(1) A person must first obtain a permit from the department to operate a transportation network company in Washington state, except that any transportation network company operating in the state before March 1, 2023, may continue operating until the department creates a permit process and sets a registration deadline.
(2) The department must annually issue a permit to each applicant that meets the requirements for a transportation network company as set forth in this chapter and pays an annual permit fee of $5,000 to the department.