Tour Services for Hire

The Tour Service for Hire Ordinance regulates the tour services for hire industry to include a standard automobile, tour bus, motor coach, van, trolley, bicycle, quadricycle, Segway, pedicab and horse drawn carriage within the corporate limits of the City of Savannah. This article shall also protect the health, safety, and welfare of the animals used in the tourism industry, as well as persons using the public rights‐of‐way and the citizens of the City of Savannah.

The Tour Service for Hire Ordinance can be viewed here.

The Tour Service for Hire Ordinance encompasses:

DIVISION 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS
DIVISION 2 – TOUR SERVICE VEHICLES
DIVISION 3 – HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES
DIVISION 4 – QUADRICYCLES
DIVISION 5 – WALKING TOURS
DIVISION 6 – ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES

Motor coaches are required to obtain a permit prior to entering the Historic District. Additional restrictions shown in the Motor Coach Parking Map apply to parking and access to residential areas.

Quadricycles are non-motorized vehicles propelled entirely by human power through the use of pedals similar to a bicycle. This type of tour service is regulated by the Tour Service for Hire Ordinance, Division 4.

Division 3- Horse Drawn Carriages of the Tour Service for Hire Ordinance provides standards for carriage operations and the health and welfare of the horses. In May 2017, the City approved revisions to Chapter 6, Article S – Horse Drawn Carriages for Hire to ensure the well-being of working horses when Savannah experiences extreme temperatures. These approved revisions are encompassed in the 2019 City Council approved Tour Service for Hire Ordinance.

Cemetery Tours

All cemetery tours must be registered with the Department of Cemeteries during normal business hours and before entering a City cemetery. For pricing and additional information, view the Cemeteries Tours/Events page and review the rules and regulations of Cemetery tours and events.

Prohibited Areas

All tour guides and tour service companies are prohibited from operating in these areas:

The 400 and 500 blocks of East St. Julian Street and Washington Square from 8:00 p.m. through 10:00 a.m. (November 1st through February 28th) and 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. (March 1st through October 31st.); and
South of Liberty Street and east of the western‐most curb line of Lincoln Street from 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. year‐round.