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A street hail is when a rider asks for a taxi or green cab right now, on the street or through an e-hail app, and pays the metered fare. TLC's rules define a Hail as "a request, either through a verbal (audio) action such as calling out, yelling, or whistling, and/or a visible physical action such as raising one's hand or arm, or through an electronic method such as an E-Hail App, for on-demand Taxicab or Street Hail Livery service at the metered rate of fare … by a person who is currently ready to travel" (Chapter 51).
In one sentence: a street hail is an on-the-spot, metered request that only yellow taxis and (in the Hail Zone) green cabs may accept.
Official definition
Chapter 51 has no entry called "Street Hail," but it defines the parts:
- Hail (quoted above). Note that an e-hail through an app still counts as a hail.
- Hail Trip, for a green cab: "a trip commenced by the Street Hail Livery Driver accepting a passenger by hail."
- Hail Zone: all of NYC except "(1) Manhattan south of East 96th St. and West 110th St. (2) The New York City Airports." Those two areas are the Hail Exclusionary Zone for green cabs.
- Street Hail Livery: a TLC-licensed vehicle "authorized to accept persons by hail in the Hail Zone."
The opposite is a pre-arranged trip, booked through a base by phone, app or website.
Who may accept a street hail
Where drivers meet the term
- In trip data. Green cab trip records mark each trip as a street hail or a dispatch. From September 2025 to August 2026, 433,612 green cab trips were recorded as street hails, 24,775 as dispatches, and 70,612 had no type recorded (about 82% street hail).
- On summonses for FHV drivers who pick up riders without a dispatch.
- In insurance questions. The Black Car Fund says street hails are not covered by its workers' comp: am I covered by the Black Car Fund on a street hail?
- When you head home. Picking up a hail while off duty has strict conditions: can I pick up a street hail on my way home?
Related terms
- Off duty, roof light and taximeter: the equipment and status that tell riders you can be hailed and how they are charged.
- Group ride: a rarely used taxi rate code.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hail under TLC rules?
TLC Chapter 51 defines a hail as a request, by calling out, yelling, whistling, raising a hand or arm, or through an e-hail app, for on-demand taxi or street hail livery service at the metered rate of fare, by a person who is ready to travel now.
Can Uber, Lyft or black car drivers take street hails?
No. FHV drivers may pick up only by prearrangement through a licensed base (80-19(c)(1)). Fines start at $200–$350; in Manhattan south of East 96th and West 110th Streets or at NYC airports they start at $500 (80-19(c)(2)).
Where can green cabs take hails?
Only in the Hail Zone: all of NYC except Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street, and the NYC airports.
Is a street hail covered by the Black Car Fund?
No. The Black Car Fund says "street hails" are not covered; it covers injuries on jobs dispatched by its Member Bases.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rules Chapter 51: Definitions (Hail, Hail Trip, Hail Zone) nyc.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 80 (80-19) nyc.gov
- TLC: Yellow Taxi Passenger Bill of Rights nyc.gov
- Black Car Fund: FAQs nybcf.org
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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.