(a) No person shall operate a transportation network company in the State without first having obtained a permit from the director. The application shall be in a form and content as prescribed by the director; provided that any transportation network company operating in the State before the effective date of this chapter may continue operating until the director has established a permitting process for existing transportation companies and sets a permitting deadline.
(b) The director shall issue a permit to each applicant that satisfies the requirements for a transportation network company as set forth by the director and shall collect an annual permit fee of up to $25,000 from the applicant prior to the issuance of a permit. The fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited into the state highway fund established by § 248-8.
