{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-281.010","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 281.010","heading":"Definitions for chapter.","body":"As used in this chapter:\n(1) \"Automobile club\" means a person that, for consideration, promises to assist its\nmembers or subscribers in matters relating to the assumption of or reimbursement\nof the expense or a portion thereof for towing of a motor vehicle; emergency road\nservice; matters relating to the operation, use, and maintenance of a motor vehicle;\nand the supplying of services which includes, augments, or is incidental to theft or\nreward services, discount services, arrest bond services, lock and key services, trip\ninterruption services, and legal fee reimbursement services in defense of traffic -\nrelated offenses;\n(2) \"Automobile utility trailer\" means any trailer or semitrailer designed for use with\nand towed behind a passenger motor vehicle;\n(3) \"Automobile utility trailer cert ificate\" means a certificate authorizing a person to\nengage in the business of automobile utility trailer lessor;\n(4) \"Automobile utility trailer lessor\" means any person operating under an automobile\nutility trailer certificate who is engaged in the busin ess of leasing or renting\nautomobile utility trailers, but shall not include the agents of such persons;\n(5) \"Broker\" means a person selected by the cabinet through a request for proposal\nprocess to coordinate human service transportation delivery within a  specific\ndelivery area. A broker may also provide transportation services within the specific\ndelivery area for which the broker is under contract with the cabinet;\n(6) \"Bus\" means a motor vehicle operating under a bus certificate transporting\npassengers for hire between points over regular routes;\n(7) \"Bus certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the operation of one (1)\nor more buses;\n(8) \"Cabinet\" means the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet;\n(9) \"Certificate\" means a certificate of complian ce issued under this chapter to motor\ncarriers;\n(10) \"Charter bus\" means a motor vehicle operating under a charter bus certificate\nproviding for-hire intrastate transportation of a group of persons who, pursuant to a\ncommon purpose under a single contract at a fixed charge for the motor vehicle,\nhave acquire d the exclusive use of the motor vehicle to travel together under an\nitinerary either specified in advance or modified after having left the place of\norigin;\n(11) \"Charter bus certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the operation of\none (1) or more charter buses;\n(12) \"Commissioner\" means the commissioner of the Department of Vehicle Regulation;\n(13) \"CTAC\" means the Coordinated Transportation Advisory Committee created in\nKRS 281.870;\n(14) \"Department\" means the Department of Vehicle Regulation;\n(15) \"Delivery area\" means one (1) or more regions established by the cabinet in\nadministrative regulations promulgated under KRS Chapter 13A for the purpose of\nproviding human service transportation delivery in that region;\n(16) \"Disabled persons ve hicle carrier\" means a motor carrier for hire, transporting\npassengers including the general public who require transportation in disabled\npersons vehicles;\n(17) \"Disabled persons vehicle\" means a motor vehicle operating under a disabled\npersons vehicle ce rtificate especially equipped for the transportation of passengers\nwith disabilities in accordance with 49 C.F.R. pt. 38, and is designed or constructed\nwith not more than fifteen (15) regular seats. It shall not mean an ambulance as\ndefined in KRS 311A.01 0. It shall not mean a motor vehicle equipped with a\nstretcher;\n(18) \"Disabled persons vehicle certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the\noperation of one (1) or more disabled persons vehicles transporting passengers for\nhire;\n(19) \"Driveaway\" means the transporting and delivering of motor vehicles, except\nsemitrailers and trailers, whether destined to be used in either a private or for -hire\ncapacity, under their own power or by means of a full mount method, saddle mount\nmethod, the tow bar method, or any combination of them over the highways of this\nstate from any point of origin to any point of destination for hire. \"Driveaway\" does\nnot include the transportation of such vehicles by the full mount method on trailers\nor semitrailers;\n(20) \"Driveaway certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the operation of\none (1) or more motor carrier vehicles operating as a driveaway;\n(21) \"Driver\" means the person physically operating the motor vehicle;\n(22) \"Flatbed/rollback service\" means  a form of towing service which involves moving\nvehicles by loading them onto a flatbed platform;\n(23) \"Fully autonomous vehicle\" has the same meaning as in KRS 186.760;\n(24) \"Highway\" means all public roads, highways, streets, and ways in this state,\nwhether within a municipality or outside of a municipality;\n(25) \"Household goods\" has the same meaning as in 49 C.F.R. sec. 375.103;\n(26) \"Household goods carrier\" has the same meaning as \"household goods motor\ncarrier\" in 49 C.F.R. sec. 375.103;\n(27) \"Household goods certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the\noperation of one (1) or more household goods vehicles;\n(28) \"Human service transportation delivery\" means the provision of transportation\nservices to any person that is an eligible recip ient in one (1) of the following state\nprograms:\n(a) Nonemergency medical transportation under KRS Chapter 205;\n(b) Mental health, intellectual disabilities, or comprehensive care under KRS\nChapter 202A, 202B, 210, or 645;\n(c) Work programs for public assistance recipients under KRS Chapter 205;\n(d) Adult services under KRS Chapter 205, 209, 216, or 273;\n(e) Vocational rehabilitation under KRS Chapter 151B or 157; or\n(f) Blind industries or rehabilitation under KRS Chapter 151B or 163;\n(29) \"Interstate commerce\" has the same meaning as in 49 C.F.R. sec. 390.5;\n(30) \"Intrastate commerce\" has the same meaning as in 49 C.F.R. sec. 390.5;\n(31) \"Limousine\" means a motor vehicle operating under a limousine certificate that is\ndesigned or constructed with not more than fifteen (15) regular seats;\n(32) \"Limousine certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the operation of\none (1) or more limousines transporting passengers for hire;\n(33) \"Mobile application\" means an application or a computer program designed to run\non a smartphone, tablet co mputer, or other mobile device that is used by a TNC to\nconnect drivers with potential passengers;\n(34) \"Motor carrier\" means any person in either a private or for -hire capacity who owns,\ncontrols, operates, manages, or leases, except persons leasing to au thorized motor\ncarriers, any motor vehicle for the transportation of passengers or property upon\nany highway, and any person who engages in the business of automobile utility\ntrailer lessor, vehicle towing, driveaway, or U-Drive-It;\n(35) \"Motor carrier veh icle\" means a motor vehicle, including a fully autonomous\nvehicle, used by a motor carrier to transport passengers or property;\n(36) \"Motor carrier vehicle license\" means a license issued by the department for a\nmotor carrier vehicle authorized to operate under a certificate;\n(37) \"Motor carrier license plate\" means a license plate issued by the department to a\nmotor carrier authorized to operate under a certificate other than a household goods,\nproperty, TNC, peer-to-peer car sharing, or U-Drive-It certificate;\n(38) \"Motor vehicle\" means any motor -propelled vehicle used for the transportation of\npassengers or property on a public highway, including any such vehicle operated as\na unit in combination with other vehicles;\n(39) \"Passenger\" means an individual or group of people;\n(40) \"Peer-to-peer car sharing\":\n(a) Means the authorized use of a motor vehicle by an individual other than the\nvehicle's owner through a peer-to-peer car sharing program; and\n(b) Does not:\n1. Include the operation of a U -Drive-It certi ficate as defined in this\nsection; or\n2. Involve the sale or provision of rental vehicle insurance as defined in\nKRS 304.9-020;\n(41) \"Peer-to-peer car sharing certificate\" means a certificate granting the authority for\nthe operation of a peer-to-peer car sharing program;\n(42) \"Peer-to-peer car sharing company\" means a person that operates a peer -to-peer car\nsharing program;\n(43) \"Peer-to-peer car sharing program\":\n(a) Means a business platform that connects shared vehicle owners with shared\nvehicle drivers to enable the sharing of motor vehicles for financial\nconsideration; and\n(b) Does not include a:\n1. U-Drive-It;\n2. Motor vehicle renting company as defined in KRS 281.687;\n3. Rental vehicle agent as defined in KRS 304.9-020; or\n4. Service provider that is solely providing hardware or software as a\nservice to a person or entity that is not effectuating payment of financial\nconsideration for use of a shared vehicle;\n(44) \"Permit\" means a temporary permit of compliance issued under this chapter for a\nspecified period not to exceed ten (10) days, and for a specific vehicle, to any motor\ncarrier, including one who is a nonresident of the Commonwealth, who operates a\nmotor vehicle and is not entitled to an exemption from the payment of fees imposed\nunder KRS 186.0 50 because of the terms of a reciprocal agreement between the\nCommonwealth and the state in which the vehicle is licensed;\n(45) \"Person\" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company,\nassociation, or joint stock association, and includes an y trustee, assignee, or\npersonal representative thereof;\n(46) \"Platoon\" means a group of two (2) individual commercial motor vehicles traveling\nin a unified manner at electronically coordinated speeds at following distances that\nare closer than would ordinarily be allowed under KRS 189.340(9)(b);\n(47) \"Prearranged ride\" means the period of time that begins when a transportation\nnetwork company driver accepts a requested ride through a digital network or\nmobile application, continues while the driver transpo rts the rider in a personal\nvehicle, and ends when the transportation network company services end;\n(48) \"Pre-trip acceptance liability policy\" means the transportation network company\nliability insurance coverage for incidents involving the driver for a p eriod of time\nwhen a driver is logged into a transportation network company's digital network or\nmobile application but is not engaged in a prearranged ride;\n(49) \"Property\" means general or specific commodities, including hazardous and\nnonhazardous materials;\n(50) \"Property certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the transportation of\nproperty, other than household goods, not exempt under KRS 281.605;\n(51) \"Recovery\":\n(a) Means a form of towing service which involves moving vehicles by the use of\na wheel-lift device, such as a lift, crane, hoist, winch, cradle, jack, automobile\nambulance, tow dolly, or any other similar device as requested by a state  or\nlocal law enforcement agency; and\n(b) Includes:\n1. Relocating a vehicle or cargo from a place where towing is not possible\nto a place where towing is possible; and\n2. The cleanup of debris or cargo, and returning an area to pre -event\ncondition;\n(52) \"Regular route\" means the scheduled transportation of passengers between\ndesignated points over designated routes under time schedules that provide a\nregularity of services;\n(53) \"Regular seat\" means a seat ordinarily and customarily used by one (1) passenge r\nand, in determining such seating capacity, the manufacturer's rating may be\nconsidered;\n(54) \"Shared vehicle\":\n(a) Means a motor vehicle that is available for car sharing through a peer -to-peer\ncar sharing program; and\n(b) Does not include a motor vehicle leased or rented by a person operating under\na U-Drive-It certificate;\n(55) \"Shared vehicle driver\" means an individual who has been authorized to drive the\nshared vehicle by the shared vehicle owner under a car sharing program agreement;\n(56) \"Shared vehicle owner\":\n(a) Means the registered owner, or a person designated by the registered owner,\nof a motor vehicle made available for sharing to shared vehicle drivers,\nthrough a peer-to-peer car sharing program; and\n(b) Does not include a:\n1. Person operating a U-Drive-It certificate;\n2. Motor vehicle renting company as defined in KRS 281.687; or\n3. Rental vehicle agent as defined in KRS 304.9-020;\n(57) \"Storage facility\" means any lot, facility, or other property used to store motor\nvehicles that have been removed from another location by a tow truck;\n(58) \"Street hail\" means a request for service made by a potential passenger using hand\ngestures or verbal statement;\n(59) \"Subcontractor\" means a person who has signed a contract with a broker to provide\nhuman service transportation delivery within a specific delivery area and who meets\nhuman service transportation delivery requirements, including proper operating\nauthority;\n(60) \"Tariff\" means the listing of compensation received by a motor carrier for\nhousehold goods that includes the manner in which and the amount of fares an\nauthorized motor carrier may charge;\n(61) \"Taxicab\" means a motor vehicle operating under a taxicab certificate that is\ndesigned or constructed with not more than eight (8) regular seats  and may be\nequipped with a taximeter;\n(62) \"Taxicab certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the operation of one\n(1) or more taxicabs transporting passengers for hire;\n(63) \"Taximeter\" means an instrument or device approved by the departme nt that\nautomatically calculates and plainly indicates the charge to a passenger for hire who\nis being charged on the basis of mileage;\n(64) \"Tow truck\" means a motor vehicle equipped to provide any form of towing\nservice, including recovery service or flatbed/rollback service;\n(65) \"Tow truck operator\" means an individual who operates a tow truck as an employee\nor agent of a towing company;\n(66) \"Towing\" means:\n(a) Emergency towing, which is the towing of a motor vehicle, with or without\nthe owner's consent, because of:\n1. A motor vehicle accident on a public highway;\n2. An incident related to an emergency; or\n3. An incident that necessitates the removal of the motor  vehicle from a\nlocation for public safety reasons;\n(b) Private property towing, which is the towing of a motor vehicle, without the\nowner's consent, from private property:\n1. On which the motor vehicle was illegally parked; or\n2. Because of an exigent cir cumstance necessitating its removal to another\nlocation; and\n(c) Seizure towing, which is the towing of a motor vehicle for law enforcement\npurposes involving the:\n1. Maintenance of the chain of custody of evidence;\n2. Forfeiture of assets; or\n3. Delinquency of highway fuel tax, weight distance tax, or any other taxes\nand fees administered by the Transportation Cabinet;\n(67) \"Towing and storage certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the\noperation of one (1) or more tow trucks, storage facilities, or both;\n(68) \"Towing company\":\n(a) Means a service or business operating as a motor carrier that:\n1. Tows or otherwise moves motor vehicles by means of a tow truck; or\n2. Owns or operates a storage facility;\n(b) Includes a tow truck operator acting  on behalf of a towing company when\nappropriate in the context; and\n(c) Does not include an automobile club, car dealership, insurance company,\nrepossession company, lienholders and entities hired by lienholders for the\npurpose of repossession, local gover nment, or any other entity that contracts\nwith a towing company;\n(69) \"Transportation network company\" or \"TNC\" means a person or entity that\nconnects passengers through its digital network or mobile application to its drivers\nfor the provision of transportation network company services;\n(70) \"Transportation network company certificate\" or \"TNC certificate\" means a\ncertificate granting the authority for the operation of one (1) or more transportation\nnetwork company vehicles transporting passengers for hire;\n(71) \"Transportation network company driver\" or \"TNC driver\" means an individual\nwho operates a motor vehicle that is owned or leased by the individual, or a motor\nvehicle for which the driver is an insured driver and has the permission of the\nowner or l essee of the motor vehicle, and used to provide transportation network\ncompany services;\n(72) \"Transportation network company service\" or \"TNC service\" means a prearranged\npassenger transportation service offered or provided through the use of a\ntransportation network company mobile application or digital network to connect\npotential passengers with transportation network company drivers;\n(73) \"Transportation network company vehicle\" or \"TNC vehicle\" means a privately\nowned or leased motor vehicle, includin g a fully autonomous vehicle, designed or\nconstructed with not more than eight (8) regular seats, operating under a\ntransportation network company certificate;\n(74) \"U-Drive-It\" means any person operating under a U -Drive-It certificate who leases\nor rents a motor vehicle for consideration to be used for the transportation of\npersons or property, but for which no driver is furnished, and the use of which\nmotor vehicle is not for the transportation of persons or property for hire by the\nlessee or rentee; and\n(75) \"U-Drive-It certificate\" means a certificate granting authority for the operation of\none (1) or more U-Drive-Its.","path":["KRS Chapter 281"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56537","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:53:32Z","sha256":"e962157a2de36d494300bc95334d3ae3a4f986fc8bbce5b637a82248263a96bc","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-280.990","next":"us-ky/krs-281.011"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}