HVFHS license number: the TLC license number of a High-Volume For-Hire Service, the license class for app companies that dispatch more than 10,000 trips a day in NYC. It is written "HV" plus four digits. In TLC's trip data, HV0003 is Uber and HV0005 is Lyft.
TLC's data dictionary for high-volume trip records (March 18, 2025) describes the field hvfhs_license_num as "the TLC license number of the HVFHS base or business," and lists the licensees "as of September 2019":
- HV0002: Juno
- HV0003: Uber
- HV0004: Via
- HV0005: Lyft
That list is old. TLC's 2025 Annual Report says it licenses only two HVFHS companies, Lyft and Uber. In the trip files for September 2025 to August 2026, every high-volume trip carries HV0003 or HV0005, and Uber had 72.2% of them (TLC Help dataset trips-app-trips-by-company). See what happened to Via and Juno.
Why the license matters to drivers
The HVFHS license is what puts a company under TLC's high-volume rules in Chapter 59D. These duties sit with the license holder, not with you: minimum per-trip pay (§59D-22(a)), 72 hours' notice before restricting your access on a day and at least 16 hours of access once you log on (§59D-22(c)), and the limit on empty cruising below 96th Street (§59D-21; see the cruising cap explained).
Where you will see it
As a driver you will rarely type this number. Your TLC license, your vehicle's base (a B-number) and your pay statement matter more day to day. Base numbers and HV numbers are different things: most app cars are affiliated with a base called UBER USA, LLC, number B03404, on TLC's active vehicle list, even though the company's HVFHS number is HV0003.
Related terms
- High-Volume For-Hire Service: the license class itself.
- Statement of fees: what an app must show you about deductions.
- Pay and access rules for these companies: what utilization means for your Uber pay and will the apps cut me off if TLC suspends me?
- Starting a base instead: how to open an FHV base. License limits: FHV license cap statistics.
Frequently asked questions
What is HV0003?
HV0003 is Uber's High-Volume For-Hire Service license number. TLC's data dictionary for high-volume trip records maps HV0003 to Uber.
What is HV0005?
HV0005 is Lyft's HVFHS license number in TLC's trip data.
What were HV0002 and HV0004?
HV0002 was Juno and HV0004 was Via, according to TLC's list 'as of September 2019.' Neither appears in TLC's high-volume trip files for September 2025 to August 2026.
Is an HV number the same as a base number?
No. Base license numbers start with B (for example B03404, UBER USA, LLC). The trip files carry both: hvfhs_license_num for the company and dispatching_base_num for the base that dispatched the trip.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC: Data Dictionary – High Volume FHV Trip Records (March 18, 2025) nyc.gov
- TLC: High-Volume For-Hire Services (data submission file names) nyc.gov
- TLC 2025 Annual Report (two HVFHS licensees) nyc.gov
- TLC Trip Record Data nyc.gov
- TLC Rules Chapter 59 (§59D-21, §59D-22), updated Feb 27, 2026 nyc.gov
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.