Vehicles for Hire

The Vehicle for Hire Bylaw governs any vehicle for hire, which includes Taxi, Transportation Network (ride share) Companies (TNC), Limousines, Shuttle and Designated Driver Services.
Driver transporting passengers in vehicle

The bylaw was designed to increase safety for both drivers and passengers. Under the bylaw, Vehicles for Hire companies and their Drivers operating in The City of Red Deer require licences.

  • Driver for Hire Licences are required by Taxi, Limousine, Designated, Shuttle and Transportation Network (ride share) Drivers, and any other Driver transporting at least one passenger for compensation. Drivers must be affiliated with an approved Brokerage. 
  • Brokerage Licences are required for Taxi, Limousine, Transportation Network (ride share) companies, Shuttle and Designated Driver operations and any other company that administers the transportation of passengers within The City of Red Deer.

2025 Taxi Plate Draw

A taxi plate draw was held on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, to award 26 new taxi plates for use in Red Deer.

The City of Red Deer Vehicle for Hire Bylaw Vehicle for Hire Bylaw, adopted on May 27, 2024, included an increase of 15 taxi plates per year for three consecutive years. Following these increases, the spring of 2027 will see the plate cap removed. From the 15 plates awarded in 2024, 11 plates were returned to the City. These will be added to the 15 plates to be made available in 2025 for a total of 26 available plates to be awarded by random draw on June 4, 2025 

If you are interested in entering the draw for the 26 Taxi Plates, information and applications can be found at Taxi Plate Draw.

Click here to learn more about the 2025 Taxi Plate Draw.

Information Bulletins

Once a brokerage receives a Bulletin, they are required to:

  • Advise all drivers of the bulletin
  • Post the bulletin in a prominent location within the Brokerage premises, if the Brokerage maintains a physical office within the City
  • Provide a copy to all drivers affiliated with the Brokerage either by hand delivery or electronically
  • Communicate over the Brokerages dispatch system or transportation network, as applicable, that a bulletin was published

It is the responsibility of all members of the industry to ensure they are informed of the contents of bulletin. We consider the industry members to be informed of a bulletin, once it has been delivered to the Brokerage.

Current Bulletins:

May 2025 - Information Bulletin - 2025 Vehicles for Hire Taxi Plate Draw (pdf)

Drivers For Hire

Driver for Hire Licences are required for all Taxi, Limousine, Shuttle, Transportation Network (ride share) and Designated Drivers under the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw.

All Taxi, Limousine, Shuttle, Transportation Network (ride share) and Designated Drives all ll require a Driver for Hire Licence under the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw.

A complete application includes the following:

  • Driver for Hire Application Form  (Driver for Hire Application / Renewal Form (pdf))
  • 3-year Drivers Abstract, dated within 60 days of application date
  • Letter of Affiliation from a Licensed Brokerage
  • For TNC Drivers a copy of your vehicle registration and a Letter of Authorization if you are not the registered owner
  • A copy of your permanent Alberta Drivers Licence with Class 1,2 or 4
  • Vulnerable Sector Check results, dated within 6 months of application date
  • Headshot photo, similar to a passport photo to be used on your ID Badge
  • Payment of Licence Fee

Applications are reminded to leave at least seven business days for application processing. All required application documents can be submitted to Licensing via:

  • Email: licensing@reddeer.ca
  • In person: Inspections and Licensing counter, main floor City Hall - 4914 48 Avenue
  • Mail: PO Box 5008, Red Deer, AB, T4N 3T4

Application processing is a minimum of seven business days.

Frequently Asked Questions for Vehicles for Hire Drivers (pdf) - revised June 2024

Brokerages

A brokerage is a business which connects a customer to a vehicle for hire.

A complete application includes the following:

  • Brokerage Licence Application Form  Brokerage Licence application form (pdf)
  • Vin Numbers for all vehicles that require City Issued Plates (all vehicles except TNCs), along with the make, model and year
  • Payment of the Brokerage Fee

Applicants are reminded to leave at least seven business days for application processing. Submit all required application documents to the Licensing department via:

  • Email: licensing@reddeer.ca
  • In person: Inspections and Licensing counter, main floor City Hall - 4914 48 Avenue
  • Mail: PO Box 5008, Red Deer, AB, T4N 3T4

Frequently Asked Questions for Vehicles for Hire Brokerages (pdf) - revised October 2024

Independent Driver Owner Brokerages

Independent Driver Owners are small brokerages with two or less vehicles with the owner being the principal driver of one of the vehicles. An Independent Driver Owner Brokerage Licence incorporates the owner's Driver for Hire Licence.

 To apply, the following is required:

  • Driver for Hire Application (Driver for Hire Application / Renewal Form (pdf))
  • A copy of permanent Alberta Drivers Licence, with class 1,2 or 4
  • 3-year Drivers Abstract, dated within 30 days of application date
  • Criminal Record Check including results of a Vulnerable Sector Check, dated within six months of application/renewal date
  • Headshot photo (like a passport photo, to be used on ID badge)
  • Brokerage Licence Application (Brokerage Licence application form (pdf))
  • VIN numbers for all vehicles that require City issued plates, along with make, model and year
  • Payment of Licence Fee 

Application forms and documents can be submitted to the Inspections & Licensing department via:

  • Email: licensing@reddeer.ca
  • In person: Inspections and Licensing counter, main floor City Hall - 4914 48 Avenue
  • Mail: PO Box 5008  Red Deer AB  T4N 3T4

Application processing is a minimum of seven business days. Brokerage location may also require Zoning and Safety Codes approvals.  

Licence fees

All licences issued under the Vehicle for Hire (VHF) Bylaw expire August 31 of each year. Fees for the 2024/25 licence year are:

  • Independent Driver Owner Brokerage: $408.20
  • Driver for Hire Licence: $107.40
  • Brokerage Licence fee is based on either the number of vehicles in the fleet or, for a TNC Brokerage, the number of drivers affiliated with the Brokerage:
    • 1-15 Vehicles: $408.20
    • 16-50 Vehicles: $1,074.30
    • 51+ Vehicles: $2,685.75

Fees may be pro-rated on a monthly basis from the date of application until August 31 of the current licence year.

Renewals

All licences issued under the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw (VFH) expire August 31. Renewal invoices will be sent to everyone with an approved VFH licence. Once the renewal invoice is received, all required documents and payment may be submitted.

For Drivers

Required documents:

  • Completed Driver for Hire Renewal Form: Driver for Hire Application / Renewal Form (pdf)
  • A copy of your permanent Alberta Driver's Licence, with class 1, 2 or 4
  • 3-year Drivers Abstract, dated within 30 days of the renewal submission date
  • Police Information Check with results of a Vulnerable Sector Check, dated within 6 months of the renewal submission date. 
  • Payment of Licence Renewal Fee

Submit all required documents for renewal to the Inspections & Licensing department via:

  • Email: licensing@reddeer.ca
  • In person: Inspections and Licensing counter, Main Floor, City Hall - 4914 48 Avenue
  • Mail: PO Box 5008, Red Deer, AB  T4N 3T4 

For Brokerages

  • Unless otherwise requested, renewal fee is required.
  • Online: reddeer.ca/mycity OR reddeer.ca/mypayments
  • Mail: PO Box 5008, Red Deer AB T4N 3T4
  • In person: Main Floor, City Hall 
  • Payment of Licence Renewal Fee

Payments may be made:

Details and requirements are available within the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw 3706/2024 (pdf).

For more information, please reach out to Inspections & Licensing at licensing@reddeer.ca or 403-342-8182.