The FHV License Cap (Pause) Explained, 2018–2026

In short: Since August 2018, New York City has not issued new for-hire vehicle (FHV) licenses ("TLC plates") except in a few narrow cases. Local Law 147 of 2018 started the pause and let TLC control the number of licenses. Every year TLC reviews the market and decides whether to issue more. Its latest decision, in February 2026, was no new licenses except those restricted to wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs).

This guide explains where the cap comes from, which exceptions existed and which are closed, how the yearly review works, and what you can still do if you need a licensed car. For the numbers behind each review, see FHV license cap statistics.

The legal basis

Two layers create the cap:

1. The law. Local Law 147 of 2018 paused new FHV licenses for one year with an exception for WAVs. It also told TLC and the NYC Department of Transportation to study driver income, congestion, safety and service, and it gave TLC the authority to regulate the number of FHV licenses. Parts of it are codified as NYC Administrative Code §19-550 (TLC's February 2025 review, page 1).
2. TLC's rule. Rule §59A-06(a) says the term of a new FHV license is two years and that, beginning February 2023, TLC reviews the number of licenses and decides how many, if any, to issue in the following twelve months and for which types of vehicles. Results are posted on TLC's website.

The cap applies to new FHV vehicle licenses. It does not limit TLC driver licenses, and it does not stop renewals.

What TLC must look at in each review

Rule §59A-06(a)(1) lists the factors:

• congestion levels;
• driver pay;
• license attrition (how many licenses expire and are not renewed);
• outer-borough service;
• availability of and demand for battery electric vehicles;
• availability of charging infrastructure;
• anything else TLC thinks is relevant.

Reviews used to happen every six months (they began in August 2020); they are now yearly, published as the February review.

The exceptions, open and closed

Two notes on these routes:

• The WAV restriction is permanent. TLC's FHV license page says a license issued under the WAV exception can only be used with a WAV, and a replacement car must also be a WAV. See how to get new TLC plates with a WAV.
• One TLC page is out of date. TLC's FHV accessibility FAQ still says drivers in a lease-to-own agreement may apply. The rule ended that exception on August 13, 2023. Trust the rule.

What the 2026 review decided, and why

TLC's February 2026 review covered February 2025 to January 2026. It found:

• FHVs in good standing fell from 105,487 to 103,618, which is 14% below the 120,126 licensed in August 2019.
• TLC issued 1,241 new licenses (1,206 WAV-restricted, 35 SHL), 1,118 expired, and 45 were reinstated under the COVID-19 Livery Recovery Act.
• High-volume (Uber and Lyft) trips rose 4.9% from December 2024 to December 2025; median gross weekly driver earnings ranged from roughly $1,100 to $1,400.
• Average high-volume wait time was 5.4 minutes in January 2026, inside the 4.5–6.6 minute range seen since 2018.

TLC wrote that "additional for-hire vehicle licenses would not be beneficial to the industry and the city as a whole at this time" and that people who want an FHV license "may continue to apply for a WAV-restricted license."

Why the count of licenses in good standing fell even though more licenses were issued than expired: TLC explains that owners can renew up to 60 days after expiry and then have 120 days to pass inspection, so the number of expired licenses keeps changing after the report date.

Why the cap matters if you rent

If you cannot get your own license, you drive a car licensed to someone else. TLC's own reports describe what the cap means for renters:

• The February 2023 review said drivers who cannot get their own license can rent a licensed vehicle, and that rental costs, "as reported by drivers and rental companies, are typically over $400 per week" and can be much higher depending on the vehicle class, make and model.
• The February 2024 review found that more than 14,000 licensed FHVs did not complete a single trip from February through December 2023. A license in good standing is not the same as a car on the road.
• TLC's September 2025 report on the SHL pilot noted that, because vehicle licenses were not widely available, many drivers chose to lease FHVs on a short-term basis.

If you rent, the rules protect you through the lease, not through the cap. Rule §59A-21 requires a written lease that lists every cost, a security deposit returned within the number of days the lease states (no more than 30), and pro-rated payments when the car is unavailable through no fault of yours. There is no cap on FHV lease prices: that part of the rule is "RESERVED".

What still works if you need a licensed car

More detail: FHV license renewal, the 90-day storage program, can I sell or transfer my FHV license? and buying or leasing a TLC vehicle.

The licenses in good standing, review by review

How to follow and take part in the next review

• Read the reports. All past reviews are posted on TLC's Industry Reports page. The rule sets a yearly cycle that begins with a February review; TLC has not announced a date for the next one.
• Speak at a Commission meeting. TLC's 2025 Annual Report says the Board of Commissioners "holds regular public meetings to receive testimony on proposed rules and other issues of concern to licensees." A change to the exceptions in §59A-06 would need a rule change, which goes through that public process.
• Watch industry notices. The EV window in 2023 was announced and then closed by industry notice. Make sure TLC has your current email in LARS.

The cap rules also connect to the WAV fleet: since there is no electric WAV on the U.S. market, new licenses are not adding electric cars. See wheelchair accessible taxi and FHV statistics and the vehicles topic hub.