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Glossary termPay, fees & earnings rules

Interior Advertising Provider (IAP)

An Interior Advertising Provider is a TLC-licensed company that puts ad tablets in for-hire cars and must pay drivers at least 25% of the tablet's revenue.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 3 official sources

Definition

Interior Advertising Provider (IAP)

A TLC-licensed business that supplies approved ad tablets for for-hire vehicles and must share at least 25% of each tablet's ad revenue with the driver.

On this page (6)
  1. The current numbers
  2. Where drivers meet the term
  3. How TLC checks the money
  4. Related terms
  5. FAQ
  6. Sources

An Interior Advertising Provider (IAP) is a company that TLC licenses to put advertising tablets inside for-hire vehicles (such as Uber and Lyft cars) and to run the ads on them. TLC's definitions chapter calls it "a business that has been licensed by the Commission to own, sell, lease, make available for use, provide and/or supply Approved Electronic Tablets and Software for Interior Advertising Systems in For-Hire Vehicles" (Chapter 51).

The license class comes from Local Laws 33 and 56 of 2024. TLC adopted the rules on January 29, 2025, and they took effect on March 6, 2025 (TLC report). The detailed rules are in Sub-chapter 59E of the Chapter 59 rule book.

The current numbers

As of February 2026 there was one licensed IAP: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Octopus Interactive), licensed April 22, 2025. Between 4,700 and 4,900 drivers had its tablet each month, and they earned about $33 a month on average from May 2025 to January 2026. Details: tablet ad earnings.

Where drivers meet the term

  1. Before installation

    The IAP must give you a written contract to sign and offer free training (§59E-16).

  2. Every week

    The IAP pays you at least 25% of the gross revenue from your tablet, with no fees deducted and no cut for time the tablet was muted (§59E-15(c)). You get a receipt for each payment.

  3. In the car

    Riders can switch the screen off and mute it; the screen reminds them to tip; only one approved tablet per car (§59E-22).

  4. If you want out

    Either side may end the contract with 10 days' written notice; removal is free (§59E-17(c)).

How TLC checks the money

Each month an IAP must send TLC, by the 15th, the list of drivers who used its tablets, the gross revenue each tablet earned, how long each tablet was earning and broadcasting, and the amount paid to each driver (§59E-15(a)). Those records are what TLC used for its first report in March 2026, and TLC says it will keep watching them as more providers enter the market. Doing IAP work without a license — installing tablets or signing revenue-sharing contracts with drivers — carries a $10,000 fine under §59E-08.

  • Technology system provider (TSP): the licensed vendor that installs and maintains the technology system (trip records and card payments) in yellow and green cabs — a different license for a different vehicle type.
  • FHV: the for-hire vehicles these tablets are allowed in.
  • Gross revenue: under §59E-03, "the revenue generated by the Interior Advertising Provider" — the base for your 25%.

More: Uber and Lyft earnings, yellow fare per trip and the money hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Interior Advertising Provider?

A business licensed by TLC 'to own, sell, lease, make available for use, provide and/or supply Approved Electronic Tablets and Software for Interior Advertising Systems in For-Hire Vehicles' (TLC Chapter 51).

How many IAPs are there?

One as of February 2026: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Octopus Interactive), licensed April 22, 2025, according to TLC's March 2026 report.

What does the driver get?

At least 25% of the gross revenue from the tablet in the driver's car, paid at least weekly. TLC's report found drivers received about $33 a month on average between May 2025 and January 2026.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 51 (definitions) nyc.gov
  2. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (Sub-chapter 59E) nyc.gov
  3. TLC Interior Advertising Provider Report (March 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.

Related

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