Dashcams in TLC Vehicles: What the Rules Allow

In short: TLC rules regulate in-vehicle camera systems ("IVCS," security cameras that record the cabin). In yellow taxis and green cabs, cameras must be TLC-approved models installed by licensed installers, and drivers can't add unlisted equipment without written permission. In for-hire vehicles (Uber, Lyft, black car, livery), we found no TLC rule that bans a driver-owned dashcam, but if it records the inside of the car you must post the camera warning decals. In every TLC vehicle, deleting or editing camera footage is a serious violation.

This page explains the rules as written. It is general information, not legal advice. Recording people raises privacy questions that go beyond TLC rules, especially audio.

The rules depend on your vehicle

Taxis and green cabs: the IVCS rules

When a taxi's camera system is installed or replaced, it must meet rule 67-12. TLC updated these specifications in 2023 to allow more modern equipment (notice of promulgation, adopted September 13, 2023). The system must:

• capture at least one image per second, or video, while the engine runs and for at least 10 minutes after it is turned off;
• record clear images that identify all passengers in any light, and capture the full face of all occupants, including the driver;
• stamp each image with the date and time, the vehicle license number and the camera's serial number;
• show when it is working and when it has a fault;
• keep images or video for at least 30 days;
• be fastened with tamper-resistant hardware.

Only TLC-approved models count; TLC publishes an approved cameras list on its inspections page. After installation or repair, the owner must provide a notarized affidavit with images taken by the camera within 14 calendar days. A camera that isn't working or isn't compliant can mean $350 (plea with a condition-corrected form) or $450 after a hearing, plus suspension until fixed (58-36(a)).

Who can see the footage

Under rule 67-12(b)(9), the camera and its contents may only be accessed by the vehicle owner and the installer. But the installer must give images or video, on request, to law enforcement (including NYPD), the vehicle owner and the vehicle driver, in standard digital formats. Before 2023, TLC says the photos were available only to law enforcement. So if you are a taxi driver who needs footage for a hearing or a crash, you can ask the installer or taximeter business for it. Ask quickly: the minimum retention is only 30 days.

Never touch the recordings

Adding your own dashcam to a taxi

Rule 80-22(e) says a driver must not operate a taxi or green cab that "uses or has installed any equipment or mechanical or electronic devices not specifically listed in these rules, unless authorized in writing by the Commission." The fine is $100 if you plead guilty, $150 after a hearing. A personal dashcam is not on the list of taxi equipment we found. So talk to the medallion owner and get TLC's written answer before installing one.

For-hire vehicles: dashcams and decals

For FHVs, the old requirement that liveries have a partition or a camera was removed by the 2023 rule, which TLC said gives liveries "the same operational flexibility as other pre-arranged services." Owners who want camera security can still install one.

The one FHV camera rule is 59A-33(a): a vehicle "equipped with an in-vehicle camera system" must have decals on each rear passenger window, visible from outside, in letters at least half an inch high: "This vehicle is equipped with camera security. You will be photographed." The rule doesn't define the term further. In our reading, a road-only camera may not count, but a camera that faces the cabin likely does. Putting up the decals costs little and avoids a $50–$100 summons.

Mounting and using it safely

• Don't block the windshield. NYS VTL §375(30) makes it unlawful to drive with an object placed in or on the vehicle that obstructs your view through the windshield, other than required or permitted equipment. Put the camera behind the mirror or low in a corner. Leave room for the required TLC decal and stickers.
• Hands off while driving. Treat the camera like any electronic device: set it before you move. Handling devices while driving is a common summons; see the TLC cell phone rule.
• Audio is different. Penal Law §250.00 defines "mechanical overhearing of a conversation" as recording a conversation without the consent of at least one party, by a person not present. How that applies to recording passengers in your car is a legal question for a lawyer, not this page. TLC's IVCS specifications talk about images and video, not sound.

If you lease the car or share it

If you drive a car someone else owns, agree on the camera in writing before you install it. Settle three things: who owns the device, who can pull the footage, and what happens to the recordings when the lease ends. In a taxi, the owner and the installer control the IVCS, and you have a right to request footage, not to remove the device. In a leased FHV, the owner may have rules about what can be attached to the car.

Be thoughtful with what you record. Passengers, their faces and their trips are personal information. Keep footage only as long as you need it, store it securely, and don't post clips of passengers online. If a passenger asks whether they are being recorded, tell them the truth: the decals already say so.

Using your footage at an OATH hearing

Video can be strong evidence: in a passenger complaint case, a refusal claim, or after a crash. To keep it useful:

Read evidence for a TLC hearing and responding to a passenger complaint for how to present it. After a crash, also follow accident reporting rules.