A. It is unlawful for any person to drive, operate or be in charge of, any taxicab governed or affected by this chapter, without having first obtained a driver’s permit, issued pursuant to this chapter to do so.

B. The applicant for such permit shall appear personally and file with the chief law enforcement officer an application in writing, upon a form furnished by the chief law enforcement officer, containing such information as the chief law enforcement officer may require. Such application shall be accompanied by a service fee of twenty-five dollars. Such fee shall not be refunded for any reason. In addition to his application, the applicant shall furnish to the police department at the time he submits his application three passport-size recent photographs of acceptable quality and shall be further required to furnish new photographs upon request of the police department when the original photographs are no longer suitable.

C. Upon the receipt of such application accompanied by the required fee and deposit as provided in subsection (B) of this section, the chief law enforcement officer shall, subject to the conditions contained in subsection (D) of this section, issue to such applicant a drivers permit. Such permit shall state the name of the carrier by whom the holder thereof is to be employed and shall authorize the applicant to drive, operate or be in charge of any vehicle operated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter only by the carrier named in the permit; provided, however, that the permit holder may change his employer and drive, operate or be in charge of vehicles operated pursuant to this chapter by another carrier after securing from the chief law enforcement officer an endorsement on his driver’s permit of a change of carrier as provided in this chapter.

D. No driver’s permit shall be issued to any such applicant who is under the age of eighteen years, or who is not the holder of a valid, unrevoked and unsuspended class C license issued by the state. A prior conviction of any of the offenses mentioned in subsection (A) of Section 5.28.280 shall be a good cause for denial of the driver’s permit, provided the chief law enforcement officer shall deem the applicant unfit to be the holder of such permit by reason of such conviction. The chief law enforcement officer shall consult such records and consider evidence as is available to him at the time of acting on the application to determine the fitness of the applicant. In addition, all applicants shall take and pass with negative results a controlled substance and alcohol test in accordance with California Government Code Section 53075.5 as it may be amended or renumbered. Such test shall be taken no more than thirty days preceding the date the application is filed. Failure to meet these deadlines shall result in the invalidation of the permit process. The test shall be taken in a certified National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) laboratory, and certified documentation of the results shall be submitted to the chief law enforcement officer in the time frames outlined herein along with sufficient identifying factors to match the test results with the permittee.

E. As soon as possible after the issuance of a driver’s permit, the chief law enforcement officer shall make such further investigation of the character and fitness of the applicant as he deems necessary. After the completion of such further investigation, if he is satisfied that the operation by the applicant of a vehicle authorized to be operated under the terms of this chapter will be detrimental to the public health, peace, safety or welfare, or that the holder of such driver’s permit is unfit to hold the same, he shall revoke such driver’s permit as provided in Section 5.28.50.

F. The chief law enforcement officer shall keep a copy of such driver’s permit on file in his office. Such a driver’s permit shall constitute evidence of compliance with the terms of this chapter. Such driver’s permit shall be effective until the expiration date printed thereon pursuant to subsection (G) of this section, or until suspended or revoked as provided in Section 5.28.050.

G. All permits issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire on the three hundred sixty-fifth day following the date of its issuance, unless suspended or revoked as provided herein.

H. A renewal driver’s permit shall be issued by the chief law enforcement officer to any permittee who has paid a renewal fee of fifteen dollars herein and completed all of the requirements, including but not limited to the controlled substance and alcohol test as indicated in subsection (D) of this section.

I. An endorsement of a change of carrier by whom a permit holder may be employed shall be made on a permit by the chief law enforcement officer whenever the holder thereof makes application therefor and pays a transfer fee of fifteen dollars.

J. No fee will be collected for the issuance of each duplicate driver’s permit.

K. In the event that a driver holding a valid permit issued by the county requests a transfer to a company operating within the city, the chief law enforcement officer may accept the results of the investigation made by the county and issue a city permit to such driver or may require an investigation similar to that required for a new permit; however in either case, a transfer fee of fifteen dollars shall be paid.

L. If a driver works for a company which is located outside the corporate limits of the city, but licensed to operate both in the city and county, such driver will be required to obtain a permit from the chief law enforcement officer without regard to any other permit he may have or be required to have by any other agency.

M. 1.    An employer shall notify the chief law enforcement officer, in writing, of the termination of employment of any taxi driver, and driver shall return his permit to city.