxiVQ app. This app is used to virtually wait in line for your turn to pick up as well as validating “short” trips. For full details, please visit the TaxiVQ page.
Taxi Drivers are responsible for knowing the rules of the road, including SFO-specific rules. SFO's full rules and regulations can be found
here. Taxi-specific rules can be found in Rule 4.0 (pages 22-31 in the 2024 edition).
SFO issues notices to the industry as needed. Several key policy notices are linked below, and a full list of notices can be found by clicking the button at the bottom of this section.
RENEW
The limited vehicle safety inspections are conducted at GTU . Taxi renewal is based on vehicle mileage and renewal season is throughout the year.
Taxi renewal season normally commences in May and ends in September every year. For semi-annual inspections, two months are allocated to operators (scheduled six months or less apart depending on the mileage).
Vehicles that exceed 200,000 miles or are designated as “spare” require a semi-annual inspection. If the vehicles are well below that threshold, only an annual inspection will be required. All previously submitted information will be reviewed to ensure accuracy.
INSPECTION
GTU Address: 947 North Field Rd
San Francisco CA, 94128
Always please check in at the GTU office first for all taxicab transactions.
FOR INSPECTIONS:
- Please present the following documents when checking in for a safety inspection:
- Original Brake Certificate (if over 7,500 miles), valid for 90 days
- Current DMV Registration
- Current Insurance Card
- Original valid CA Driver’s License
- Original valid A-Card
ONLY FOR ADDITION OF SALVAGE VEHICLE
- Original Triple AAA Vehicle Inspection Report (short form is acceptable)
- Original CARFAX Vehicle History Report (obtain at www.carfax.com)
FOR TRANSPONDER REPLACEMENTS:
Please present the following items when checking in for a transponder replacement:
- Current DMV Registration
- Windshield replacement receipt
- Old transponder
FEES
Trip/Loop Fees
$5.50 for trips originating from SFO ($5.50 pass-through to passenger)
Fees are paid using an SFMTA-issued “Smart A-Card” which must be tapped upon entry and upon exit. Cards are reloaded through an online portal using debit or credit card only. The portal is here and a guide for use can be found here. No bank account? No problem:
Annual Vehicle Registration and Safety Inspection Fee
- Semi-annual Taxi Safety Inspection Fee (per vehicle) $57.00
- Taxi Smart-Card Replacement Fee (2nd and subsequent replacements per card) $27.00
Missed Scheduled Appointment Fee $105
A Missed Scheduled Inspection Appointment Fee is charged if an operator misses or is 15 minutes late for a mechanical inspection appointment. An inspection appointment must be cancelled 24 hours prior to the inspection in order to waive the missed appointment fee.
Bounced Check/ Insufficient Funds Fee $50
Failed Inspection Fee $130.00
Applies to any taxicab that failed the vehicle safety inspection based on the following critical safety items:
- Air Bag
- ABS Light
- Check Engine Light
- Bald Tires
- Parking Brake
Late Inspection Cycle Fee $260.00
Offsite Vehicle Inspection Service Fee (for fleets of 25 or more vehicles)
- Less than 20 miles away from SFO (per vehicle) $21.00
- 20 miles or more (per vehicle) $42.00
All fees are paid via the Operator Web Portal (Visa/Mastercard/Discover/American Express). Cash will not be accepted.
TECHNOLOGY
SFO produces and requires the use of the TaxiVQ application for drivers wishing to pick up at SFO. The application is used by drivers to virtually wait in line for their turn to pickup at SFO, and allows drivers to bypass the virtual queue if your previous passenger only traveled a short distance from the airport. The app also provides information on lot status and flight arrivals. For full details and user guides, please visit the TaxiVQ page.
DROP OFF/PICK UP LOCATIONS
Pick Up areas are in the designated yellow/red zones on the center island of both the International and Domestic Terminals.
Drop Off areas are in the white zones, curbside on the Departures or Arrivals levels.
The designated areas may be changed at the discretion of the Airport Director. All use shall only be permitted during the times designated by Airport Director.
Please contact the Ground Transportation Unit (GTU) at gtu@flysfo.com with questions. When emailing GTU, please indicate your Company name and TCP# (MCC, ICC, DOT,) in the “Subject” line.
For directions, visit: www.flysfo.com/maps.
Thank you for your cooperation with the Airport’s on-going program to ensure the safety and security of all SFO passengers.
