TLC Service Refusal Rules: When You Can Say No

In short: a TLC-licensed driver must not refuse a passenger "by words, gestures or any other means" unless the refusal fits one of the 15 justifications written in TLC rule 80-20(b). The protected destinations are anywhere in New York City, Westchester County, Nassau County and Newark Airport. A refusal is charged under rule 80-20(a)(1) and carries mandatory penalties: $350 or $500 the first time, and revocation by the third violation within 36 months.

This page lists every allowed reason in plain English, shows the related charges, and gives you a quick check you can run in your head before you wave off a hail. It is general information, not legal advice. If you already have a summons, go to responding to a passenger complaint.

What counts as a refusal

Rule 80-20(a) of the TLC driver rules (chapter 80) covers six kinds of refusal. All of them use the same mandatory penalty ladder:

• (a)(1) Mandatory transport. Refusing to take a passenger, "including a person with a disability and any service animal accompanying this individual," to any destination in NYC, Westchester, Nassau or Newark Airport. A refusal can be words ("I don't go there"), a gesture, driving off, or "any other means."
• (a)(2) Attendant. Requiring a person with a disability to bring an attendant.
• (a)(3) Luggage and mobility aids. Refusing to carry luggage, a wheelchair, crutches, another mobility aid or other property.
• (a)(4) Asking the destination first. In a taxi, or on a hail trip started in the Hail Zone in a street hail livery (green cab), trying to learn the destination before the passenger is seated. The rule says this is a violation "regardless if the Driver ultimately agrees to transport the Passenger." See 80-20(a)(4).
• (a)(5) E-hail. Refusing a passenger after accepting their hail through an E-Hail app.
• (a)(6) Accessible vehicles. In an accessible vehicle, refusing a passenger after accepting an e-hail at the metered rate (including from the accessible taxi dispatcher), or operating the accessible vehicle with the Technology System off. Other duties for wheelchair users and service animals are covered in our accessibility guide.

TLC's Office of Inclusion describes a service refusal as declining a pickup or ending a trip because of a passenger's destination or because of who they are, including race, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, immigration status, national origin, religion, color, marital or partnership status, or pregnancy. Refusals connected to who the passenger is can also lead to other charges and to a separate human rights complaint. We explain that in discrimination complaints.

The 15 lawful reasons to refuse

Rule 80-20(b) is the full list. If your reason is not on it, the rule treats the refusal as unjustified. Several reasons come with a caution in the rule text, which we kept.

Notice what is not on the list: traffic, the passenger's neighborhood, a short fare, a long fare inside the city, a passenger's appearance, the end of your shift without logging off first, or "I'm going the other way." Rule 80-19(a)(5) does let a logged-off taxi driver who is going home or to the garage pick up a passenger whose destination is directly on the way, but only after recording "Returning to garage (or home)" in the trip record. That is a narrow exception for accepting a trip, not a general right to screen passengers.

A quick check before you say no

Penalties: the mandatory ladder

Rule 80-02(e) sets mandatory penalties for refusals under 80-20(a)(1) to (a)(6) and for overcharges. "Mandatory" means the OATH hearing officer must impose them if you are found guilty. Violations of any of these rules count together: one refusal plus one overcharge within 24 months is a second violation.

The 24- and 36-month windows are counted backwards from the date of the latest violation (rule 80-02(e)(2)). The summons for 80-20(a)(1) says appearance is not required, which means you may plead guilty and pay without a hearing. That choice saves $150 on a first violation, but it is still a violation that counts toward the next step. Read TLC penalty schedule explained for how pleas and findings work. Unpaid fines are due within 30 days of the decision, or TLC can suspend your license (rule 80-02(c)).

How often refusal summonses are written

The chart counts summonses filed at OATH whose first charge is 80-20(a)(1). A summons is an accusation, not a finding, and the public data does not show outcomes or fines.

Refusal summonses can come from a TLC inspector who sees the refusal directly, or from a passenger complaint filed through 311. The two cases feel different at a hearing: an inspector's sworn summons can be accepted as evidence, while a complaint case usually depends on the passenger taking part. See how passenger complaints work.

Common situations

• "I'm going off duty." Only lawful under reasons 4 or 5, and only after you logged off the Technology System and locked both rear doors. Having the off-duty light on but still being logged on does not meet the rule.
• Airport or out-of-town fatigue. Reason 8 covers only Newark Airport, Nassau and Westchester, and only after more than eight hours driving in a continuous 24-hour period. It does not cover a long trip to the Bronx.
• Party of four. A taxi driver must not refuse a party of four where one person must sit in front, and must not use locked front doors as an excuse (rule 80-15(c)(2) and 80-15(f)(1)).
• Large bags. You must carry luggage and load it on request (rule 80-16(c)). Reason 3 only covers an item you reasonably believe will damage the car.
• App drivers. FHV drivers may refuse street hails (reasons 12 and 14). But once you accept an e-hail, refusing that passenger is a violation under (a)(5). See our page for Uber and Lyft drivers.

If you got a refusal summons

Write down what happened while you still remember: time, place, app status, whether you were logged off, and why the trip did not happen. Gather trip records and any dashcam footage. Then compare your reason to the list above. Our fight-or-pay tool walks through the trade-off, and the hearing preparation checklist helps you get ready. A lawyer or registered representative can tell you whether your facts fit a justification.