TLC Owner/Driver Resource Center: Free Help for Drivers

In short: the TLC Owner/Driver Resource Center (O/DRC) is TLC's free help desk for licensees. It offers legal services (for medallion owners with 6 or fewer medallions), referrals to the Driver Protection Unit, free financial counseling through the city's Financial Empowerment Centers, help applying for public benefits such as SNAP and Medicaid, and health and wellness services. Book at portal.driverresourcecenter.tlc.nyc.gov with your TLC license number, ZIP code and the last 5 digits of your SSN. It does not handle summonses or licensing.

TLC's 2025 Annual Report says the center offered 23 legal workshops with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) in 2025 and that drivers can reach it in person at TLC's Long Island City office, by phone or by email. This page explains each service, who qualifies, and how to book. Facts come from the O/DRC FAQ and the booking portal, read on October 12, 2026.

Services and who qualifies

Legal services: for medallion owners

The free lawyers are for small-business medallion owners with 6 or fewer medallions. TLC's FAQ says the legal service provider "assists medallion owners holistically," with medallion issues and with estate planning, credit card debt, creating an LLC or corporation "and more." It credits these legal services with $472 million in debt relief for over 2,000 medallion owners under the Medallion Relief Program. Appointments are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; Thursdays are walk-in.

The Medallion Relief Program's grant window has closed: TLC's MRP page says "no MRP grant applications will be considered after April 30, 2024." The legal help for small owners continues. Drivers who don't own a medallion should use the free legal hotlines in free legal help for NYC drivers.

Driver Protection Unit referrals

The portal describes this service as taking "complaints of TLC rule violations from one Licensee against another Licensee," with examples: a driver against a base for unpaid earnings, a driver against a vehicle owner for fees not in the lease, and a medallion owner against an agent. You can also contact the unit directly; see the Driver Protection Unit guide.

Financial counseling

This is a referral to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection's Financial Empowerment Centers, which give free one-on-one counseling. The FAQ says they help with debt reduction, credit scores, budgets and bank accounts, and that they do not give grants or act as a lender. You can also book directly with DCWP. More: free financial counseling for NYC drivers.

Health, wellness and benefits

The Wellness Room is in the waiting room of TLC's Long Island City office, open for walk-ins Tuesday to Thursday, 11am to 2pm. It has an NYC Health + Hospitals Express Care kiosk that connects you by video to a doctor or counselor. TLC calls Express Care "a fast, easy, affordable, and low-cost option." For mental-health support any time, TLC's resources page lists 988 (call or text). See mental health help for NYC drivers.

How to book

If the portal says you are ineligible and you think that's wrong, or booking fails, email driversupport@tlc.nyc.gov or call 718-391-5511 with the details. For reasonable-accommodation requests and other questions, the portal lists odrc@tlc.nyc.gov.

What to bring

Which service fits your problem?

Pick the service by the problem, not by who you are:

• "My base hasn't paid me for two weeks." Driver protection. The portal's own example is a driver complaining against a base for non-payment of earnings.
• "My credit card debt keeps growing and I want a plan." Financial counseling. A counselor helps you build a budget and deal with creditors; they won't lend you money.
• "My income dropped and my family needs food help." Public benefits support, which helps you apply through ACCESS HRA for SNAP and other programs.
• "I own one medallion and my lender is threatening a judgment." Legal services, if you own 6 or fewer medallions.
• "I'm exhausted and can't sleep, but I don't have a doctor." Health and wellness: walk into the Wellness Room on Tuesday to Thursday between 11am and 2pm, or ask about the Express Care kiosk.
• "I got a summons for a red light." Not here. Use the summons tools or the OATH Help Center.

You can book more than one service, for example financial counseling and benefits support, because the limit is one open appointment per service.

Getting to the office

The Wellness Room and walk-in legal hours are at TLC's Long Island City facility, 31-00 47th Avenue, 3rd floor, Long Island City, NY 11101 (per TLC's locations page). The office is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, and is closed on city holidays; check the closing dates in our TLC driver calendar before you go. TLC's locations page also gives transit directions: the 7 train to 33 Street/Queens Boulevard, or the E, M or R to Queens Plaza. Interpretation at TLC is free; tell staff which language you need.

What it doesn't do

• Summonses. Not TLC settlements, TLC summonses or OATH summonses. For those, see the summons tools or the OATH Help Center at (212) 436-0845.
• Licensing. Call (718) 391-5501, option 2.
• Grants or loans. The Financial Empowerment Centers don't give money.
• Toll problems. E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail disputes go to the service center and then the Toll Payer Advocates.

Other free help

If you fear that using these services will cause trouble with your fleet or base, TLC rules forbid retaliation for good-faith complaints; see can my owner or base retaliate. For a one-line definition, see the glossary. Not sure the Resource Center is the right place? Our driver help finder routes you by problem. More programs are on the driver rights hub.