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Rate Code (Taxi Meter): Meaning for NYC TLC Drivers

A taxi rate code tells the meter and TLC data which fare applies: #01 city, #02 JFK, #03 Newark, #04 Nassau/Westchester, #05 negotiated. Codes and data.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 5 official sources

Definition

Rate code (taxi meter)

The number on a taxi meter and in TLC trip data that shows which fare rule applies to a trip, such as the standard city rate or the JFK flat fare.

On this page (7)
  1. The codes
  2. Check it before you start
  3. What the data shows
  4. Where drivers see it
  5. Related terms
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

A rate code is the number that tells the taxi meter, and TLC's trip records, which fare rule is in use for a trip. On the meter screen it appears as a message such as "Rate #01 – Standard City Rate." In TLC data it is the RatecodeID field, "the final rate code in effect at the end of the trip" (yellow data dictionary). The wrong rate code means the wrong fare, so check it at the start of every trip.

The codes

  1. 1 — Standard rate

    Screen: 'Rate #01 – Standard City Rate.' $3.00 initial charge plus 70¢ per unit, plus surcharges (TLC fare page, as of 2026-10-12).

  2. 2 — JFK

    The $70 flat fare between JFK and Manhattan, either direction (Rule 58-26(b)). Trips between JFK and other boroughs use the meter.

  3. 3 — Newark

    Meter fare plus a $20.00 Newark surcharge, plus tolls to and from the airport (Rule 58-26(c)(3)).

  4. 4 — Nassau or Westchester

    Screen: 'Rate #04 – Out of City Rate to Nassau or Westchester.' Double the meter from the City limit to the destination (Rule 58-26(c)(2)).

  5. 5 — Negotiated fare

    Screen: 'Rate #05 – Out of City Negotiated Flat Rate.' A flat dollar price agreed before the trip to other places outside NYC (Rule 80-17(f)).

  6. 6 — Group ride

    Listed in the data dictionary as 'Group ride.' 99 = null/unknown.

TLC's fare page gives the exact screen wording for Rates #01, #04 and #05. For Rate #04 it adds that "a message should appear on screen alerting the passenger of the rate change."

Check it before you start

Look at the rate message before you start the meter. On a normal city trip it must say Rate #01. On a JFK–Manhattan trip, "the Taximeter must reflect that this trip is a Flat Rate fare" (Rule 58-26(b)(1)(iii)). For Westchester or Nassau, the meter stays on Rate #01 inside the city and switches to Rate #04 only at the City limit.

What the data shows

Yellow taxi trips by final rate code

TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026. Blank or unknown codes (12.4 million) are mostly Flex Fare trips, which are priced upfront in an app instead of on the meter.

  1. Standard rate31,521,562
  2. JFK1,106,737
  3. Newark141,366
  4. Nassau or Westchester105,104
  5. Negotiated fare425,596
  6. Group ride33
  7. Null/unknown12,394,444
Show data table
LabelTrips (trips)
Standard rate31,521,562
JFK1,106,737
Newark141,366
Nassau or Westchester105,104
Negotiated fare425,596
Group ride33
Null/unknown12,394,444

Source: NYC TLC Trip Record Data: yellow taxi, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Aggregated by TLC Help from TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 (pickup date; TLC publishes trip files about two months after the month ends and may revise them). 'App' = high-volume for-hire services (Uber, Lyft). Taxi records with a negative fare (reversals) are excluded. Averages, medians and rates use 'clean' trips only: 1 minute to 4 hours, more than 0 and under 150 miles, fare above $0 and under $1,000. Codes from TLC's yellow data dictionary. Rows with a blank rate code (12,394,444 incl. code 99) are mostly Flex Fare (payment_type 0) trips.

By our count, 31.5 million yellow trips used the standard rate, 1.1 million the JFK flat fare, 425,596 a negotiated fare, 141,366 Newark and 105,104 Nassau or Westchester. A large block of trips has no rate code. Most of these are Flex Fare trips, where the meter isn't used.

Where drivers see it

  • On the meter screen, at the start of the trip and when the rate changes at the City limit.
  • On the passenger's receipt, which a rider may use in a complaint.
  • In overcharge cases. Charging "double the meter" to a place outside Nassau and Westchester is not allowed. Rule 80-17(f) requires a flat dollar rate agreed before the trip, and says "'double the meter' is NOT a flat rate."
  • In TLC data and reports such as the parts of a NYC taxi fare.

Rate of fare — the prices behind Rate #01. Out-of-city taxi fares covers Rates #04 and #05 in detail, and Newark Airport covers Rate #03. More pay topics are on the money hub.

Frequently asked questions

What should the meter screen say on a normal city trip?

TLC's fare page says the on-screen rate message should read 'Rate #01 – Standard City Rate.'

When does the meter switch to Rate #04?

When the taxi goes beyond the City limit to Nassau or Westchester. The screen should read 'Rate #04 – Out of City Rate to Nassau or Westchester,' a message should alert the passenger, and the meter charges double from the City limit to the destination.

What is rate code 6?

In TLC's yellow trip data dictionary, RatecodeID 6 means 'Group ride.' It is very rare: 33 yellow trips in Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 by our count.

Why do so many trips have no rate code in the data?

Most rows with a blank rate code are Flex Fare trips (payment type 0), which are priced upfront in an e-hail app instead of on the meter.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. TLC: Taxi Fare nyc.gov
  2. TLC data dictionary: Yellow taxi trip records (Mar 18, 2025) nyc.gov
  3. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 58 (§58-26), updated Feb 27, 2026 nyc.gov
  4. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (§80-17(f)) nyc.gov
  5. NYC TLC Trip Record Data (yellow taxi, Sep 2025 – Aug 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.

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