Frequently Asked Questions

You have the right to contest the Administrative Citation at a public hearing before a Hearing Officer. To request a hearing, please visit the Administrative Citation Hearing Request page for details.

Administrative Citations can be paid online.

Make any checks payable to “City of San José” for the total amount due.

Mail your remittance to:
City of San José Finance/Treasury Division
200 East Santa Clara Street
San José, CA 95113

For questions regarding payment of citations, contact City of San José-Finance at (408) 535-7055. This bill becomes delinquent 30 days after citation date unless otherwise noted. A penalty of 10% and interest of ½% per month will be added to any delinquent balance.

Anyone operating a TCP vehicle at SJC is assumed to be doing business and will be cited if it is not permitted by SJC. Drivers using unpermitted vehicles for personal use at SJC must purchase Infrequent Operator Permits.

The Airport does not offer automatic payments but credit card payments are accepted over the phone. For credit card payments please contact Finance-Payment Processing at (408) 535-3872.

If the company changes ownership or ownership status (i.e. sole proprietorship to a corporation or LLC). The company will need to close-out the current permit and reapply for a new permit under the new corporate or LLC name.

Please note that the permit is non-transferrable. If ownership of the company changes, the new owner must obtain a new permit prior to operating at the Airport. Similarly, if the corporate status of the company changes (e.g. by adding or changing LLC, Inc., etc.) a new permit must be obtained prior to operating or continuing to conduct business at the airport.

Submit a closure form which can be found on our Close Ground Transportation Permit page.

Billing disputes must be submitted in writing within 60 days from the invoice date. All disputes must include, at minimum, the following items: Invoice Number, Dates Involved, Type of Fee or Activity Billed, Dollar Amount of the Disputed Fee, Detailed Explanation of the Reason for the Dispute, Name and Contact Information of Company Representative.

Send disputes to:
Attn: Airport Finance - GT Payments,
1701 Airport Blvd., Suite B-1130
San José, CA 95112

It is the responsibility of the company to notify the Ground Transportation Office of any changes or updates with regards to your airport permit. The office is not responsible for undeliverable mail or communications not received. To make company changes, please follow the instructions on our Update Company Information page.

If your company has a name change the company will need to close-out the current permit and reapply for a new permit under the new company name.

Type in your changes and print the form. Email your completed form (as an attachment) to airportgt@sjc.org or fax to Airport Ground Transportation at (408) 392-1144.

The City Council adopted the San José International Airport Commercial Ground Transportation Program (March 16, 1993) requiring all commercial ground transportation providers to obtain an Airport permit prior to providing services at the Airport. In conjunction with the above, all commercial ground transportation providers operating at the Airport from April 16, 1993 forward are subject to fees established within the program. Companies operating without the necessary permits are subject to citations, fines and other corrective action.

For invoice inquires please contact Airport Finance at 408-392-3668.

Please send all payments to:

City of San José, Finance – Payment
Processing – Airport, 200 East Santa Clara St., 13th Floor
San José, CA 95113-1905

For credit card payments over the phone please contact Finance Payment Processing at 408-535-3872.

Yes, all Ground Transportation providers conducting business at the airport by either picking up or dropping off passengers, parcels or baggage, must have a SJC Ground Transportation permit. Ground Transportation providers include Hotel Courtesy Shuttles, Limousines, Pre-Arranged & Door to Door Shuttles, Off-Airport Parking Lot Shuttles, Other Courtesy Vehicles, Charter Buses, Scheduled Buses, Couriers, Transportation Network Companies, and Pre-Arranged & On Demand Taxicabs.

Passenger pick-ups and drop-offs

Per San José Municipal Code Section 25.08.700 - Operation by ground transportation providers. No ground transportation provider shall pick-up or drop off passengers, parcels, packages or baggage at the airport without a ground transportation permit issued pursuant to Section 25.08.710.

Infrequent Operator Permits

The Infrequent Operator Program is intended for companies that do not operate regularly at the airport. The Infrequent Operator Program (IOP) also serves for those permitted companies that wish to use a vehicle that does not have an AVI tag on an infrequent basis. For additional details and to obtain an IOP permit, please visit the Infrequent Operators Permit page.

PLEASE NOTE: Infrequent Operator permits must be obtained by the company. The company must meet all the Airport requirements listed on the website. Individual drivers may not obtain Infrequent Operator permits.

All ground transportation providers operating at the airport without a permit must obtain in advance a temporary Infrequent Operator Permit (IOP) for each vehicle operating at the Airport each day.

Ground transportation providers holding an airport permit and wishing to use a vehicle that does not have an AVI transponder tag required under the airport permit, must obtain a temporary Infrequent Operator Permit in advance for each vehicle to be used each day.

Please allow four to six weeks for processing. If there are documents missing from the packet, the application will be deemed as incomplete, and the submitter will be notified of the items that are missing from the application. Once an application has been fully reviewed and approved, the submitter will be contacted to set up an interview at the Airport, where the permit will be signed, fees paid, and vehicle(s) will be tagged. The interview normally takes about 45 minutes. 

An Automated Vehicle Identifier (AVI), otherwise referred to as a transponder, contains a small computer chip that records all the trips you make into and out of the Airport. Once installed by the Airport, the AVI tag is located on the windshield or front license plate and normally starts with “E02202B4." The AVI tag will track your vehicle(s) as you drive around the Airport and is used to calculate monthly trip fees.  You are billed each time a pick-up or drop off is performed at the designated locations and your AVI tag is recognized by the AVI system. Pick-Up locations are: Hourly Lot 2 – Limos Only, Hourly & Daily Lot 5 – Limos Only, Terminal A Ground Transportation Island, and the Terminal B Ground Transportation Island.

If you sell your vehicle, you must notify the Ground Transportation office and return the transponder so that we can remove the assigned vehicle from your fleet. If the transponder is not returned to the Ground Transportation Office when the car is sold, the original permittee will be responsible for trips made by the new owner.

All vehicles are required to have a SJC Ground Transportation Permit, display a valid and current vehicle decal and have a functioning Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) transponder affixed to each vehicle.

Operating with an invalid vehicle transponder and/or without a valid and current decal are violations of SJC Rules and Regulations and are subject to citation. Removing an AVI for any reason (this includes windshield replacements), invalidates the AVI and operators are subject to citation. AVI’s are non-transferrable and once removed, cannot be reused or reapplied to the windshield.

You may apply for a permit online.

Ground Transportation Permit Application

The permit application will be filed under your name if a sole proprietor, the partner’s names if a partnership, a corporate name if a corporation, or members of a limited liability company (LLC).

It Depends. Uber Black operators must hold a valid SJC Ground Transportation Permit or purchase a daily Infrequent Operator Permit for the days they work as Uber Black at the Airport. Lyft Black operators who are not permitted by the California Public Utilities Commission do not need to obtain a separate SJC permit, but those who are must follow the same requirements as Uber Black operators.

Airport Operations – Ground Transportation
1701 Airport Blvd., Suite B-1130
San José, CA 95110

Learn more about the Ground Transportation Office.

Ground Transportation Office visits are by appointment only. We do not accept walk-ins. All Ground Transportation inquiries should be sent by email to airportgt@sjc.org and you will receive a response within 24-48 hours, Monday through Friday. Emails received after hours, on weekends, or Holidays will be responded to upon the next business day.

Learn more about the Ground Transportation Office.

The City Council adopted the San José International Airport Commercial Ground Transportation Program (March 16, 1993) requiring all commercial ground transportation providers to obtain an Airport permit prior to providing services at the Airport. In conjunction with the above, all commercial ground transportation providers operating at the Airport from April 16, 1993 forward are subject to fees established within the program. Companies operating without the necessary permits are subject to citations, fines and other corrective action.