LARS Guide: Apply and Pay TLC Fees Online

LARS (License Applications, Renewals and Summonses, at nyc.gov/lars) is where you pay TLC. You use it to start a new application, pay a renewal fee, pay transfer, replacement and reinspection fees, change your address, phone or email, and plead guilty and pay some summonses. Paying by e-check is free. A credit or debit card adds 2.00%. All license fees are non-refundable.

LARS is not the place to upload documents or check deadlines. That is TLC UP, a separate portal (see the TLC UP portal guide).

LARS or TLC UP?

What LARS means, in plain words

LARS is TLC's cashier and records desk, online. Every payment you make in LARS sends you to CityPay, the City of New York's payment portal, and you get an email receipt afterward (LARS how-to guide, dated March 9, 2021). LARS has four main menu items:

• Apply for New License: driver or vehicle applications.
• Fees and Returned Payments: renewal, late, transfer, replacement and reinspection fees. On TLC's transfer page this is called "Fees - Existing TLC License".
• Update Info: phone, email, mailing address and residence address.
• Summonses/Settlements: plead guilty and pay.

Rule citations. Rule 80-07(b) says the fee for a new or renewal driver license is paid when you file the application. Rule 80-07(c) says TLC will not refund fees if it denies the application. Rule 80-04(m) says you must give TLC a current mailing address and a valid email, and rule 80-12(i)(3) says you must report changes within ten days.

E-check vs card: the 2% fee

TLC's LARS page says:

• E-check: no fee.
• Credit or debit card: 2.00% of the payment amount. You see it before you check out. It is a separate charge on your statement, with the NYC Department of Finance as the merchant, and it is not refundable.

Example. TLC's renewal page lists a $252 processing fee for a three-year driver license (checked October 12, 2026). Paid by card, 2% adds $5.04. Paid by e-check from a checking account, it stays $252. The same 2% applies to an FHV application paid by card (Get a For-Hire Vehicle License).

How to pay a fee in LARS

These steps follow TLC's how-to guide. Screens can change, so read each page before you click.

Transfer fees: the 24-hour rule

For a base transfer, you email the transfer application to TLC first. If TLC accepts it, TLC emails you payment instructions. TLC's transfer page says: "Payment must be made within 24-hours of TLC's email." If you miss it, the transfer is not processed. Pay under "Fees - Existing TLC License" with your vehicle license number. If TLC's email arrives while you are driving, set a reminder to pay the same day. TLC sends it to the email on your vehicle record, so an old email address on file can make you miss the window entirely.

For plate and vehicle transfers, you request the transfer in TLC UP. If accepted, TLC emails payment instructions plus an inspection appointment or a digital plate letter, and you pay in LARS. TLC lists these fees (October 12, 2026): $25 base transfer, $25 plate transfer, $25 vehicle transfer, and $75 inspection for vehicles with 500 miles or more. The full list is in every TLC fee in one table, and the transfer steps are in TLC plates.

Reinspection fees: pay after, not before

Since November 12, 2019, owners no longer prepay reinspections at TLC's Woodside facility. TLC's inspections page says reinspection fees "must be paid online after the reinspection" in LARS. A fee is owed only if the vehicle failed its first inspection and came back after repairs.

New and renewal licensing inspections are included in the application fee, according to the same page. Renewing an FHV? See FHV vehicle license renewal. WAV owners asking about license fees should read whether WAV owners pay TLC vehicle license fees.

Update your address, phone or email

TLC's licensed drivers FAQ answers "How do I let the TLC know that I recently moved?" with: update your information online in LARS. TLC's how-to guide shows the steps:

1. Choose Update Info, pick the license type and enter your license details.
2. LARS shows your current email, phone, mailing and residence addresses on the left and empty boxes on the right.
3. Fill in only what changed. Tick "Same as mailing address" if you live where you get mail.
4. Agree to the affirmation and click Submit Updated Information. Save the confirmation.

If you hold more than one TLC license, for example a driver license and a vehicle license, update each one separately. The guide says so directly. Why this matters for summonses and notices is covered in your TLC mailing address.

Summonses in LARS

LARS can take a guilty plea and payment only for a summons where personal appearance is not required. Check whether the "Personal Appearance Required" box is ticked on yours. TLC's page says unlicensed people who need to pay a summons or settlement must go to the Settlement unit at the Long Island City office. Paying means pleading guilty, which can add points, so read TLC fine payment options first.

Related terms

• TLC UP: the upload and status portal. See TLC UP.
• CityPay: the City's checkout page that LARS sends you to.
• E-check: a payment straight from a checking account, with no fee.

New to US payment systems or TLC paperwork? The immigrant drivers guide explains SSN and bank basics, and how to get a TLC license walks through a first application. More licensing pages are on the licensing hub.

General information, not legal advice. LARS features and fees as shown on TLC's pages and how-to guide, checked October 12, 2026.