Airport Meet-and-Greet Pickups: Rules for Black Car Drivers

In short: You may meet a passenger inside an NYC-area airport only for a trip that was booked in advance through your base. When the passenger is arriving by plane, the Port Authority says a ride counts as pre-arranged only if you show an announcement card with three things: your company's name, the passenger's name, and the airline and flight number. Park in a paid garage or a permitted lot, never at the curb, and never offer a ride to anyone else while you wait.

This guide uses the Port Authority's Airport Rules and Regulations (July 27, 2022), TLC Chapter 80 and the airports' pick-up pages, all read on October 12, 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. App drivers waiting for an app request have a different process. See JFK for app drivers.

Why the sign matters so much

Port Authority rule V.D.1 says ground transportation "shall be provided at an Air Terminal only pursuant to specific pre-arrangement". The only exception is a vehicle licensed for street hails by the city the airport is in, such as yellow taxis at JFK and LaGuardia. Everyone else, including black cars, limousines and livery cars, needs a pre-arranged trip.

Rule V.D.3 then defines what "specific pre-arrangement" means for someone arriving by plane. It is not enough to have a booking. The driver, or an employee of the company, must display an announcement card at the place the airport designates. Under the rule, the card is what shows that your pickup is pre-arranged and not solicited.

The card rule is written for passengers "arriving at an Air Terminal by aircraft". When you drop a client off for a departing flight, there is no card to show. The trip still has to be booked through your base, and you still unload only at the designated departures curb (rule V.C).

What goes on the announcement card

The rule doesn't set a size, color or format. It sets the content. A card with all three items that matches your base's booking record is the safest thing to hold up.

The booking has to come through your base

TLC Rule 80-19(c)(1) says an FHV driver "must not solicit or pick up Passengers other than by prearrangement through a licensed Base of the class that can dispatch the Driver's For-Hire Vehicle". At the NYC airports, Rule 80-19(c)(2) raises the penalty for a pickup that isn't pre-arranged that way:

So a regular client who texts you directly on landing is a problem if the trip doesn't go through your base. Have the client book through the base first, so the base's record and your announcement card match.

Where to wait while the flight lands

The airports don't let you wait at the curb:

• JFK: "There is no parking allowed in front of or next to any of our terminals. Terminal curbsides are for active pick ups and drop offs only." The JFK page answers the meet-and-greet question directly: if you want to greet your passenger inside the terminal, "use short-term parking in one of the airport parking garages. You cannot leave your car at the curb unattended."
• LaGuardia: "parking is not allowed on airport roadways and terminal frontages", and a driver may not wait at the curb unless the passenger and bags are already there. The free Cell Phone Lot is on 94th Street between 23rd Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard, open 7:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
• Newark: curbs are for active loading and unloading only, and the free Cell Phone Lot is next to the P4 garage.

Port Authority rule VI.B.16 also says you may park in a public parking area only "upon the payment of such parking fees and charges as are prescribed by the Port Authority". A free wait lot works if you wait for the client to call. But if you are holding a sign inside arrivals, your car has to be in paid parking, because an unattended car at the curb gets towed. The quick version is at can I leave my car at the airport curb?

The solicitation trap

While you wait in arrivals holding a card, other travelers may ask if you're free. Saying yes, even for a trip you plan to book later, is exactly what the rules target:

• Port Authority rule V.B.1: "No person shall, within an Air Terminal, solicit another person's use of ground transportation services."
• The Port Authority's driver flyer says "drivers who offer rides inside of the airport are breaking the law" and warns of "a fine of $1,500 and a sentence of 15 days" for first-time offenders. It also asks drivers to report "individuals offering unsolicited guidance directing passengers toward unauthorized drivers".

Point the traveler to the official taxi stand or their app. Handing out business cards in the terminal can also look like soliciting, because rule V.B covers soliciting another person's use of ground transportation, not only driving them.

The access fee on black car and limo trips

The Port Authority's approved access fee schedule names "limos, black cars and app-based providers" as for-hire vehicles. For them the fee is $3.50 per pickup and $3.50 per drop-off from March 15, 2026. The fee rises to $4.50 on March 15, 2027 and $5.00 on March 15, 2028. How it is collected and who bears it is between you, your base and the client. Ask your base how it appears on your trip sheet. Details: the access fee page.

After the drop-off

TLC Rule 80-18(a) requires you to check the inside of the car and the trunk after any trip to Kennedy, LaGuardia or Newark ($25 fine). See 80-18(a). (The holding-area rule, 80-19(e)(2), is written for taxis and green cabs, not black cars.)

Read more on our black car drivers page, the announcement card and FHV glossary entries, the Port Authority airport rules guide, the taxi holding lot entry, and when airport pickups happen. Everything airport-related is in the airports topic.