Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides
Wheelchair accessible taxis: what the ADA requires of cabs and drivers
A taxi company in the United States does not have to buy or lease wheelchair accessible cars: the Department of Transportation’s ADA rule, 49 CFR part 37, says so in as many words (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(b)). What the rule does require applies to every cab, accessible or not. The company and its drivers cannot refuse a ride to a person with a disability who can use the vehicle, has to help stow your wheelchair, and cannot charge you more than other passengers (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c)). And when a taxi company buys or leases a vehicle that is not a car, such as a van, that vehicle has to be accessible unless the company already offers equivalent service (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(b)); the lifts, ramps and tie-downs it needs are set in 49 CFR part 38 (49 CFR Part 38, 38.23). This guide goes through both, with each rule linked to its section, and ends with what to ask when you book. For flights and hotels, see accessible travel.
This guide summarizes the sources it cites; it is not legal advice. The official texts are the reference.
Which rule covers taxis, limousines and ride apps
The ADA, Title III. ADA.gov lists taxis, with intercity and charter buses and hotel and airport shuttles, as examples of privately operated transit, covered by the part of the ADA for businesses open to the public (ADA.gov introduction to the ADA). The details of what that means for wheelchair accessible transportation are in the Department of Transportation’s rule, 49 CFR part 37.
Part 37. It treats providers of taxi service as private companies primarily engaged in the business of transporting people that run a demand responsive service (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(a)), that is, any service that is not a vehicle running along a set route on a fixed schedule (49 CFR Part 37, 37.3). The Department’s guidance, printed with the rule as appendix D, adds that other services that involve calling for a car and a driver to take you somewhere, such as limousine services, are regarded as taxi services (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29). Those companies also have to follow the Department of Justice’s rules on eligibility criteria, reasonable modifications, auxiliary aids and services, and barrier removal (49 CFR Part 37, 37.5(f)).
Ride apps. Part 37 does not name app-based ride services. The closest it comes is that sentence on calling for a car and a driver. Whether a particular app company counts as a taxi service under the rule is not something its text answers, and this guide does not answer it either. What you can do is compare what an app offers with the rules below, which say what a wheelchair cab and its driver have to do.
What a taxi company or driver cannot do
Part 37 names three kinds of discrimination by taxi companies, and says the list is not closed: refusing service to people with disabilities who can use taxi vehicles, refusing to help stow mobility devices, and charging people with disabilities and their equipment higher fares or fees than other passengers (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c)). The guidance gives examples:
- Passing you by. It is discrimination to pass up a passenger because he or she is blind or uses a wheelchair, if the wheelchair can be stowed in the cab and the passenger can transfer to a seat. A taxi company also cannot insist that a wheelchair user wait for a lift-equipped van if the person could use a car (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29).
- Leaving the wheelchair on the curb. It is discrimination for a driver to refuse to help stow a wheelchair in the trunk, since taxi drivers routinely help passengers stow luggage (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29).
- “It takes too long.” That serving a passenger with a disability may take somewhat more time and effort does not justify discriminatory conduct (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29).
- Requiring a companion. A transportation company cannot require a person with a disability to travel with an attendant (49 CFR Part 37, 37.5(e)). It does not have to provide attendant services either, such as help with eating, dressing or toileting (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5).
- Turning away a service animal. Service animals may go with you in the vehicle (49 CFR Part 37, 37.167(d)). What a service dog is, and what can be asked about it, is in guide dogs.
- Refusing oxygen. A provider cannot forbid you to travel with a respirator or portable oxygen supply, as long as the federal hazardous materials rules are followed (49 CFR Part 37, 37.167(h)).
- Refusing because of how a disability looks or sounds. A provider may refuse someone who is violent, seriously disruptive, breaks the law or is a direct threat to the health or safety of others, but not someone whose disability results in an appearance or involuntary behavior that may offend, annoy or inconvenience the driver or other passengers (49 CFR Part 37, 37.5(h)). Fear or misinformation about a disability is not a reason either (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5).
- Blaming the insurance. A provider cannot refuse service because its insurance company makes coverage or rates depend on not carrying people with disabilities (49 CFR Part 37, 37.5(g)).
Can a wheelchair cab charge more?
No. A transportation provider may not impose special charges on people with disabilities, wheelchair users included, for the services the rule requires or for what it takes to accommodate them (49 CFR Part 37, 37.5(d)), and a taxi company may not charge a higher fare or fee for carrying a person with a disability and his or her equipment (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c)). The guidance draws the line with figures:
| What the cab charges | Allowed? | Section |
|---|---|---|
| A higher fare because the passenger has a disability | no | 49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c) and appendix D, section 37.29 |
| A fee to stow a folding wheelchair in the trunk | only the same fee charged for a suitcase: if luggage costs $1.00, the wheelchair can cost $1.00, but not $2.00 | 49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, sections 37.5 and 37.29 |
| More for the lift-equipped van: in the guidance’s example, $40.00 for a shuttle ride to the airport that costs most people $20.00 | no | 49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5 |
| A higher mileage rate for an accessible vehicle | no | 49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5 |
| An extra charge to carry a service animal | no | 49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5 |
The rule does not make the ride free: a provider can still charge passengers with disabilities nondiscriminatory fees, the same ones other passengers pay (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5).
Help with your wheelchair, the ramp and the lift
In a car, the help the rule asks for is stowing your mobility device (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c)). In a van or minibus with a ramp or a lift, section 37.165 applies to public and private providers alike (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(a)):
- The driver helps. Where necessary or on request, staff help passengers use the securement system, the ramp and the lift, and leave their seats to do it if needed (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(f)). On a ramp, that may mean pushing a manual wheelchair up, particularly where the ramp is steep, and the guidance says this help is due even where company rules or labor agreements say drivers stay in their seats (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.165).
- Securing the chair. The provider may require that your wheelchair be secured (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(c)(3)), but it may not refuse the ride because the device cannot be secured to its satisfaction by the vehicle’s system (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(d)).
- Staying in your wheelchair. The provider may recommend that you transfer to a vehicle seat, but it may not require it (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(e)). The guidance adds that the driver should respect whether you prefer to board facing forward or backing on, unless only one way works or safety demands otherwise (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.165).
- Larger and heavier wheelchairs. If a wheelchair and its user are larger or heavier than the part 38 design standards, the provider still has to carry them if the lift and the vehicle can accommodate them. It may decline if the combined weight exceeds the lift’s specifications, or if carrying the wheelchair is shown to be inconsistent with legitimate safety requirements (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(b)(1)).
- Using the lift without a wheelchair. Passengers with disabilities who do not use wheelchairs, including people who stand on the lift, can use the lift or ramp to board (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(g)); the guidance names people who use canes or walkers and people who have trouble with steps (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.165).
- Time. The provider gives passengers with disabilities enough time to board and get off (49 CFR Part 37, 37.167(i)).
- Working equipment. Lifts, ramps and securement devices are kept in working order and repaired promptly; while one is out of order, the provider takes reasonable steps to accommodate the passengers who would use it (49 CFR Part 37, 37.161(a) and (b)).
- Trained drivers. Staff are trained to proficiency, as their duties require, to operate the vehicle and its equipment safely and to assist and treat passengers with disabilities in a respectful and courteous way (49 CFR Part 37, 37.173). The guidance says that training is just as necessary for the driver of a taxicab as for the driver of a city bus (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.173).
Which taxi counts as wheelchair accessible
In the rule, an accessible vehicle is one that complies with parts 37 and 38 (49 CFR Part 37, 37.3); a bus or van, new, used or remanufactured, is accessible if it meets subpart B of part 38 (49 CFR Part 38, 38.21(a)). Which taxis have to be accessible depends on the kind of vehicle:
- Cars: a taxi company is not required to buy or lease accessible cars (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(b)). The guidance says that, under the ADA, no private company is required to buy an accessible automobile (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29).
- Vans and other vehicles: when a taxi company buys or leases a vehicle other than a car, that vehicle has to be accessible, unless the company shows equivalent service (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(b)). This includes new vans with fewer than eight seats, driver included, when the order was put out after February 25, 1992 (49 CFR Part 37, 37.103(d)). For companies primarily in the business of transporting people, the guidance says the requirement covers new vehicles, not used ones (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, sections 37.101 to 37.105).
- No quota: a taxi company is not required to buy vehicles other than cars in order to have accessible vehicles in its fleet (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(b)).
Equivalent service means that the service available to people with disabilities, wheelchair users included, is given in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, and matches the service other people get in response time, fares, area served, hours and days, information, reservations, limits on capacity, and any restrictions or priorities by trip purpose (49 CFR Part 37, 37.105). The guidance puts it simply: if the company gets a van to a passenger without a disability in 2 hours, it has to get an accessible van to a person with a disability in 2 hours (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, sections 37.101 to 37.105).
| Part | What part 38 requires | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Boarding | a lift or a ramp, and enough clearance for a wheelchair user to reach a securement location | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(a) |
| Wheelchair spaces | at least 1 securement location in a vehicle 22 feet long or less; at least 2 if it is longer | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(a) |
| Lift platform | a design load of at least 600 pounds; at least 28 1/2 inches clear at the platform and 30 inches from 2 to 30 inches above it, and 48 inches long | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(b)(1) and (b)(6) |
| Lift safety | side barriers at least 1 1/2 inches high, handrails on both sides 30 to 38 inches above the platform, and room to face in or out | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(b)(5), (b)(11) and (b)(13) |
| Ramp | 30 inches of clear width and barriers at least 2 inches high on each side; one 30 inches or longer supports 600 pounds, a shorter one 300 | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(c)(1), (c)(2) and (c)(4) |
| Securement area | a clear floor area of 30 by 48 inches, as near the accessible entrance as practicable; a secured wheelchair moves no more than 2 inches | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(d)(2) and (d)(5) |
| Seat belt | a seat belt and shoulder harness for each wheelchair space, used in addition to securing the wheelchair, not instead of it | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(d)(7) |
| Headroom | at least 56 inches above the raised lift or the top of the ramp at the door, and inside from the lift to the securement area, in a vehicle 22 feet long or less; 68 inches if it is longer | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.25(c) and 38.29(f) |
| Contrast | a band of contrasting color along the boarding edge of the ramp or lift platform | 49 CFR Part 38, 38.25(b) |
A van ramp has its own slope rule, separate from the one for ramps into buildings. It has the least slope practicable and is never steeper than 1:4 when it reaches the ground. From a 6-inch curb, the limit depends on how high the van floor is above the curb: 1:4 up to 3 inches, 1:6 up to 6 inches, 1:8 up to 9 inches, and 1:12 when the floor is more than 9 inches above it (49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(c)(5)). How steep a building ramp can be is in ADA ramp slope.
What to ask when you book a wheelchair accessible taxi
- A car or a van? If you can transfer to a seat and your wheelchair folds into the trunk, any cab should take you, and the driver helps stow the chair (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c) and appendix D, section 37.29). If you need to stay in your wheelchair, ask for a van with a ramp or a lift.
- How long is the wait? Ask how long the accessible van takes to arrive compared with a regular cab. Response time is one of the points on which equivalent service is measured (49 CFR Part 37, 37.105(a)(2)).
- Is the fare the same? It should be: no special charges for passengers with disabilities (49 CFR Part 37, 37.5(d)).
- Will my wheelchair fit? Give the width, the length and the weight with you in it. A part 38 lift is built for at least 600 pounds, on a platform 48 inches long and 30 inches wide just above its surface (49 CFR Part 38, 38.23(b)(1) and (b)(6)), and a larger wheelchair still has to be carried if the lift and the vehicle can take it (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(b)(1)).
- Is there headroom? If you sit tall in your wheelchair, ask for the clear height at the door, from the raised lift or the top of the ramp: at least 56 inches in a van 22 feet long or less (49 CFR Part 38, 38.25(c)).
- Can I book in a way that works for me? A provider has to give adequate information about its service, with communication through accessible formats and technology, so passengers can get information and schedule a ride (49 CFR Part 37, 37.167(f)).
- Where will it stop? Tell the dispatcher which entrance of the building is step-free, so the van can stop where the ramp or lift can reach the sidewalk.
If a taxi refuses you or charges you more
- The company first. Every provider covered by part 37 designates at least one person to coordinate its compliance, and has a complaint procedure that it advertises, for example on its website, with that person’s name, address, phone number and email. The procedure has to be accessible, and the company has to answer promptly, with its reasons, and keep a record of its answer (49 CFR Part 37, 37.17).
- The Department of Justice. Private transportation companies are subject to enforcement under the Department of Justice’s Title III regulations (49 CFR Part 37, 37.11(c)), and the Department of Transportation refers complaints about them to the Department of Justice (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.11). For privately operated transit such as taxis, ADA.gov says to file the complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (ADA.gov introduction to the ADA).
- Your city or county. The guidance gives this very case as an example: a taxi driver who refuses to pick someone up because of a disability violates the rule, and may also violate a county’s taxi rules, with a fine or a suspension, and both remedies can go ahead. A state law that requires more than the ADA can still be enforced (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.11).
- The courts. The guidance also notes that individuals can sue under the ADA, and that a complaint to an agency is not a step you must take before going to court (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.11).
- Write down the date, the time, the place, the company and the cab or van number while you remember them: every one of these routes starts with what happened.
From the curb to the door: places in Braillito Maps
A taxi gets you to the curb. Whether you get through the door is a question about the place. Braillito Maps is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.
Before you book the ride, look up where you are going and check the answers you need, for example a step-free entrance, a wide doorway and an accessible restroom. Each answer is yes, no or no data until someone knows, and the score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, always shown with its number, never by color alone.
The checklist has no question about taxi stands or drop-off points, so ask the place where a cab or a van can stop near its accessible entrance. And when you get there and find a ramp the map did not know about, add it, so the next person who calls a wheelchair cab knows where to go. Meet Braillito Maps.
Frequently asked questions
Do taxi companies have to have wheelchair accessible vehicles?
Not cars: a taxi company is not required to buy or lease accessible cars, nor to buy other vehicles just to have accessible ones in its fleet. But when it buys or leases a vehicle other than a car, such as a van, that vehicle has to be accessible, unless the company already provides equivalent service (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(b)).
Can a taxi driver refuse to take me because I use a wheelchair?
Not if you can use the vehicle. Part 37 forbids refusing service to people with disabilities who can use taxi vehicles and refusing to help stow mobility devices (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c)). The guidance says it is discrimination to pass up a passenger who uses a wheelchair if the wheelchair can be stowed in the cab and the passenger can transfer to a seat (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29).
Can a cab charge extra for my wheelchair?
Not more than for other passengers or their luggage. A taxi company may not charge higher fares or fees for carrying people with disabilities and their equipment (49 CFR Part 37, 37.29(c)). If it charges $1.00 to stow a suitcase in the trunk, it can charge $1.00 for a folding wheelchair, but not $2.00 (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.5).
Does the driver have to help me with the ramp or the lift?
Yes. Where necessary or on request, staff help passengers with the securement system, the ramp and the lift, and leave their seats if that is what it takes (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(f)).
Can the driver make me get out of my wheelchair?
No. The provider may recommend that you transfer to a vehicle seat, but it may not require you to (49 CFR Part 37, 37.165(e)).
Do ride apps follow the same rules as taxis?
Part 37 does not name app-based ride services. Its guidance says that other services that involve calling for a car and a driver to take you somewhere, such as limousine services, are regarded as taxi services (49 CFR Part 37, appendix D, section 37.29). The rule’s text says nothing more about apps.
More accessibility guides
- Accessible travel: your rights on flights in the US and the EU, accessible hotel rooms, and what to ask before you book.
- Wheelchair accessible hotels: how to choose and book a room that works: roll-in shower or tub, the bed, turning space, what to ask and your rights under the ADA.
- Wheelchair accessible cruises: which law covers a cruise ship, booking an accessible cabin, help boarding, wheelchairs on board, tenders and shore excursions.
- ADA ramp slope: the 1:12 rule, width, landings, handrails and edge protection.
- Guide dogs: how they work, where they can go under the ADA, and how to act around one.
- Accessible parking: ADA parking requirements: how many spaces, how wide, the access aisle and the sign.
- Accessibility laws by country: the ADA, the UK Equality Act, the Accessible Canada Act, Australia’s DDA and the EU rules, and what each covers.
- ADA paratransit: who qualifies, the 3/4 mile service area, fares up to twice the bus fare, next-day booking, companions and how to apply.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- 49 CFR Part 37, Transportation Services for Individuals with Disabilities (ADA). U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, first published September 6, 1991; current text with appendix D read October 2026.
- 49 CFR Part 38, ADA Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles. U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, first published September 6, 1991; current text read October 2026.
- Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act. U.S. Department of Justice (ADA.gov), read October 2026.
Braillito Maps
Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps
In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.
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