The Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 4 heard multiple public comments urging repeal of a decades-old city requirement that limousine companies own stretch limousines, then received a briefing from the San Antonio Police Department on Chapter 33 vehicle-for-hire rules and asked staff to return with options.

Public commenters including Michael Rojas told the committee the city’s stretch-limousine ownership requirement restricts market entry and can be unsafe. Rojas said the rule, written more than 30 years ago, "forces every new limousine company to purchase and operate at least 1 aftermarket stretch limousine just to enter the San Antonio market," and argued those converted vehicles remove engineered crumple zones and are not crash-tested to modern NHTSA or IIHS standards. He also said the requirement creates a financial barrier that disproportionately affects small minority- and veteran-owned businesses and may risk conflict with state law.

Rick Riley, assistant director of the San Antonio Police Department, briefed the committee on Chapter 33’s vehicle categories and permit rules. He explained that Chapter 33 currently requires a limousine operator to own and operate at least two stretch limousines, or one stretch limousine plus two luxury vehicles/SUVs, to qualify as a limousine company in the city; stretch limousines must exceed the original manufacturer wheelbase by 100 inches, be no older than seven model years and have fewer than 100,000 miles, Riley said. Riley also described limousine counts in the city: 12 companies, 116 limousine permits and 155 permitted drivers.

Council members discussed possible alternatives cited by other Texas cities: Austin requires either one stretch limousine or four luxury vehicles/SUVs, while Houston, Dallas and Corpus Christi have no minimum vehicle requirement. The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) unanimously recommended in August 2025 that no change be made; Rick Riley said TAB’s vote reflected concerns such as ensuring operators have “skin in the game” through vehicle ownership requirements.

Council asked staff to research: (1) comparable policies in peer cities, (2) whether Chapter 33 aligns with state law and preemption concerns, (3) airport-permit overlap and limits on staging or pickups, (4) stakeholder outreach beyond TAB, and (5) draft ordinance language showing alternatives (for example, mileage and model-year limits or replacing stretch-limo mandates with minimum luxury-vehicle standards). No policy change was voted on at the meeting; staff will return with findings and potential draft changes for future consideration.

Quote attribution: "The staff is requesting feedback and direction regarding those limousine permit requirements," SAPD assistant director Rick Riley said.