TLC "Missing Requirements" Text: What Each Item Means

When TLC texts or emails you that your application is "missing requirements," it means TLC cannot issue your license until each listed item is submitted and approved. Most items are fixed by uploading a document in TLC UP. Others need an action first, like a drug test, a course or a DMV visit. Everything must be done within 90 calendar days of the day you applied, or the application is denied and the fees are lost.

TLC's Licensing Requirements Checklist explains each item in one line. This page decodes them in plain English, says where each fix happens, and points out the traps that cost people extra weeks.

Which items hold up the most applications

TLC publishes its live application tracker on NYC Open Data. On October 12, 2026, it showed 2,967 incomplete new-driver applications. Most were missing several items at once:

The exam and the medical form top the list. That fits the timeline: the exam comes after the 3-day course, and the medical form has to be recent.

Every item, decoded

The traps behind the most common items

The medical form clock. The 90-day limit counts back from the date you filed your application, not from today. If your doctor signed the form months before you applied in LARS, it is "expired" the moment you apply. Get the exam close to your application date.

The child support letter has a 30-day life. TLC says the letter must come from the New York City Office of Child Support Enforcement, in person, must specifically reference the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, and is valid for only 30 days. Upload it the same day you get it. A general "paid up" printout from a website is not the same thing.

Court dispositions mean every conviction. For New York cases, TLC asks for a disposition for each crime you were convicted of, from the court that heard the case. For federal or out-of-state records, the request is triggered by your fingerprint results, so the case may be one you didn't expect to show up. A criminal record doesn't automatically mean denial. See can I get a TLC license with a criminal record. If a charge is still pending, rule 80-08(c)(3)(iii) says TLC will put your application on hold, and deny it if the charge is not resolved within 90 days after you applied.

Probation and parole letters. The letter must be on official letterhead and say you are complying with the terms. A letter that only confirms you are on probation won't clear the item.

"Paid" isn't "cleared." For tickets and summonses, payment can take time to reach TLC. Upload the receipt or DMV clearance letter rather than waiting for the item to disappear on its own.

Out-of-state applicants: one item TLC may not text you about

If your driver license is from another state, TLC says applications submitted on or after October 1, 2025 are not processed at all until you upload an FS-6T receipt. You get it by taking the ID-5 form (don't fill it in) to any New York State DMV office, where staff check your ID documents and take your photo for free (TLC licensing page). You also need your out-of-state driving record, no older than 90 days. If your application seems stuck with no missing items listed, check whether the FS-6T is on file. More in getting a TLC license with an out-of-state license.

Tell TLC about changes while you wait

Your application is a snapshot, and TLC expects you to keep it current. Rule 80-04(o) says you must tell TLC about any material change while the application is pending. That includes a change in your chauffeur's license status, a new mailing or email address, and any new criminal conviction. A DMV suspension that starts after you apply, for example, can turn into a new missing item. Updating TLC yourself is faster than waiting for the next text.

Plan the 90 days backwards

Because everything has to be done by day 90, work backwards from that date. Book the slow items first: the 3-day course and exam, fingerprints, and any court or DMV paperwork. Leave the items you control, like uploads, for the middle. Don't get the medical exam too early, and don't get the child support letter until you are ready to upload it the same day.

Where and how to upload

Log in to TLC UP with your application number, mailing ZIP and the last 5 digits of your SSN. Go to Menu → Requirements. TLC's how-to guide explains the two lists there. "Missing Requirements" need a document upload. "Other Requirements" are reminders to do something, like a drug test. Click the box next to an item, choose the file or take a photo, and press Submit. Then check Show Application Uploads to see the file and its review status.

Who to ask when an item won't clear

Email LicensingInquiries@tlc.nyc.gov with your application number, the exact item name and the date you uploaded. TLC's TLC UP page says replies come between 8:30am and 5pm on weekdays. Be careful with links: some scam texts copy the style of government messages, so open TLC UP from nyc.gov yourself rather than from a link (see is the NY toll services text a scam for how those scams work).

If the 90 days run out, read why was my TLC application denied before you apply again. The whole process is in how to get a TLC license, and the drug test is in the TLC drug test guide. For how many TLC driver licenses are active today, see TLC active driver statistics.

General information, not legal advice. TLC checklist page and rules checked October 12, 2026.