Guides
What the Commission expects, in the order it matters. Written by an operator who learned it the hard way.
How to get a TCP permit in California
Which of the six CPUC authorities you need, what to line up before you apply, the fees, and the mistakes that get an application denied or refiled.
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How to renew a California TCP permit
When your charter-party permit expires, what the Commission checks before it renews, and the order to do things in so nothing lapses.
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PUCTRA quarterly fees, explained
What the PUCTRA fee is, which revenue counts, the four dates every quarter, and what happens when you miss one.
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Your TCP is suspended or revoked. Now what?
The difference between the two, how to find out why, the reinstatement sequence that actually works, and how to keep it from happening again.
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TCP insurance requirements in California
Liability minimums by seating capacity, how the insurer files with the Commission, workers' compensation, and the mistakes that get policies rejected.
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TCP number on your vehicle: CPUC display rules
Where the CPUC requires your TCP number on sedans, SUVs, vans and buses, how legible it must be, what your ads must show, and when it has to come off.
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DMV Employer Pull Notice for TCP carriers
Why the CPUC requires EPN, how to get a requester code, the 12-month review rule, the negligent-operator cutoff, and the fees that keep you enrolled.
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Drug and alcohol testing for TCP drivers
Which drivers fall under the CPUC program and which under federal rules, the six required tests, 2026 random rates, and what owner-drivers must send in.
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CHP BIT inspections: the 45- and 90-day clocks
What a CHP BIT inspection checks, why buses run on a 45-day cycle, how your terminal rating reaches the CPUC, and the files that earn a satisfactory.
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CARB Clean Truck Check for buses and coaches
The emissions program that can put a DMV hold on your registration: which vehicles it covers, how deadlines follow registration, and the 2026-27 changes.
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Keeping your LAX ground transportation permit
The annual LAWA re-decal, your assigned month, the airport's separate insurance filing, and the ways operators lose LAX access without noticing.
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