EV-Only FHV Licenses: Rules, History and Status

In short: EV-only FHV licenses were TLC vehicle licenses ("plates") restricted to fully battery-electric cars. TLC offered them in three ways between 2019 and 2023, and the last window closed at 9 a.m. on November 13, 2023, under a court order. You cannot apply for one today: TLC's February 2026 review issued no new FHV licenses, and the only new licenses open are restricted to wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs).

If you already hold an EV-only license, the restriction stays with it. Any replacement car must also be fully battery-electric.

This page explains the rules behind those licenses (rule 59A-06 of TLC's chapter 59), the dates, and what they mean for you now. For the quick status answer only, see Can I get an EV TLC license right now?.

Why EV-only licenses existed: the FHV license pause

In 2018, Local Law 147 gave TLC the power to limit the number of for-hire vehicle (FHV) licenses. Since then, new FHV licenses have been paused, with exceptions. TLC's license reviews describe the history (February 2023 review, p.1):

• August 2019: TLC adopted rules to put the pause into effect. They kept the exception for wheelchair accessible vehicles and added an exception for electric vehicles. At that time, 120,126 FHVs were licensed.
• June 2021: TLC removed the EV exception. It added EV demand and charging to the list of things it must consider in each review.

So from 2019 to 2021, an EV could get a new FHV license through the normal application. That is the "EV exception" drivers still talk about.

The 1,000 individual EV licenses (rule 59A-06(a)(3))

TLC's August 2022 review decided to issue up to 1,000 new FHV licenses limited to EVs. Rules adopted in January 2023 set who could get them, and they became available in March 2023 (February 2024 review, p.1).

The rule, still printed in chapter 59 as §59A-06(a)(3), says:

• The licenses were individual and non-transferable, and restricted to fully battery electric vehicles, "powered only by electric batteries and not gasoline".
• TLC could require the license to be registered to a driver in the driver's own name and personal Social Security number. When that applied, a driver could hold only one such license and no other FHV license.
• You first sent a statement of interest online. TLC contacted people on a first-come, first-served basis until it reached the number of licenses available.
• After TLC contacted you, you had 120 days to finish a complete application: buy the EV, show insurance, pay fees and hold a valid TLC driver license. The car had to pass inspection within 60 days of its first scheduled inspection.
• If you missed a requirement, the application was denied and the next person on the list was contacted. You could send a new statement of interest and go to the bottom of the list.

TLC's February 2023 review said the statements of interest "demonstrated significant unmet demand" for EV licenses.

The October 2023 open window (rule 59A-06(a)(4))

TLC's February 2023 review, published in October 2023, concluded the industry could absorb more EV-only licenses. It reinstated the exception "that was in place from 2019 to 2021": anyone could apply for an EV-only license through the standard FHV application.

Rule 59A-06(a)(4) set the terms:

• EV-only licenses, again limited to fully battery-electric vehicles.
• First come, first served, open to any applicant: an individual or a business.
• At first, up to 25 new EV licenses per Social Security number or Employer Identification Number. The TLC Chair could raise that limit later, depending on demand.
• TLC had to post the application procedures on its website at least 15 calendar days before applications opened.

TLC began accepting these applications on October 19, 2023 (Industry Notice 23-09).

The lawsuit and the November 13, 2023 cutoff

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) sued to stop TLC from issuing new EV-only licenses. On November 8, 2023, the court issued a temporary restraining order. TLC had to stop accepting new EV FHV applications at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 13, 2023. Applications filed before that time could still be processed (Industry Notice 23-09). The WAV exception was not affected.

TLC says it received "thousands of applications" in the days between the order and the cutoff (February 2024 review, p.2). Many came from people already licensed by TLC who had recently driven FHV trips. TLC read this as new owner-drivers buying cars "to get out of costly leasing arrangements".

What followed, from TLC's own reviews:

• February 2023 to January 2024: TLC issued 12,564 new FHV licenses; 62% were EVs. FHVs in good standing rose from 95,396 to 107,636. TLC counted more than 9,500 licensed FHV EVs in early February 2024.
• February 2024 to January 2025: another 1,763 EV-only applications were processed. The backlog was finished by April 2024 (February 2025 review, p.2). That review also cited "pending litigation concerning EV-only applications" as one reason not to issue more licenses.
• February 2025 to January 2026: no new EV-only licenses. Of 1,241 new FHV licenses, 1,206 were WAV-restricted and 35 were street hail livery vehicles (February 2026 review, p.2).

Where things stand in 2026

TLC's February 2026 review concluded that "additional for-hire vehicle licenses would not be beneficial to the industry and the city as a whole at this time". It said: "Those interested in obtaining an FHV license may continue to apply for a WAV-restricted license." See how to get a new FHV license with a WAV and are new TLC plates available?.

The EV fleet still grows, but only through conversions: holders of existing licenses replacing a gas or hybrid car with an EV. The same review counted 959 such conversions in the year and 13,115 EVs in the FHV fleet. See the EV fleet statistics and how to switch your current TLC car to an EV.

If you hold an EV-restricted license

Other points to keep in mind:

• Keep it active. An FHV license must be revoked for non-use if, for 60 or more days, you have no base affiliation, no insurance or miss inspections (59A-08(c)). See non-use revocation.
• Don't surrender the plates by accident. A license ends early if the state plates are voluntarily surrendered, and an ended license cannot be renewed (59A-06(d)). The only safe pause is the FHV storage program.
• Renew on time. You can file up to 60 days after expiry with a $25 late fee; after that the license cannot be renewed (59A-06(c)). Losing an EV-only license means the only way back is a WAV license.
• Be careful with "plate" offers. The 2023 individual licenses were non-transferable by rule. If someone offers to sell you EV plates, ask TLC before paying anything, and read about unlicensed activity.

If you are deciding whether to buy or rent instead, see buying or leasing a TLC vehicle. For the overall cap numbers, see FHV license cap statistics, and for how drivers are spread across the industry, TLC active driver statistics.

This page explains TLC rules and reports. It is not legal advice. If you have a pending application, a denial or a dispute about a license, talk to a lawyer who handles TLC matters.