Section 19-505. General provisions for licensing of drivers

a. No person
  shall drive any motor  vehicle  for  hire  which  is  regulated  by  the
  provisions of this chapter without first obtaining from the commission:
    (i) a taxicab driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a taxicab; or
    (ii) a coach driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a coach; or
    (iii)  a for-hire vehicle driver's license, if the vehicle driven is a
  for-hire vehicle; or
    (iv) a wheelchair accessible van  driver's  license,  if  the  vehicle
  driven is a wheelchair accessible van; or
    (v)  a  commuter  van  driver's  license,  if  the vehicle driven is a
  commuter van.
    The issuance of a license  to  a  person  to  drive  any  one  of  the
  aforementioned  licensed vehicles shall not entitle such person to drive
  any other such licensed vehicle without first obtaining  the  additional
  appropriate driver's license.
    b.  Each  applicant  for a license, other than a commuter van driver's
  license, must:
    1. Hold a New York state chauffeur's license.
    2. Be nineteen years of age or over.
    3. Be of sound physical condition with good eyesight and no  epilepsy,
  vertigo,  heart  trouble  or  any  other infirmity of body or mind which
  might render him or her unfit for  the  safe  operation  of  a  licensed
  vehicle.
    4. Be fingerprinted.
    5. Be of good moral character.
    6. Not be addicted to the use of drugs or intoxicating liquors.
    c. Applications for driver's licenses must be filed as directed by the
  commission,  and  must  be accompanied by the required license fee. Such
  application shall be on a form provided by the  commission  and  contain
  such information as the commission deems reasonably necessary.
    d.  Each applicant for a driver's license under the provisions of this
  chapter, other than a commuter van driver's license, shall  be  examined
  as  to  his  or  her  physical  condition  by  a duly licensed physician
  designated by the commission; each such applicant shall also be examined
  by the commission as to his or her knowledge of the  city,  as  well  as
  city  and  state laws governing the idling of engines, and if the result
  of any of these examinations is  unsatisfactory,  he  or  she  shall  be
  refused a license.
    e.  Each  applicant  for  a driver's license must file with his or her
  application two recent photos of such applicant of a size which  may  be
  easily attached to his or her license, one of which shall be attached to
  the  license when issued and the other filed with the application in the
  office of the commission.
    f. Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the applicable requirements, there
  shall be issued to the applicant a driver's license which  shall  be  in
  such form as the commission may direct.
    g.  Original driver's licenses and renewals thereof shall be valid for
  a period of not less than one year nor more than three years.
    h. The commission may renew a driver's  license  provided  the  driver
  shall  have  made  application  on the prescribed form during the period
  which the commission shall designate, and the commission may require the
  same standards and tests as are applicable for original applications.
    i. The commission may revoke any driver's license for nonuse,  in  the
  event  it  shall  determine  that  the  driver  has  not worked at least
  twenty-five days as a licensed driver in the calendar year preceding the
  calendar year in which such determination is made,  provided  that  such
  failure  to  work  as  a  licensed  driver shall not have been caused by
  strike, riot, war or other public catastrophe.  However,  in  the  event

  that  it is shown to the commission by competent proof that a driver has
  been disabled through illness, his or her license shall not  be  revoked
  because of such nonuse as provided in this subdivision.
    j.  Fees  shall  be  paid by each applicant for a driver's license, as
  determined by the commission, but not to exceed the following:
  For each original one-year license.... $60.00 For renewal of a one year
  period...... $60.00
    The fee for an original license or a renewal thereof shall be paid  at
  the  time  of  filing  the applications and shall not be refunded in the
  event of disapproval of the application. An additional fee not exceeding
  twenty-five dollars shall be paid for each license issued to  replace  a
  lost  or  mutilated  license.  There  shall  be  an  additional  fee  of
  twenty-five dollars for late filing of  a  license  renewal  application
  where such late filing is permitted by the commission.
    k.  Every  driver  who has obtained a license pursuant to this section
  shall  comply  with  the  rules  and  regulations  promulgated  by   the
  commission  for  drivers  of the type of vehicle for which the driver is
  licensed.
    l. The commission may, after a hearing, suspend or revoke any driver's
  license for failure  to  comply  with  any  provision  of  this  chapter
  applicable  to  licensed  drivers  or  for  failure  to  comply with the
  commission's rules and regulations.
    m. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commission
  shall not issue a commuter van driver's license to an  applicant  unless
  the  applicant:  (1)  has been fingerprinted for the purpose of securing
  criminal history records from the state  division  of  criminal  justice
  services  for  which the applicant shall pay any processing fee required
  by the state division of criminal justice services;  (2)  satisfies  the
  commission that such applicant is fit and able to drive the commuter van
  for  which  the  license  is sought; (3) possesses a commercial driver's
  license which pursuant to the vehicle and traffic law is valid  for  the
  operation  of  such  commuter  van  for the transportation of passengers
  for-hire; (4) has met the qualifications set forth in article nineteen-A
  of the vehicle and traffic law for the operation of a bus as defined  in
  such  article;  and  (5)  has not engaged in any conduct that would be a
  basis for suspension or revocation of such  license  pursuant  to  rules
  promulgated by the commission.
    n.  The  commission shall approve or disapprove an application for the
  issuance of a commuter van driver's license within  one  hundred  eighty
  days after the completed application is filed. The failure to approve or
  disapprove   such  application  within  such  time  shall  be  deemed  a
  disapproval of such application.
    o. Every  commuter  van  driver's  license  shall  be  issued  on  the
  condition that the applicant possesses a commercial driver's license and
  complies  with  article  nineteen-A  of  the  vehicle and traffic law as
  described in paragraphs three and four of subdivision m of this  section
  during  the  time  that such commuter van driver's license is in effect.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, suspension or revocation  of
  such commercial driver's license pursuant to the vehicle and traffic law
  or  noncompliance with article nineteen-A of the vehicle and traffic law
  shall render the commuter van driver's license suspended  on  and  after
  the  date  of  the  suspension or revocation of such commercial driver's
  license or noncompliance with such article  nineteen-A  and  during  the
  period  of  such suspension, revocation or noncompliance, and any person
  who drives a commuter van that is required to be  licensed  pursuant  to
  section  19-504  of  this  chapter during the period of such suspension,
  revocation or noncompliance shall be deemed to be driving a commuter van
  without a license required by this section.

    p. Any commuter van driver's license issued pursuant to  this  section
  shall be revoked after the holder of such license has had an opportunity
  for  a  hearing  in  accordance with procedures to be established by the
  commission and such holder is  found  to  have  failed  to  comply  with
  paragraph two of subdivision a of section 19-529.1 of this chapter three
  times within a period of six months.