TLC Fine Payment Options: LARS, In Person & Plans

You pay TLC fines to TLC — never to OATH or the Department of Finance. There are four routes: LARS online (only for summonses where no personal appearance is required), the TLC cashier in Long Island City, a payment plan if you cannot pay everything at once, and a settlement if TLC offers or agrees to one. Before you pay, remember one thing: paying a summons before the hearing is a guilty plea.

This guide compares the options. For the deadline itself — 30 days after a guilty finding, or a suspension follows — see paying TLC fines.

The four ways to pay, compared

LARS: fast, but only for some summonses

LARS is TLC's online system for "License Applications, Renewals & Summonses." TLC lists "Plead guilty or pay summons" as one of its transactions, and adds that "only a summons where no personal appearance is required can be paid on LARS" (TLC LARS). TLC's summons page says the same in plain words: you can pay some summonses on LARS, but for others "you need to follow the instructions on the summons email and letter" (TLC).

How do you know if appearance is required? It is printed on the summons, and each rule's penalty box in the TLC rule book says "Appearance REQUIRED" or "Appearance NOT REQUIRED." Our penalty schedule guide shows how to read those boxes.

In person at the TLC cashier

TLC's Long Island City office offers "Cashier Services (make payment)" Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm (TLC Locations). Go here if LARS will not take your summons, if you need to pay several fines at once to lift a suspension, or if you want a printed receipt in hand. This page does not list which payment methods the cashier accepts; check with TLC before you go.

Payment plans

TLC's Contact page asks: "Are you unable to pay the full balance of fines/penalties upfront? Need to enter into an agreement to pay in installments over time?" If so, email PaymentPlans@tlc.nyc.gov or ask in person between 8am and 3pm (Contact TLC). TLC does not publish the plan terms on that page, so ask for the down payment, the monthly amount, and what happens if you miss an installment — in writing.

Settlements

TLC — not OATH — makes settlement offers. You "may receive a settlement offer with a reduced fine amount in the mail before or after a summons is issued," and you can ask for one by email at Settlements@tlc.nyc.gov or in person; "settlement offers will not be given over the phone" (TLC). Under Rule 68-20, a settlement must be in writing, may set penalties different from the rule book, and means both sides give up any further hearing or appeal on that summons. If you don't keep to the settlement terms, TLC can suspend your license until you do, unless the agreement says otherwise. Full details are in TLC settlement offers.

Pay now or fight first?

Paying early is quick, and many rules charge less for an early plea. For example, under Rule 80-14(g)(1) (phone use while driving) the fine is $250 if you plead guilty before a hearing and $350 if found guilty after a hearing — but both come with 3 points for a first offense and a deferred suspension unless you finish a course (TLC Chapter 80). Points count toward the Persistent Violator Program, so a "cheap" plea can cost more later.

Paying after a decision or an appeal

After OATH finds you guilty, the fine is due within 30 days. If you file an appeal on time, TLC's rule defers payment until 30 days after the appeal decision (Rule 68-02(c)(2)). OATH also confirms that payment before an appeal is not required when the summons was for a law or rule enforced by TLC (OATH appeal one-pager). See appealing an OATH decision.

If the 30 days pass without payment, TLC sends a written notice and suspends your license 10 business days later until the fine is paid (OATH; Rule 68-02(c)(3)).

Paying a fine from a missed hearing (default)

If you missed your hearing, OATH may have found you "in violation" by default, and a higher fine may be imposed (OATH). You have two choices. You can pay the default penalty to TLC like any other fine. Or, if you have a defense, you can ask OATH for a new hearing — OATH grants a first request made within 75 days. Paying a default does not reopen the case, so decide first. The motion to vacate guide explains the request and its deadlines.

Mistakes that cost drivers money

• Paying the wrong agency. OATH and the Department of Finance do not take TLC fines; payments for vehicle-for-hire cases go to TLC.
• Pleading early without counting points. A lower fine today can mean a Persistent Violator suspension later.
• Missing the 30-day window by a few days. The suspension notice comes quickly. Put the due date in your phone on the day of the decision.
• Paying one summons and forgetting another. A suspension stays until every unpaid fine is cleared. Look up each summons number before you go to the cashier.
• Not asking about a settlement. For some summonses TLC will offer a reduced fine before the hearing. You have to ask, by email or in person, and it ends your right to a hearing.

Keep proof of every payment

Save the LARS confirmation or the cashier receipt with the summons number on it. Rule 68-02(c)(3) lets you stop a pending suspension by showing TLC, in person or in writing, that the fine was paid — but only if you can prove it. If a payment ever goes missing in TLC's records, email the Prosecution Unit at Prosecutioninquiries@tlc.nyc.gov with a copy of your receipt.

This page is general information, not legal advice.