Announcement Card (Airport Pre-Arrangement Sign)

An announcement card is the sign a black car, limo or other pre-arranged driver holds up to meet a passenger arriving by plane at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark. Under the Port Authority's Airport Rules and Regulations, showing a card with the right information is what makes the ride count as "specific pre-arrangement". Without it, the pickup of an arriving flyer is not "specific pre-arrangement" under the rule, and rule V.D.1 allows non-hail airport pickups only with pre-arrangement.

The three required items

Rule V.D.3 says ground transportation is provided "pursuant to specific pre-arrangement" to a passenger arriving by aircraft only when the owner, operator or their employee displays, at the location designated for that service, an announcement card listing:

The rule does not set a size, color or format. It sets the content.

The counter-booking exception

Rule V.D.3 continues: if the ride was arranged "through the use of counter facilities operated by a person employed by, or employed pursuant to a permit or contract with the Port Authority," the card may list items a and b and only the name of the airline. The flight number is not required in that case.

Why it matters

Rule V.D.1 says ground transportation at an airport "shall be provided ... only pursuant to specific pre-arrangement." The only exception, V.D.2, is for vehicles licensed for street hails in the city where the airport is, such as NYC yellow taxis at JFK and LaGuardia. Everyone else needs a pre-arranged ride, and for an arriving flyer the card is the proof.

TLC has its own rule on the same idea. Rule 80-19(c)(1) of Chapter 80 says an FHV driver may pick up only "by prearrangement through a licensed Base." At the NYC airports, 80-19(c)(2) raises the fine for a pickup that isn't pre-arranged that way: $500 for a first offense, $750 for a second within 24 months, and revocation for a third within 120 months. The owner of the vehicle can also be charged: see 59A-25(a)(1).

Where you will see this term

• In the Port Authority's airport rules, section V.D.
• In meet-and-greet bookings for black car and limo bases. Step by step: meet-and-greet airport pickups.
• At the arrivals area, where you wait with the card. Your car must be in paid parking; the JFK page says "You cannot leave your car at the curb unattended." See can I leave my car at the airport curb?

Common mix-up: app drivers usually don't use cards. They wait in the app's lot and meet riders at the ride-app pickup areas: why did I lose my place in the airport queue? and can NYC Uber drivers pick up at Newark?. All Port Authority rules in one place: Port Authority airport rules for drivers.

More: JFK Airport and the airports topic.