Chauffeur

Chauffeur License

A chauffeur license is required to transport passengers for compensation in vehicles designed to carry fewer than fourteen (14) passengers, such as a limousine, taxi, or passenger van.

Once the application is approved, an “R” endorsement, indicating Chauffeur, will be added to the operator’s license.

Chauffeur license transactions are processed by appointment only at the Cranston DMV Headquarters through the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Office. 

Chauffeur License Requirements

To obtain a chauffeur license, an applicant must:

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Have a minimum of one (1) year of driving experience.
• Meet the following vision standards:
  
  • Distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye, with or without corrective lenses.
  • Distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in both eyes, with or without corrective lenses.

Required Documents

Applicants must submit:

• A completed Application for Chauffeur License, including three (3) signed references. 
  
  • A current, valid driver’s license. 
  • An original BCI report issued by the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office located at 4 Howard Ave, Cranston, RI 02920 (corner of Pontiac Ave. and Howard Ave).
    
    • The BCI report must be dated within 60 days of submission.

Additional Requirements and Out of State Chauffeur Applicants

Applicants who have been licensed in another state or country within the past five (5) years, or who are not Rhode Island residents, must also provide:

• A certified driving record from each state or country where they were licensed during the past 5 years.
• A criminal background check from each state where they were licensed during the past 5 years.
• Proof of a valid chauffeur’s license from their home state, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-2).

Commonly Used Forms: