November 14, 2013 – License fees – some of which have not changed since 1990 – paid by operators of horse drawn carriages would be going up under an ordinance proposed by Rahm Emanuel. The mayor also wants changes that he says will make it safer for the horses and their passengers.

The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection regulates the carriages, which are fixtures in River North.

The new ordinance would update license requirements, allowing anyone with a valid driver’s license from any state to apply for a horse drawn carriage public chauffeur license. It would also base weather-related rules on conditions at Northerly Island instead of O’Hare International Airport.

The current license fee is $400 per year. Each carriage must also be insured for $50,000 in property damage and $100,000 for a death or injury in a mishap.

Photo obtained from cityofchicago.org.