A base (also called a base station) is the TLC-licensed business that sends trips to for-hire vehicles. TLC's definition is short: "the Commission licensed business dispatching a particular type of Vehicle" (TLC Chapter 51). If you drive a for-hire vehicle (FHV), your car is tied to a base, and every passenger you carry must come through a base.
Types of base
The definitions in Chapter 51 separate bases by how they work:
- Black car base — all trips pre-arranged; vehicles owned by franchisees or members of a cooperative; more than 90% of business is not paid in cash by the passenger. See black car.
- Livery base — all trips pre-arranged; vehicles carry fewer than six passengers; fares are flat rate, time, mileage or zones. See livery.
- Luxury limousine base, plus paratransit and commuter van bases under their own chapters.
- High-Volume For-Hire Service — the license held by Uber and Lyft. TLC calls it a base license for companies dispatching more than 10,000 trips a day. See HVFHS.
Base affiliation
Base affiliation is "a business arrangement by which a Vehicle is affiliated or associated with a Base." Chapter 51 adds that certain vehicles "must be associated with a specific type of Base and work only with the Base with which it is affiliated." Our guide to FHV base affiliation covers changing bases and paperwork.
Why the base matters on a summons
For drivers, the most common base-related charge is picking up without a dispatch. Rule §80-19(c)(1) says an FHV driver "must not solicit or pick up Passengers other than by prearrangement through a licensed Base of the class that can dispatch the Driver's For-Hire Vehicle." The penalty box lists $200–$350 for a first violation, $350–$500 and up to 30 days' suspension for a second within 24 months, and revocation for a third within 36 months. In Manhattan south of East 96th and West 110th Streets and at the airports, §80-19(c)(2) sets higher fines (TLC Chapter 80).
So if you get an FHV summons, records from your base or app — the dispatch record for that trip — can be key evidence. Keep them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a TLC base?
TLC Chapter 51 defines a Base (or Base Station) as 'the Commission licensed business dispatching a particular type of Vehicle.' Black car, livery and luxury limousine bases are the main for-hire types.
Can an FHV driver take passengers without the base?
No. Rule §80-19(c)(1) says an FHV driver must not solicit or pick up passengers other than by prearrangement through a licensed base of the class that can dispatch the driver's vehicle.
Are Uber and Lyft bases?
TLC licenses them as High-Volume For-Hire Services, which TLC describes as a type of base license. Vehicles doing app trips are generally affiliated with black car bases.
How many TLC bases are there?
TLC's daily base list showed 859 bases across five types on 2026-10-12, most of them black car bases. The count changes daily.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 51 (Definitions) nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (§80-19 Drivers) nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: Current Bases (eccv-9dzr) data.cityofnewyork.us
- TLC: High-Volume For-Hire Services nyc.gov
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TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.