(a)  A person shall not engage in the business or service of the transportation of patients upon any public way of the state unless that person holds a license by the director of health for engaging in that business or service.

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(b)  A person shall not operate an ambulance on public ways in this state if the ambulance is not licensed by the director of health under this chapter.

(c)  The director of health shall not issue or renew a license for an ambulance under this chapter unless the ambulance meets the minimum equipment standards established under this chapter.

(d)  If a major emergency occurs and the licensed ambulances in the state are not sufficient to meet the needs to transport the injured or sick persons, the licensing provisions of this section do not apply during the period of the emergency.

(e)(1)  If an ambulance is owned by a nonresident and is licensed as a motor vehicle in another state, it may be operated on the public ways of this state to transport patients who are picked up out of state and brought to treatment centers in the state, without the ambulance, its owners, the driver, the attendant, or the attendant drivers being licensed under this section.

(2)  Also exempted are:

(i)  Any motor vehicles or aircraft owned by or operated under the direct control of the United States;

(ii)  Those hospital-based and owned vehicles and their attendants which are used solely for the transportation of non-emergency patients to and from other institutions for the purpose of therapy and/or other medical treatment and services of a non-emergency nature; and

(iii)  Those private ambulance and service companies and their attendants which are used solely for the transportation of non-emergency patients; provided, however, that those private ambulance and service companies annually attest to the ambulance service coordinating board the fact that the ambulance or service companies are not engaged in the transportation of emergency patients.

(f)  Any change of ownership of a licensed ambulance or of a business or service engaged in the transportation of patients ends the license concerned. Upon a change of ownership, the director of health shall issue a ninety (90) day temporary license upon the application of the new owner for a current license.

(g)  All persons engaged in the business or service of the transportation of patients on any public ways in the state, all person operating an ambulance for ambulance purposes on any public way in the state, and all ambulances operated on public ways in this state shall conform to the minimum standards set by regulations issued under the authority of this chapter.

(h)  If there is a hardship imposed on any applicant for a license because of an unusual circumstance, the applicant may apply to the director for a temporary waiver of the licensing provisions of this section for good cause shown. The director has the power to waive licensing provisions for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days.