Pre-arranged trip: a ride the passenger books through a licensed base before the pickup, by phone, app, website or any other method, instead of waving down a car on the street. Every Uber, Lyft, black car, livery and limousine trip must be pre-arranged. Taking a street hail in one of those cars is a violation.
Official definition
TLC's Chapter 51 (updated October 17, 2025) defines the term for green cabs:
"A Pre-Arranged Trip, for a Street Hail Livery, is a trip commenced by a Passenger pre-arranging a trip through a Base, by telephone, smartphone application, website, or other method."
The same definition says a green cab "cannot accept a Pre-Arranged Trip beginning in the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone," and that regular paratransit service and MTA service for people with disabilities are not pre-arranged trips.
For other for-hire vehicles, the idea is built into the base definitions. A Black Car Base dispatches all its cars "on a pre-arranged basis"; a Livery Base Station dispatches all its cars "from the Base on a pre-arranged basis"; a Luxury Limousine Base dispatches "by pre-arrangement." A Dispatch is a request from a base to a driver to carry "a passenger who has previously arranged for such transportation."
Where drivers meet the term
- Summonses. 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." In Manhattan south of East 96th and West 110th Streets and at the airports, 80-19(c)(2) sets higher penalties. Vehicle owners can be fined under §59A-25(a) ($100 for a first violation in a license term, rising by $100 each time). Bases can be fined under §59B-23(d) ($1,000, or $3,000) if 10% (or 20%) of their affiliated vehicles get §59A-25(a) summonses.
- Fares. On a pre-arranged trip you may not charge more than the base's quote or estimate unless the rider changes the destination (§80-17(a)(2)). If the rider changes or ends the trip, the fare can change, and a trip ended early can be charged the full quote (§80-16(b)).
- Green cabs. A green cab may take pre-arranged trips through its base but not ones that start in the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone. Compare SHL rules.
- Airports. Airport pickups for app cars and car services are pre-arranged trips; see Port Authority airport rules and can Uber drivers pick up at Newark?
Related terms
Street hail · Dispatch · Taximeter · Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone · SHL · Base WAV trip mandate
Frequently asked questions
What does 'pre-arranged trip' mean in TLC rules?
TLC's Chapter 51 defines it, for a green cab, as 'a trip commenced by a Passenger pre-arranging a trip through a Base, by telephone, smartphone application, website, or other method.' For black cars, liveries and limousines, the rules say every trip must be by pre-arrangement through a base.
Is an Uber or Lyft trip a pre-arranged trip?
Yes. The rider books through the company's app, and the company is a licensed base (the High-Volume For-Hire Service license is a type of base license).
What happens if an FHV driver takes a street hail?
Under rule 80-19(c)(1) the fine is $200–$350 for a first violation, $350–$500 and up to 30 days' suspension for a second in 24 months, and revocation for a third in 36 months. In Manhattan below East 96th and West 110th Streets or at the airports, 80-19(c)(2) raises it to $500, $750, then revocation.
Can a green cab do pre-arranged trips?
Yes, through its base, but not trips that begin in Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street (the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone).
Can I charge more than the quote on a pre-arranged trip?
No. Rule 80-17(a)(2) says an FHV or green cab driver on a pre-arranged trip must not charge more than the rate, fare quote or estimate the base gave the rider, unless the rider changed the destination.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rules Chapter 51: Definitions (updated Oct 17, 2025): Pre-Arranged Trip, Hail Trip, Dispatch, Black Car Base, Livery Base Station nyc.gov
- TLC Rules Chapter 59 (§59A-25(a), §59B-19, §59B-23(d)), updated Feb 27, 2026 nyc.gov
- TLC Rules Chapter 80 (§80-16(b), §80-17(a)(2), §80-19(c)), updated June 6, 2025 nyc.gov
- 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.