City of San Mateo Law Library
City of San Mateo Municipal Code.

5.75.130 IDENTIFICATION—PAINTING—LETTERING.

(a) Every owner and operator of taxicabs may adopt any trade name, design, color scheme, or method of painting or lettering such taxicabs which is approved by the Tax Collector. Such trade name, design, color scheme, or method of painting or lettering, shall include the following matter:

(1) A special body number, assigned by the Tax Collector to each taxicab, and painted on each side and on the rear of the taxicab;

(2) The name of the owner, or the trade name under which he or she does business, painted on each side of the taxicab.

(b) Whenever the name of the owner, or the trade name under which he or she does business, does not include any one of the words "taxicab," "taxi" or "cab," then the word "taxicab" shall be painted on each side of the taxicab immediately beneath such name or trade name.

(c) Whenever any owner or operator of taxicabs does not adopt and use an approved trade name, design, color scheme, or method of painting and lettering as hereinbefore mentioned, then it shall be mandatory for such owner or operator to paint the following matter on each of its taxicabs:

(1) A framed panel, enclosing on separate lines the name of the owner, the word "taxicab" and the serial body number assigned the taxicab by the license collector. Such panel shall be painted on each side of the taxicab, and shall cover no less area than 10 inches by 12 inches. The form of such panel shall be substantially as follows:

JOHN T. SMITH
TAXICAB
320

(2) The serial body number, assigned the taxicab by the Tax Collector, painted on the rear exterior of the taxicab.

(d) All mandatory lettering and wording, as hereinbefore provided, shall be at least two (2) inches in height, and shall be of such color as in the opinion of the license collector will contrast distinctly with the color of the body of the taxicab, provided that the serial body numbers on sides and rear shall be no less than three (3) inches in height.

(e) No one shall cause or permit any taxicab to appear with a trade name, design, color scheme or method of painting or lettering that is not approved by the Tax Collector for the vehicle concerned, or that is not in accordance with the terms of this chapter.