On this page (11)
In short
If you lease a taxi or FHV and use the owner's E-ZPass tag, the owner may make you keep a replenishment account. It can hold up to $10 for each 12-hour shift in your lease, and no more than $100. The owner can take only tolls you haven't paid back out of it. Whatever is left must be returned within 30 days after your lease ends. If you use your own tag, none of this applies.
The rules are TLC Rule 58-27(d)(2) for medallion taxis and Rule 59A-24(d)(2) for for-hire vehicles. An owner's agent, such as a garage or fleet manager, has the same rights and duties.
What the rule says
The owner "can require a Driver to maintain a maximum of $10 for every 12-hour shift included within a lease period, up to a maximum of $100, in the replenishment account" (58-27(d)(2)(ii)). The FHV rule uses the same words.
Three conditions apply:
- Only an owner who is the E-ZPass tag holder can ask for it. If you bring your own tag under 58-27(c) or 59A-24(c), there is nothing to replenish.
- The owner can collect from it only "tolls paid by the Owner's EZ-Pass account for a tag assigned to a Taxicab operated by the Driver, for which the Owner has not been reimbursed" (58-27(d)(2)(iii)).
- Unused money "must be returned to a Driver within 30 days after the termination of the Driver's lease" (58-27(d)(2)(iv)).
Limits and examples
The limit depends on how many 12-hour shifts your lease covers. The rule counts shifts, not days. These examples apply the rule's words to common lease types. If your lease is written differently, count the 12-hour shifts it includes.
An owner asking for $150 up front, or $100 for a single day shift, is asking for more than the rule allows.
What the owner may deduct, and what they may not
May deduct: tolls that the owner's E-ZPass account paid for the tag in the car you drove, during your lease, that you did not already pay back. A common example is an empty return trip over a tolled bridge. Under 58-26(f)(4), the driver must repay the tag holder for "all toll charges incurred, including toll charges for which there is no passenger reimbursement."
Should not deduct:
- Tolls from shifts other drivers worked, or from a different vehicle.
- Tolls passengers paid by card. Under 58-27(d)(1)(ii) and 59A-24(d)(1)(ii), the owner already keeps the card toll amount.
- Unrelated charges such as damage, tickets or fees. The replenishment account is not a security deposit. Taxi security deposits are a separate rule (58-21(e)), which this page does not cover.
For a leased taxi, Rule 58-21(c)(5)(iii) lists "the discount toll amount for use of the Owner's EZ-Pass" as the only toll item an owner can charge above the lease cap. So an owner should charge you the E-ZPass amount, not a higher mail rate or a handling fee. As of the MTA rates effective January 4, 2026, the RFK Bridge costs $7.46 with NY E-ZPass and $12.03 by mail (MTA).
Your side: forward tolls and keep the balance
Drivers have duties too, under Rule 80-15(d):
- (d)(4): forward all tolls paid by passengers to the tag holder at the end of your shift or lease period.
- (d)(5): if a taxi or street hail livery driver was required to set up a replenishment account under 58-27(d)(2), keep the required balance.
The penalty is a $50 fine plus restitution to the tag holder of any amount not repaid, and you must appear at the hearing.
How to ask for your refund, and how to complain
If TLC proves the violation, the owner faces a $250 fine plus restitution to the driver of any replenishment money improperly kept. For taxi owners appearance is required (58-27(d)(2)). The FHV rule (59A-24(d)(2)) says appearance is not required. The rule that toll money must "accrue to the Owner" when the owner provides the tag (58-27(d)(1), 59A-24(d)(1)) carries its own $250 fine. Read it carefully: that paragraph puts the duty on the driver to make sure passenger toll money reaches the owner. And for toll problems in general, the Commission "can order restitution to a passenger or the EZ-Pass tag holder" (58-26(f)(5), 59A-23(b)(5)).
Common disagreements, and how the rules answer them
"Your tolls were more than the account held, so you owe me more." The cap limits what the owner can make you keep in the account. It does not wipe out tolls you really owe. If the owner's tag paid tolls for your trips that you never repaid, you still owe them. Ask for the list and check it against your trips.
"We keep the money until the end of the month." The rule gives the owner up to 30 days after the lease ends. It does not let them keep it longer because of their own billing cycle.
"The toll on my statement is higher than the E-ZPass rate." A tag that is not read can be charged at the Mid-Tier rate. If the tag was not mounted, that may be the reason (see Mid-Tier and tag mounting). Ask who decided where the tag was kept. For taxis, the lease cap rule allows only the discount toll amount above the lease.
"You drove for two owners this month." Each owner's account covers only the tag in its own vehicle. One owner can't take tolls from the other car out of your deposit.
These answers come from reading the rule text. They are not a ruling on your case. If the amount is large, or you get a summons, get advice.
Estimate what your tolls should have cost
Use the calculator to check a deduction against the published E-ZPass rate for each crossing.
Related
Frequently asked questions
How much E-ZPass money can a garage hold from me?
At most $10 for every 12-hour shift in your lease period, and never more than $100 in total. This is in TLC Rules 58-27(d)(2) for taxis and 59A-24(d)(2) for FHVs.
When must the owner return my E-ZPass money?
Any money not used to repay the owner for tolls must be returned within 30 days after your lease with the owner ends.
What can the owner take out of the replenishment account?
Only tolls that the owner's E-ZPass account paid for a tag assigned to the vehicle you drove, and that you have not already paid back. It is not a general security deposit.
Can a taxi owner charge me more than the toll?
No. For a taxi lease, the only toll-related charge allowed above the lease cap is the discount toll amount for using the owner's E-ZPass (Rule 58-21(c)(5)(iii)).
What is the fine if the owner keeps my money?
$250 plus restitution to the driver of any replenishment money improperly kept. For taxi owners appearance at the hearing is required; for FHV owners the rule says it is not required.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 58 (Medallion Taxicab Service) — 58-21(c), 58-26, 58-27 nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 59 (For-Hire Vehicles) — 59A-23, 59A-24 nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 80 (Drivers) — 80-15(d), 80-16(d) nyc.gov
- MTA: Tolls by vehicle type (rates effective Jan 4, 2026) mta.info
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.
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.