Hail Zone (Green Cab Zone): What It Covers

On this page (5)

What a green cab may do in the Hail Zone
Where you will see this term
Common mix-ups
FAQ
Sources

Hail Zone: the area of New York City where a green cab (street hail livery, or SHL) may pick up passengers who wave it down. TLC's Chapter 51 says the Hail Zone is "all areas of New York City except: (1) Manhattan south of East 96th St. and West 110th St. (2) The New York City Airports." So it covers the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens (except JFK and LaGuardia), Staten Island, and upper Manhattan. The excluded part is the Hail Exclusionary Zone.

What a green cab may do in the Hail Zone

Take street hails
The core right. Chapter 51 defines a street hail livery as a vehicle 'authorized to accept persons by hail in the Hail Zone'.
Take base and app trips
Inside the Hail Zone you can accept passengers by hail or a pre-arranged trip through a base (§80-19(b)(2)(i)).
Use taxi stands
A green cab may take a vacant position at a taxi stand in the Hail Zone, but has no right to a stand in the Hail Exclusionary Zone (§80-19(d)(1)(i)). Stand rules also apply at terminal stands in the Hail Zone (§80-19(e)(1)).
Pick up while off duty, in limited cases
Only if you are in the Hail Zone, going back to your base or home, have made the trip record entry, and the rider's destination is directly on your route (§80-19(b)(6)).

Inside the Hail Zone, green cabs still follow the same limits as taxis near stands: no soliciting or cruising within 100 feet of an authorized taxi stand (§80-19(b)(2)(ii), $100 if you plead guilty, $150 after a hearing), per TLC Chapter 80.

Where you will see this term

On the car: green cabs must carry a "Street Hail Livery Hail Zone Decal" on both rear doors (§82-33(l)(n) of Chapter 82).
In the owner rules: §82-13 makes the permit holder responsible for making sure the driver takes hails only in the Hail Zone.
On summonses for pickups outside it, such as 80-19(b)(1).

Common mix-ups

"96th Street on both sides." The line is East 96th Street and West 110th Street. So East 100th Street is in the Hail Zone, but West 100th Street is outside it.
"Airports are in the Hail Zone because they're in Queens." They are not, for hails. A green cab can still start a pre-arranged trip at JFK or LaGuardia; see Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone.
"Boro Zone means Hail Zone." "Boro Zone" is a data label in TLC's zone table, not a legal line; see service zone.

The full map of who may pick up where is in who can pick up where in NYC. See also SHL, can green cabs pick up in Manhattan and green cab pickups by zone.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Hail Zone?

TLC's Chapter 51 defines it as the area where street hail liveries (green cabs) may accept passengers by hail: all of New York City except Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street, and the New York City airports.

Can a green cab take app or base trips in the Hail Zone?

Yes. Rule §80-19(b)(2)(i) says that inside the Hail Zone a green cab driver can accept passengers by hail or accept a pre-arranged trip through a base.

Can a green cab drop a passenger off outside the Hail Zone?

Yes. Rule §82-13(a)(6) says the rules don't stop a green cab from driving through the exclusionary zone to complete a trip that began outside it. What it may not do there is take a hail.

Is the Hail Zone the same as 'Boro Zone' in trip data?

No. 'Boro Zone' is a label in TLC's taxi zone lookup table for data. The Hail Zone is a legal area defined by street lines in the rules. The two are close but not the same.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on Oct 12, 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.

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.