Prom Limo Safety: A Checklist for South Shore Parents

Before you book a limo for prom or homecoming, ask the company four things: how the vehicle is registered and insured for carrying passengers, who the driver is, what the rules are about alcohol and changes to the route, and which number you can call during the night. Then agree on the plan with your teenager and the other parents, in writing, before the night.

This checklist covers each step for South Shore families.

Questions to ask the limo company

Is the vehicle registered and insured to carry passengers for hire?

A legitimate limousine company operates vehicles registered for commercial passenger service and carries commercial insurance. Larger limousines in Massachusetts also fall under state oversight. Ask how the vehicle your group will ride in is registered, how many passengers it is approved to carry, and when it was last inspected. A reputable company answers these questions without hesitation.

Will the group fit legally?

Every passenger needs a proper seat. If eleven students want to share a vehicle approved for ten, the answer should be a bigger vehicle or a second car, not a squeeze. Our stretch limousine carries up to 10 passengers and our passenger van up to 12. See which vehicle fits your group.

Who is driving?

Ask whether the driver is a professional chauffeur employed or contracted by the company, and whether the company will tell you the driver's name before the night.

What is the policy on alcohol?

Massachusetts law prohibits anyone under 21 from possessing alcohol without a parent or guardian present. Ask the company what its chauffeurs do if they find alcohol in the car, and make sure your teenager knows the answer too.

Who can change the plan during the night?

The safest arrangement is simple: the route and the stops are agreed in advance, and only the parent who booked can change them. Ask the company to confirm that in writing.

Which number do we call, and is it answered all night?

You want a dispatch office, not just a driver's cell phone. Our office answers 24 hours a day, and parents get the pickup and drop-off times along with that number.

What to agree on with your teenager

Have this conversation a week before the night, not in the driveway:

• The itinerary: every stop, in order, with addresses. Photos, dinner, the dance, and where the night ends.
• The pickup time from the venue, and what happens if someone is not there.
• The rules in the car: seat belts on, no alcohol, no one hanging out of the sunroof.
• Who can call the office, and that any change goes through a parent.
• A meeting point for the end of the night, in case phones die.

What to agree on with the other parents

When the group shares a car, one parent should book it and be the contact for the company. Agree beforehand on:

• who pays the deposit, the balance and the gratuity,
• every pickup and drop-off address, in order,
• what happens if one student needs to go home early,
• the after-party plan, if there is one, and whether the car takes the group there.

On the night: how to know where the car is

• Save the dispatch number in your phone before the night: (617) 372-5729 (Nour).
• Ask for the chauffeur's name and the vehicle.
• Check in at the planned times, for example when the group arrives at the dance and when it leaves.
• Call dispatch, not your teenager, if you want to know where the car is. Our office follows every ride and stays in contact with the drivers.

Red flags when booking a prom limo

• The price is far below everyone else's, with a cash deposit only.
• The company can't tell you which vehicle you will get.
• There is no office number, only a cell phone.
• The company agrees to more passengers than the vehicle has seats.
• The company is vague about insurance or registration.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should we book a prom limo?

As soon as the date is announced. Prom weekends in May and June are among the busiest of the year, and the larger vehicles go first.

Can the limo take the group to an after-party?

That is up to you as parents. Put every stop in the itinerary when you book, and tell the company that no stop can be added during the night without your approval.

What if our teenager needs to come home early?

Call dispatch. We will tell you what is possible for that night, whether that means bringing one student home or arranging a separate ride.