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A High-Volume For-Hire Service (HVFHS) is TLC's license category for the big app companies. TLC defines it as a licensed central dispatch facility that connects passengers to for-hire vehicles by prearrangement, using a passenger-facing booking tool, and dispatches or facilitates 10,000 or more trips in the City per day (TLC Chapter 51). All bases using a common brand or business name are counted together. TLC's HVFHS page lists the licensees: Lyft and Uber (TLC).
Where it came from
TLC says Local Law 149 of 2018, signed August 14, 2018, created the license for businesses that dispatch more than 10,000 trips a day. Today TLC treats it as a base license: it is valid for two years from approval, and renewals must be filed at least 60 days before expiration (TLC). TLC's page also says licensees must submit biweekly driver payment files to TLC.
How big the app sector is
TLC's own trip records (TLC Industry Indicators) show app-based trips passing yellow taxis in the late 2010s and staying far ahead since.
What it means for you as a driver
- You are licensed by TLC, not by the app. You need your own TLC Driver License (the hack license), and the car needs a TLC FHV license. In TLC's definitions, a vehicle that affiliates with a High-Volume For-Hire Service is a black car.
- Every trip is pre-arranged. App trips are dispatches, so FHV street-hail rules apply in full: picking up someone who flags you down is a §80-19(c)(1) violation, with higher fines in the Manhattan hail zone and at airports (Chapter 80).
- Pay rules apply to HVFHS trips. TLC sets minimum pay rules for drivers on high-volume platforms. See FHV driver minimum pay for the current method.
- Summonses go to you, not the app. Driver rule violations are charged to your TLC license, and you answer them at OATH yourself or through a representative.
Our Uber and Lyft driver hub collects the summonses app drivers meet most, and base explains how app companies fit with other base types.
Frequently asked questions
What is a High-Volume For-Hire Service?
TLC Chapter 51 defines it as a TLC-licensed central dispatch facility that connects passengers to for-hire vehicles by prearrangement using a passenger-facing booking tool, and dispatches or facilitates 10,000 or more trips in the City per day.
Which companies are HVFHS?
TLC's High-Volume For-Hire Services page lists Lyft and Uber.
When was the HVFHS license created?
TLC says Local Law 149 of 2018, signed August 14, 2018, created the license category. TLC now treats the HVFHS license as a base license, valid for two years from approval.
Am I licensed by Uber or by TLC?
By TLC. You need your own TLC Driver License, and the car needs a TLC FHV license. The app company holds the HVFHS license; your vehicle is generally affiliated with a black car base.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 51 (Definitions) nyc.gov
- TLC: High-Volume For-Hire Services nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (§80-19) nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: TLC Industry Indicators (v6kb-cqej) data.cityofnewyork.us
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.