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HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 2Ch. 8Art. 7§ 5446 San Francisco Ride Tax

§ 5446 San Francisco Ride Tax

Public Utilities Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 5446 San Francisco Ride Tax

Key Takeaways

  • •San Francisco can charge a small tax on every ride that starts in the city, whether it's a regular ride or a self-driving car.
  • •If you share a ride (like UberPool or Lyft Shared), the tax is 1.5% of your fare. If you ride alone, the tax is 3.25% of your fare.
  • •Electric cars (zero-emission vehicles) might get a smaller tax to encourage more people to use them.
  • •The money from this tax is used to improve roads, buses, and other transportation in San Francisco.

Example

You take an Uber from your home in San Francisco to the airport. You choose a regular UberX ride, not a shared one, and the fare is $30.

Since you didn’t share the ride, the tax is 3.25% of your $30 fare. That means you pay an extra $0.98 in tax for this trip.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 5446 San Francisco Ride Tax

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the City and County of San Francisco may impose a tax on each ride originating in the City and County of San Francisco provided by a participating driver in an amount not to exceed the following: (1) One and one-half percent of net rider fares for a shared ride in which, prior to commencement of the ride, a passenger requests through the transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform to share the ride with one or more passengers and each passenger is charged a fare that is calculated, in whole or in part, based on the passenger’s request to share all or part of the ride with one or more passengers, regardless of whether the passenger actually shares all or part of the ride. (2) Three and one-quarter percent of the net rider fare for a ride other than a ride described in paragraph (1). (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the City and County of San Francisco may impose a tax on each ride originating in the City and County of San Francisco provided by an autonomous vehicle, whether facilitated by a transportation network company or any other person, in an amount not to exceed the following: (1) One and one-half percent of net rider fares for a shared ride in which, prior to commencement of the ride, a passenger requests to share the ride with one or more passengers and each passenger is charged a fare that is calculated, in whole or in part, based on the passenger’s request to share all or part of the ride with one or more passengers, regardless of whether the passenger actually shares all or part of the ride. (2) Three and one-quarter percent of the net rider fare for a ride other than a ride described in paragraph (1). (c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), the City and County of San Francisco may set a lower tax rate for net rider fares for a ride originating in the City and County of San Francisco provided by a zero-emission vehicle to further incentivize deployment of zero-emission vehicles. (d) For purposes of this section, “net rider fare” means all charges for a ride, including, but not limited to, charges based on time or distance, or both, and excluding any additional charges such as taxes, airport or venue fees, or fees imposed by the commission. (e) Moneys collected by the City and County of San Francisco pursuant to this section shall be dedicated to fund transportation operations and infrastructure within the City and County of San Francisco. (f) A tax imposed pursuant to this section shall be subject to applicable voter approval requirements imposed by law. (g) A tax imposed pursuant to this section shall expire no later than November 5, 2045. (Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 644, Sec. 2. (AB 1184) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

san franciscoemissionnetportvehicledrivercommencementapplication

Related Statutes

  • § 5442 Tnc Driver Insurance Proof
  • § 5445.1 Ride Driver And Vehicle Info
  • § 5450 Clean Miles Standard Program
  • § 5438 Tnc Insurance Approval Deadline
  • § 5445.3 Driver License Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 5446.
View Official Source