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SHL stands for Street Hail Livery — the green cab. It is a for-hire vehicle that also holds a permit to pick up people who hail it on the street, but only in certain parts of the city. TLC's rules define it as a Commission-licensed for-hire vehicle (or paratransit vehicle) "authorized to accept persons by hail in the Hail Zone", which must be affiliated with a Street Hail Livery Base (35 RCNY §51-03).
TLC describes the trade-off simply: green cabs may accept street hails, and "in exchange, Street-Hail Liveries may not operate in the Hail Exclusionary Zone" (TLC: Green Cab).
Where a green cab can work
Read the rows carefully. The airports are in the hail exclusion zone, but TLC's owner rules say an SHL driver "can accept a Pre-Arranged Trip beginning at one of the New York City Airports" (35 RCNY §82-13(a)(3)). You may also drive through the zone to finish a trip that began outside it.
The penalties are heavy. Under Rule 80-19(b)(1), soliciting passengers in the Hail Exclusionary Zone or taking a pre-arranged trip from the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone means $500 and suspension for a first violation, $750 and suspension for a second within 24 months, and revocation for a third within 120 months. Appearance is required. TLC can also seize an SHL when it has probable cause the driver is looking for a hail inside the zone (§82-13(a)(2)).
The permit and the vehicle
The SHL permit is a separate license attached to a for-hire vehicle license, and it is transferable under Chapter 82 of the rules. Like other FHVs, green cabs affiliate with and take dispatches from bases; they can also take e-hail dispatches and must carry the same in-vehicle equipment as yellow taxis, including a taximeter (TLC). Every hail trip carries a $1.00 Street Hail Livery Improvement Surcharge that funds accessibility programs (§51-03).
Why drivers get summonses over this
Most SHL rules for drivers are in Chapter 80, which covers taxi, FHV and SHL drivers together. Besides the zone rules above, common trouble spots are fare and meter rules and refusals. A plain FHV with no SHL permit taking a street hail is a different and more serious problem — see unlicensed activity and street hails.
More for green cab drivers: the green cab driver hub, taxi payment rules and service refusal rules. Compare with a yellow cab's medallion, and see accessible green cabs under WAV.
Frequently asked questions
What does SHL stand for?
Street Hail Livery. TLC's rules define it as a TLC-licensed for-hire vehicle (or paratransit vehicle) that is authorized to accept passengers by hail in the Hail Zone and is affiliated with a Street Hail Livery Base.
Where can a green cab pick up street hails?
Anywhere in New York City except Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street, and the New York City airports. That excluded area is the Hail Exclusionary Zone (35 RCNY §51-03).
Can a green cab do pre-arranged trips in Manhattan below 96th Street?
No. TLC's rules say a Street Hail Livery cannot accept a pre-arranged trip that begins in the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone, Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street.
How many SHL permits are active?
TLC's open data listed 603 active street hail livery permits on 2026-10-12, and 27 bases endorsed for street hail livery.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 51 (Definitions: Street Hail Livery, Hail Zone, Exclusionary Zones) nyc.gov
- TLC: Green Cab nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (Drivers, incl. Street Hail Liveries) nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 82 (Street Hail Livery owners, §82-13) nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: TLC active license lists data.cityofnewyork.us
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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.