TLC Approved Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (2026 List)

In short: TLC keeps one list of approved wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). It names the make and model, the model years, whether the ramp is at the rear or the side, the type of conversion and the company (the "modifier") that did it. The current version says "Revised October 2, 2026" and has 12 vehicle groups (24 approved combinations). Since July 20, 2024, a WAV used for a new FHV license must be on this list, and since October 18, 2024 every yellow taxi hack-up must be an accessible vehicle.

TLC only publishes the list as a picture. Below we typed it out as a table so you can sort and search it. Always compare against the official image before you pay for a car, because TLC changes it when new conversions are approved.

The full approved list (revised October 2, 2026)

Each row is one approved combination. A car is only on the list if all four match: model, model year, entry side and modifier. For example, a 2022 Toyota Sienna converted by a company not named for the 2021–2026 Sienna Hybrid is not covered by this list.

A few things stand out when you read the list as data:

• Only two side-entry options are listed: the Chrysler Voyager/Pacifica (2022–2024, BraunAbility) and the Dodge Grand Caravan (2014–2019, BraunAbility). Everything else is rear-entry.
• The newest choices are the Toyota Sienna Hybrid (2021–2026, six modifiers), the Chrysler Voyager/Pacifica (up to 2027), the Honda Odyssey (2019–2027) and the Chevrolet Traverse (2024–2026).
• No electric vehicle is on the list. TLC's February 2026 license review says no accessible electric vehicle is available on the U.S. market, so there are no electric WAVs in the TLC fleet.
• Several older models (Dodge Grand Caravan, Nissan NV200, Toyota Sienna 2014–2020) stop at model years that are now several years old. That matters for buyers of used vehicles; see TLC vehicle retirement age for the age rules that apply to your license type.

Rear entry or side entry?

The list tells you which side the ramp is on. The rules treat the two designs a little differently:

Who must use this list

• New FHV licenses. TLC's Accessible Vehicle Requirements page says: "Effective July 20, 2024, for FHV wheelchair accessible vehicles, only accessible vehicles from the approved list below can be used." Today a WAV is the only way to get a new FHV license; the full process is in how to get new TLC plates with a WAV.
• Yellow taxis. TLC's hack-up page says that as of October 18, 2024 you must hack up an accessible vehicle "even if you do not own an accessible medallion," and that an Alt-Fuel Restricted medallion is required to hack up an accessible hybrid. Used WAVs are allowed for taxis if the make, model, year and converter are approved.
• Replacement cars. A WAV-restricted FHV license stays restricted. If you replace the car later, the new one must also be a WAV.

The specifications behind the list

Rule §59C-04 sets what an accessible FHV must be. The main points, in plain words:

1. Not a large van or bus. It cannot be a bus, minibus or a van whose chassis was originally built to seat eight or more people.
2. Carries a wheelchair user. It must carry at least one passenger using a common wheelchair.
3. Engine limit. The original chassis can have at most 290 horsepower.
4. Original suspension and steering. The manufacturer's suspension and steering parts must stay. Bumper changes are only allowed for rear ramps, as shown above.
5. Ground clearance of at least 5 inches, measured from the frame with the vehicle loaded to its gross weight rating.
6. Room inside. The passenger compartment must be at least 56 inches long (38 inches if the wheelchair rides in the front passenger position), with minimum legroom figures front and rear.
7. Securement. The wheelchair tie-down must be the Q'Straint QRT Standard system or an equal or better one, and no anchor point may stick up more than 1/8 inch above the floor.
8. Bought from the converter. The converted vehicle must be bought from the same converter that made the parts and did the work.
9. No salvage titles. Converting a vehicle with a salvage title is prohibited.
10. Emissions. Every approved WAV must meet federal and state emissions standards.

Since October 25, 2025, TLC rules let NHTSA-approved vehicle modifiers, not only manufacturers, convert non-accessible vehicles (TLC 2025 Annual Report, rulemaking table). The car must still match an approved combination before TLC licenses it.

What to bring to inspection

TLC's inspections page asks accessible vehicles for one of these:

• an original letter from an approved vehicle modifier saying the work meets ADA specifications and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible, or
• proof of NYS DOT authority to provide wheelchair accessible transportation.

The vehicle must also be free of markings that say it is for disabled or seriously ill people, such as "Ambulette", "Invalid Coach" or "Para-transit", including wheelchair insignia signs. TLC's FHV license page adds that TLC may ask for papers from the up-fitter or modifier at any stage.

Getting a new model added

Manufacturers and second-stage modifiers can ask TLC to add a vehicle. TLC's page says you must present a vehicle that meets the ADA specifications in 49 CFR Part 38, give a detailed and summary report of FMVSS crash testing, and have a CARB Executive Order for the modified vehicle (or, without CARB testing, a detailed explanation with schematics of the original and modified emissions systems, which TLC shares with environmental regulators and which delays approval). You also describe sales, support and service channels. Appointments go through inspections@tlc.nyc.gov. Drivers cannot get a model added themselves; if you like a car that is not listed, ask the converter whether it has applied.

Which WAVs are actually on the road

Licensed FHVs carry a "WAV" or "PILOT" flag in TLC's open data, but no make or model. TLC Help decoded each vehicle's VIN to count models. The Toyota Sienna dominates. Note that PILOT marks cars in the SHL Pilot Program (TLC's pilot FAQ says so), and most of those are hybrids, not WAVs; see SHL pilot "P" cars.

For fleet totals and the court-ordered taxi targets, see wheelchair accessible taxi and FHV statistics. For how often app riders ask for a WAV, see WAV trip requests on Uber and Lyft. Insurance for a WAV follows the normal FHV minimums in FHV insurance requirements.