Stand-By Vehicle (SBV): Taxi Fleet Spare Cab

A stand-by vehicle (SBV) is a spare yellow cab that a taxi fleet keeps licensed so it can put a car on the road when one of its regular cabs is out of service. TLC's definition: "any vehicle licensed by the Commission to be used by a Fleet as a replacement for a Licensed Taxicab that is temporarily out of service" (35 RCNY 51-03). They are rare: TLC's 2025 Annual Report lists 3 stand-by taxis in force at the end of 2025, next to 13,589 taxis.

The rules (58-42)

Breaking any of these rules can bring a fine of $50 to $350 and/or a suspension of up to 30 days, and the owner must appear at the hearing (rule 58-42). The fleet also pays $550 a year for each stand-by vehicle, plus inspection fees (58-07(f)).

Example

You lease a day shift from a fleet. Your usual cab hits a pothole and goes to the shop for two days. The fleet gives you a stand-by vehicle. Before you leave the garage, check three things: the medallion from your regular cab is on it, the roof light shows that medallion number, and the SBV transfer form and SBV rate card are inside. If the repair stretches out, the SBV can keep running until the repair is finished. If your regular cab was stolen instead, the limit is 30 days.

Where drivers see the term

Mostly at a fleet garage. If you lease from an independent owner, a minifleet or on a DOV lease, there is no stand-by vehicle: the rules only give that option to fleets. On a DOV lease, if the car is unavailable for a reason that is not your responsibility, the weekly payment must be pro-rated instead (58-21(c)(4)(vii)). After a crash, follow the accident reporting rules before any swap.

Don't mix it up with a relief stand, which is a place to park, not a car: see relief stand and the relief stand finder.

Related: taxi fleet · rate card · taxi stand rules · medallions hub.