TLC Vehicle Inspection: Schedule, Fees & What If You Fail

In short: Every TLC vehicle has a fixed inspection schedule. A for-hire vehicle (FHV) must be inspected three times a year, at least once every four months. A yellow taxi is inspected every four months. A green cab (street hail livery) is inspected every six months. If you miss an inspection, TLC can suspend the vehicle license until it passes, and a summons can follow. If you fail, you can fix the problem and come back, and you pay a small reinspection fee.

This guide explains the schedule for each vehicle type, where to go, what is checked, what happens when you fail, and what the fines are if you are late. If you already have an inspection summons, also read vehicle, equipment and inspection summonses.

The schedule depends on your vehicle type

The rules are different for taxis, green cabs and FHVs. Find your row in the table below.

TLC's inspection facility is the Safety and Emissions facility at 24-55 B.Q.E. West, Woodside, NY 11377. The phone number listed is 718-267-4559 and the email is inspections@tlc.nyc.gov. You can see your next inspection date in the TLC UP portal (TLC's online self-service system).

FHV: the licensing inspection

When you get a new FHV license, replace the vehicle, or renew, TLC emails you an appointment at Woodside. The type of inspection depends on the odometer:

• Under 500 miles: a visual inspection only.
• 500 miles or more: a full NYS DMV-style inspection (safety and emissions) plus a TLC visual check. TLC charges a $75 inspection fee for these vehicles (rule 59A-04(e)(7) and the renewal page).

For a new license, the vehicle must pass within 60 days of the first scheduled inspection, with a maximum of four tries. For a renewal, the window is 120 days, also four tries (rule 59A-04(e) and (f)). After the license expiration date, the vehicle must not operate until it passes. After a passing inspection, TLC says the license is activated within 48 hours.

The DMV sticker rule that is easy to miss

FHV rule 59A-29(c) requires a valid NYS DMV inspection sticker with no fewer than eight months left before it expires, displayed on the front left of the windshield. A sticker that is still valid but has less than eight months left can still lead to a summons. The listed penalty is a $100 fine, suspension until corrected, and one penalty point on the vehicle license.

What inspectors check

TLC says Woodside inspectors check brakes, seatbelts, lights, suspension and emissions systems. They also check TLC-specific items: taximeters in yellow and green cabs, base markings on livery vehicles, decals, and required signs. A taxi inspection has three parts under rule 58-29(c): the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law §301 inspection items, a visual check of the inside and outside against TLC rules, and any other legal requirements.

Use this checklist the week before your appointment. It is based on items TLC rules require; it is not an official TLC list.

If you fail

Failing an inspection is not a summons by itself. You get a Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) that lists what failed and gives a compliance date. Then:

Reinspection fees listed on TLC's inspections page: $35 for yellow and green cabs; $27 for an FHV DMV emissions reinspection; $10 for an FHV DMV safety reinspection. There is no reinspection fee when the vehicle failed only a TLC visual item rather than a §301 item (rule 59A-04(e)(8)).

For FHVs, TLC allows four attempts before the compliance date. If the original vehicle fails four times during a renewal, the rules let you present a different vehicle instead (59A-04(f)(5)(i)).

On-street inspections and defect notices

Directions, hours, lines and what to bring to the Woodside facility are in the Woodside TLC inspection facility guide.

Scheduled inspections are not the only checks. Under rule 59A-26(b), TLC inspectors and police officers can stop and inspect an FHV on the street and order it to report to the Woodside facility. If they find a problem, you may get a notice to correct a defect. You must follow that notice. Ignoring it is a separate violation: §59A-27(d) for FHVs and §58-30(b) for taxis, each with a $50 fine and suspension until the defect is corrected.

Remember who receives these papers. FHV owners must name every driver of their vehicle as their agent to receive summonses and defect notices (rule 59A-04(d)). If a notice is handed to you as the driver, the owner is treated as notified. TLC also sends a copy to the owner and the base. If you drive someone else's car, pass any notice to the owner the same day.

If you are late: fines and suspension

Missing an inspection is treated seriously because the license is suspended until you comply. The penalties in the rule book:

• FHV, rule 59A-26(a): $100 and suspension of the vehicle license until the defect is fixed or the vehicle passes. Appearance at the hearing is required.
• Yellow taxi, rule 58-29(b): the penalty grows with how late you are.
• Green cab, rule 82-30(b): the same cumulative scale as taxis.

For FHVs there is also a hard stop. Under rule 59A-08(c)(3), TLC must revoke an FHV license for non-use if the owner fails to meet inspection requirements for 60 days or more. A revoked FHV license cannot simply be renewed, and new FHV licenses are currently limited (see buying or leasing a TLC vehicle). So a missed inspection can cost you the license, not just a fine.

How often these summonses are written

If you got a summons anyway

1. Fix the problem first. Get the vehicle inspected or repaired and keep the passing report. That ends the suspension.
2. Check the summons and hearing date. If you only missed the appointment, read what if I miss my TLC inspection appointment first. Use our summons deadline calculator and see what to do when you get a TLC summons.
3. Gather proof. A passing report, the original appointment email, repair receipts, or proof you were in the license storage program can matter. See documents for a TLC hearing.
4. Decide whether to contest. If you think the inspection was not actually due, or TLC never sent the appointment, that is something to raise at your OATH hearing. A lawyer can tell you whether you have a defense.

If the suspension is already in place, read how to lift a TLC suspension.