Congestion Pricing for TLC Drivers: Who Pays What

In short: TLC drivers whose base or technology provider is enrolled in the MTA's plan do not pay the $9 congestion pricing toll. When your base or your taxi's technology provider is enrolled in the MTA's Per-Trip Charge Plan, the passenger pays $0.75 per trip in a taxi, green cab or regular FHV, or $1.50 on an Uber or Lyft trip, for trips to, from, within or through the zone. Nothing is charged when you're not on a trip (TLC Industry Notice #24-10; MTA).

There is also an older, separate state congestion surcharge on trips in Manhattan below 96th Street. A trip can carry both. Neither should come out of your pay.

Two charges, two zones

Sources: TLC Industry Notice #24-10; MTA; TLC: Congestion Surcharge; NYS Tax.

So a regular yellow taxi trip from Midtown to Lower Manhattan carries $0.75 + $2.50 = $3.25 in congestion charges, and an Uber or Lyft trip along the same route carries $1.50 + $2.75 = $4.25. A trip from 80th Street to Harlem is inside the state surcharge zone (it begins south of 96th) but outside the MTA zone (it never goes below 60th), so only the state surcharge applies.

Will a trip carry a charge?

This tool reflects the official descriptions of the two zones. Edge cases (for example, a route that only touches a highway at the zone's edge) are decided by the MTA's tolling system and the tax rules, not by this page.

How it reaches the meter or the app

• Yellow taxis and green cabs: TLC says the MTA per-trip charge must be added to the meter, and taxi enrollment goes through the technology system provider (the company that runs the meter and in-car payment system). For the state surcharge, the technology provider withholds and remits it.
• FHVs: the base enrolls with the MTA and collects the per-trip charge from passengers on its trips. Uber and Lyft add it to the passenger's fare.
• Empty driving: under the plan, TLC says taxis, street hail liveries and FHVs are not charged unless the vehicle is on a trip.

TLC's notice adds that existing TLC rules on tolls apply to the new tolls and per-trip charges. For app drivers, rule 59D-17(c) requires a high-volume company to pay you back the entire toll you paid on a dispatched trip (TLC chapter 59). High-volume companies must also report to TLC where and when a trip entered the congestion zone if it didn't start there (rule 59D-14).

Can it come out of your pay?

TLC says the state congestion surcharge cannot be deducted from drivers' pay and must be passed on to passengers (TLC). The MTA per-trip charge is paid by the passenger and collected by the base or technology provider. For Uber and Lyft trips, your pay is governed by the per-mile and per-minute minimum, which doesn't change because of congestion charges; see FHV driver minimum pay.

If you lease a taxi or FHV, your lessor may charge you only costs the lease and TLC rules allow. A charge you did not agree to can be an overcharge you can report to TLC or 311.

Don't overcharge passengers

For taxi drivers, charging a passenger more than the authorized fare and charges is what TLC's overcharging rule is about, and its penalties are mandatory. Don't add a congestion charge by hand on top of what the meter shows. Let the meter and technology system apply the charges, and if a passenger questions a charge, show them the receipt. See TLC overcharging rules, taxi payment rules and the 80-17(a)(1) violation page.

Commuter vans, paratransit and other TLC vehicles

Not every TLC vehicle works the same way:

• Commuter vans: TLC says TLC-licensed commuter vans can apply for an exemption from the toll under the MTA's Commuter Bus Exemption Plan, and the MTA lists TLC-licensed commuter vans among exempt vehicles (TLC Industry Notice #24-10; MTA FAQ).
• Vehicles carrying people with disabilities: the MTA lists "qualifying vehicles transporting people with disabilities" as exempt. Whether your vehicle qualifies depends on the MTA's criteria — don't assume that a wheelchair-accessible taxi or FHV is exempt on that basis alone.
• Access-A-Ride and other MTA-dispatched trips: TLC says there is no state congestion surcharge on these trips.
• Your own car off duty: the per-trip plan covers vehicles while they work under a base or technology provider. Driving a private car into the zone is a private trip, and the MTA's normal daily toll rules apply.

Leased vehicles and toll bills

If you lease a vehicle, the toll account (usually E-ZPass) is often in the owner's name. Ask your garage or base two questions before you work in the zone: is the vehicle covered by the Per-Trip Charge Plan, and who pays if a daily toll is charged. TLC's lease rules limit what owners may pass on to drivers; see buying or leasing a TLC vehicle. Keep copies of any toll charges your lessor bills you for, with dates and times, so you can compare them with your trip log.

Where trips start: why this matters most in Manhattan

Most taxi pickups, and a large share of app pickups, happen in Manhattan. TLC's 2025 trip data by borough can't show the zone itself, but it shows how much of the business is there.

More local detail: Manhattan for TLC drivers, which streets are in the zone and how the Per-Trip Charge Plan works.

What's next for the toll

The standard daily toll for private cars is $9 at peak and $2.25 overnight. The MTA says tolls started at 60% of their planned value, rise to 80% in 2028 and 100% in 2031 ($12 and then $15 at peak for cars). The per-trip charges rise on the same schedule. The TBTA toll schedule sets them at $1.00 for taxis, green cabs and FHVs and $2.00 for Uber and Lyft trips in Phase 2 (2028–2030), then $1.25 and $2.50 from 2031 (rates checked October 12, 2026). The MTA also says it challenged the federal government's attempt to end the program in court and is "still collecting Congestion Relief Zone tolls until further notice" (MTA FAQ). Check the MTA's site for the current status.