Okokuzithokozisa okubandakanya ezokuthutha e-Miami
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These information pages can help you get started in learning about some of the laws and registration requirements that may apply to your experiences on Airbnb. These pages include summaries of some of the rules that may apply to different sorts of activities, and contain links to government resources that you may find helpful.
Please understand that these information pages are not comprehensive, and are not legal advice. If you are unsure about how local laws or this information may apply to you or your Experience, we encourage you to check with official sources or seek legal advice.
Please note that we don’t update this information in real time, so you should confirm that the laws or procedures have not changed recently.*
Do I need a special license or permit to drive my guests to and from my experience if I don’t charge them for the ride?
You don’t need a special license or permit to drive your guests as long as you are not charging them for the ride.
In order to drive guests without getting an extra license or permit, you:
- cannot charge them for the transportation you provide (either directly or by adding the cost of transportation to your Experience Fee), and
- should clearly mention in your Listing that transportation will be provided “at no charge.”
If you want to charge your guests for the ride, you need to get special licenses.
Example: Joe takes his guests on a meditative walk through Big Cypress National Preserve and wants to give them a free ride to/from the experience. Joe’s listing makes it clear he will pick up Guests who need a ride to get to his experience at no charge to the Guest. Joe does not need special licenses (aside from his regular driver’s license) to do this.
If I want to charge for the ride, do I need a special license or permit to drive guests to and from my experience?
Yes. If you’re charging your guests to drive them around Miami-Dade County, you need a “Passenger (For Hire) Transportation license from the Passenger Transportation Regulatory Division of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (“DTPW”) of Miami-Dade County, Florida. A passenger transportation license is quite costly; the initial license application fee is $350, and the initial and annual license renewal fees are $625. In addition, among other requirements, you’ll need to:
- Show proof that you have at least $300,000 in car insurance covering public liability and property damage; and
- Get a Miami-Dade County chauffeur registration from the Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources Department. This registration requires that you:
- pass a background check and review of your driving record;
- complete a limousine training program (costing $70) put on by the Department’s For-Hire Transportation section of the Business Affairs Division; and
- pay a $55 application fee and annual renewal fee.
More information on how to get a passenger transportation license is available here. Once you file your application and meet the requirements, it takes several weeks for the DTPW to register your license.
Picking guests up at the airport: Note that a Passenger For Hire Transportation license does not guarantee that you will be allowed to pick up guests at the airport. Many airports have restrictions their own requirements for transportation providers such as background checks, vehicle inspections and placards. Be sure to check with the airport before charging guests for airport pickup even if you have a license.
Example: Anita wants to give her guests a ride to her experience kayaking around Oleta River State Park. Anita drives a SUV that seats 6 and will charge each guest $20 for the ride. Since Anita is charging guests to drive them in Miami-Dade County, she’ll need a DPTW passenger transportation license.
To do so, she’ll need to buy car insurance covering $300,000 in public liability and property damage, get her Chauffeur registration (costing $55) by passing the background check and driving record review, complete the training program (costing $70), and then file her passenger transportation license with DPTW along the $350 application fee.
If I charge my Guests for transportation, do I also need to register as a Seller of Travel?
Yes. In Florida, if you charge for transportation as part of your experience, you’ll also need to register as a [“Seller of Travel”] (https://oag.ca.gov/travel/statute#1).
Note: You can avoid having to register as a Seller of Travel if you don’t charge your guests for transportation.
If you need to register as a Seller of Travel, you’ll need to:
- application with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (which you’ll have to renew every year),
- pay an application fee of $300 (and annual renewal fee of $50),
- pass a background check, and
- buy a surety bond (to protect guest payments) from a company admitted by the state and send a copy of the bond with your application.
Once you get a Seller of Travel registration number, you need to include it in your listing.
If you plan to give your guests a ride or your experience involves sea travel (like a boat ride), you need to comply with the Seller of Travel requirements that may apply to you. If you don’t register, you could get fined by the Department of Consumer Services.
Example: Dave wants to give his guests a ride to his experience scuba diving off Key Biscayne. Dave drives a van that seats 9 and will charge each guest $40 for the ride. In addition to a passenger transportation license, Dave will need to register as a Seller of Travel since he is charging for transportation.
To do so, he’ll need to purchase a surety bond and then file his application with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services along with the $100 fee, and pass a background check. Dave’s Listing should include his Seller of Travel registration number.
How else can I help my guests get to and from my experience?
How you handle your experience and your guest’s transportation needs is entirely up to you. You may choose to:
- give them a ride for free,
- charge them if you have the necessary licenses, or
- ask your Guests to get their own transportation to and from your experience.
Example 2: Jill wants to give her guests a ride to her dinner party in Wynwood and arranges and pays for a Lyft for each of her guests. Jill does not charge her guests for the $10 ride and her listing makes it clear she will arrange a ride for her guests at no charge. Jill’s experience costs $330 per guest. Since Jill isn’t driving her guests, she doesn’t need a DPTW passenger transportation license or a Seller of Travel registration.
*Airbnb is not responsible for the reliability or correctness of the information contained in any links to third party sites (including any links to legislation and regulations).