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TLC summons guides, in plain English
Step-by-step guides written for TLC-licensed drivers. Each one explains the rule or process in plain English, links to the official source, and tells you what to do next.
Bridges, tunnels, E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail rates, congestion pricing, and who pays the toll on a trip.
Tolls & E-ZPassTolls on Uber & Lyft Trips in NYC: What Drivers Get BackTLC rule 59D-17(c) says Uber and Lyft must repay every toll you pay on a dispatched trip. What the rule covers, what Uber's policy says, and the gaps.Read Tolls & E-ZPassUnpaid Tolls Can Suspend Your Registration: What to DoHow unpaid NY tolls lead to a DMV registration suspension (3 violations in 5 years), which agency line to call to clear it, and why driving on it is a crime.Read Tolls & E-ZPassUsing E-ZPass Records as Evidence at a TLC HearingWhen E-ZPass statements and trip receipts can matter in a TLC overcharge case or toll dispute, how to get them, and what they can't show. Not legal advice.Read Tolls & E-ZPassWho Pays Tolls on a NYC Taxi or Green Cab Trip?The passenger pays the toll, but only the actual E-ZPass amount. Every taxi and green cab case: city trips, return tolls, JFK, Newark, Westchester.Read
NYC taxi zones, taxi stands, relief stops, neighborhoods and events: where trips start and end, with data.
Zones & placesBus Lanes, Busways & ACE Cameras: Rules for TLC DriversWhen a taxi or app driver may enter a NYC bus lane or busway, every busway's hours, what bus ACE cameras ticket, the $50 to $250 fines and how to contest.Read Zones & placesEvent Days & Street Closures: Plan Your NYC ShiftHow TLC drivers can check NYC street closures, parades and Gridlock Alert Days before a shift: official sources, what each covers, 2026 dates, a checklist.Read Zones & placesIdling Rules for TLC Drivers: 3 Minutes, Fines & ComplaintsTLC rule 80-22(a) bans idling over 3 minutes ($25). How it fits NYC's air code, the 1-minute rule near schools and parks, and who can report you.Read Zones & placesNYC Taxi Stand Rules: Who Can Use Them and the FinesEvery TLC taxi stand rule in one place: who may join, the 100-foot cruising ban, seat and 1-hour rules, terminals, green cab and FHV limits, fines, counts.Read Zones & placesNYC Taxi Zones Explained: IDs, Maps and Service ZonesNYC has 263 TLC taxi zones, numbered 1–263. What the IDs mean, Yellow Zone vs Boro Zone labels, airport zones, the 38 congestion-zone IDs and finding yours.Read Zones & placesTaxi & FHV Relief Stands in NYC: Rules, Counts, BreaksWhere TLC drivers can legally park for a break: the 1-hour relief stand rule, which of NYC's 110 stands allow FHVs, borough gaps and the 2026 meter pilot law.Read Zones & placesWhere You Can Stop for Passengers: NYC Curb RulesSign by sign: where a taxi or app driver may pick up or drop off in NYC (No Standing yes, No Stopping no), hydrants, loading zones, bus lanes and TLC fines.Read Zones & placesWho Can Pick Up Where in NYC: Taxi, Green Cab, FHVNYC pickup rights in one place: where yellow cabs, green cabs and FHVs may take hails, app trips and stand pickups, the four Manhattan lines and the fines.Read
Driver pay rules, surcharges, fees, and the money side of driving for hire in NYC.
Pay & feesBlack Car Fund Driver Benefits: Free CoverageFree Drivers Benefits for Uber, Lyft and black car drivers: dental, vision, a $100,000 death benefit, disability pay. Who qualifies and why to enroll now.Read Pay & feesCongestion Pricing for TLC Drivers: Who Pays WhatTwo congestion charges apply to taxi and FHV trips in Manhattan. See the amounts, the zones, who pays, and why your pay should not go down because of them.Read Pay & feesDo WAV Drivers Get Paid Extra? Pay Rules ExplainedApp WAV trips pay $1.601/mile vs $1.283. Taxi WAV drivers get $10 per phone-requested trip and a $77/week lease credit; the $1/trip payment ended April 2025.Read Pay & feesEssential Plan Cut in 2026: What Drivers Must KnowFrom July 1, 2026 the Essential Plan stopped covering incomes over 200% of poverty. The cut-off by household size, the next enrollment date and free help.Read Pay & feesExtra Charges a Taxi Fleet Can and Can't Add to Your LeaseBeyond the lease, a taxi garage may charge only what Rule 58-21(c)(5) allows: $7/shift card fee, $25/hour late return, gas if supplied. Full list and refunds.Read Pay & feesFree Financial Counseling for NYC DriversNYC Financial Empowerment Centers give drivers free one-on-one help with debt, credit and budgets. What they do and don't do, how to book, and what to bring.Read Pay & feesHealth Insurance for NYC Drivers in 2026The apps give NYC drivers no health plan. Compare Medicaid, the Essential Plan, marketplace plans, NYC Care and Black Car Fund benefits for 2026 side by side.Read Pay & feesHow a NYC Taxi Fare Is Calculated: Every ChargeThe NYC taxi meter explained: 70-cent units, every surcharge and tax with its time window, which charges the driver keeps, rate codes 1–6 and worked examples.Read Pay & feesHow Many Hours NYC Drivers Really Work: TLC DataTLC data: yellow drivers record trips in 7.5 hours a day, app drivers 6.4 (2025). What those 'hours' really measure, who works full time, and TLC hour limits.Read Pay & feesHow to Use NYC TLC Trip Record Data (Driver's Guide)Download and read TLC trip records: the four file types, the fields that matter (driver_pay, tips, zones), Open Data shortcuts and the traps that fool people.Read Pay & feesNY Congestion Surcharge: Filing Rules for Bases & OwnersWho files the NYS congestion surcharge: bases and apps monthly, TSPs for taxis and green cabs. Due 20 days after month end, 200% penalty, exemptions, records.Read Pay & feesNYC Taxi Lease Caps and the Driver Bill of RightsThe most a NYC taxi owner may charge: $105–$129 a shift, $630/$737 a week, $952 medallion-only, DOV +$275. Hybrid rates, the 6-shift rule and getting refunds.Read Pay & feesRetirement Savings for NYC Drivers: IRA, SEP, 401(k)No app gives drivers a 401(k). The 2026 IRS limits for IRAs, SEP IRAs and solo 401(k)s, the 20% self-employed rate, a worked example and the Saver's Credit.Read Pay & feesSNAP, Fair Fares & Other Benefits for TLC DriversTLC's Resource Center helps drivers apply for SNAP, Cash Assistance, Fair Fares, HEAP, Medicaid, CityFHEPS and child support. What each is and what to bring.Read Pay & feesTaxi Lease Security Deposits: Limits, Interest & RefundsA taxi lease deposit can't exceed one lease term, must earn you interest and must come back within 30 days with an itemized list. What can be kept, and fines.Read Pay & feesTaxi Trips Outside NYC: Westchester, Nassau, Newark & BeyondHow to charge a taxi trip that leaves NYC: double meter to Westchester and Nassau, $20 plus return tolls to Newark, negotiated flat fares, MTA tax counties.Read Pay & feesThe Taxi Lease Gas Surcharge: How It's SetA fleet may add a gas surcharge only if it pays for all your fuel. TLC's table runs $13–$31 a shift and resets twice a year from a gas-price index.Read Pay & feesUber & Lyft Driver Minimum Pay in NYC: 2026 RatesTLC minimum pay for Uber and Lyft trips from March 1, 2026: per-mile and per-minute rates, how to check a trip, tips, tolls, lockouts and where to complain.Read Pay & feesWhat It Costs to Drive for Hire in NYC, Per MileTLC's expense study puts an owned gas car at $0.753 a mile and a rented one at $1.028. Every cost line for owned vs rented, gas vs EV, and how to find yours.Read Pay & feesWho Keeps What From a Taxi Fare: Driver, Owner, City, StateFollow a NYC taxi fare from the rider's card to your payout: what the driver keeps, what goes to the TIF, MTA and NY State, and when card money is due.Read
Income tax, 1099s, deductions, mileage, sales tax and other tax basics for NYC taxi and for-hire drivers.
TaxesIRS Mileage Rate 2026 for TLC Drivers: 72.5¢ and 76¢2026 has two IRS business mileage rates: 72.5¢ to June 30 and 76¢ from July 1. How TLC drivers split the mileage log, with a worked example and records.Read TaxesMCTMT for NYC Drivers: The 2026 Threshold ChangeThe MTA mobility tax (MCTMT) on self-employed drivers: 0.60% in NYC, owed above $50,000 for 2025 but only above $150,000 from 2026. Examples inside.Read TaxesNo Tax on Tips for Taxi and Uber Drivers (2025–2028)The federal tips deduction lists cab and app rideshare drivers. The $25,000 cap, the net-income limit for self-employed drivers, records, and open questions.Read TaxesNYC Unincorporated Business Tax and TLC DriversNYC's Unincorporated Business Tax for drivers: the $95,000 filing line, 4% rate, allowances, the credit that cancels small amounts, and what's unclear.Read TaxesNYS Tax Letter Asking for Proof of Income: Driver ChecklistGot a New York State tax letter about your taxi, Uber, Lyft or limo income? The exact documents NYS lists for drivers, what it won't allow, and how to reply.Read TaxesQuarterly Estimated Taxes for TLC Drivers (2026 Dates)When TLC drivers must pay quarterly taxes: the $1,000 IRS and $300 NYS/NYC tests, safe harbors, 2026 due dates through Jan 15, 2027, and how to pay online.Read TaxesSelf-Employment Tax for TLC Drivers ExplainedHow the 15.3% self-employment tax works for NYC taxi and app drivers: the $400 rule, the 92.35% step, the $184,500 cap for 2026, and legal ways to lower it.Read TaxesStandard Mileage vs Actual Expenses for TLC VehiclesMileage rate or actual car costs for your TLC vehicle? IRS rules on choosing and switching, leased and rented cars, fleets, and how TLC's cost study compares.Read TaxesTax Deductions for TLC Drivers: What Counts and What Doesn'tA sourced list of what NYC taxi and app drivers can deduct — car, tolls, fees, phone, health insurance — and what never counts, like summonses and commuting.Read TaxesTaxes for NYC Yellow and Green Taxi DriversHow NYC lease and owner taxi drivers handle income tax: meter statements, card payouts, cash fares and tips, lease costs, mileage rules and the $400 CMVT.Read TaxesTaxes for Uber & Lyft Drivers in NYC: Complete GuideEvery tax an NYC Uber or Lyft driver may owe — federal, New York State and City — plus 1099s, deductions, quarterly payments and what changed for 2026.Read TaxesYear-End Tax Packet for TLC Drivers: What to DownloadJanuary checklist for TLC drivers: which 1099s arrive, what to download from Uber, Lyft or your fleet, the July 1 mileage split, and how long to keep records.Read TaxesYour Uber/Lyft 1099-K vs What You Earned: How to ReconcileWhy the gross on your Uber or Lyft 1099-K is bigger than your payouts, what TLC rule 59B-18(f)(7) makes the app give you, and how to match the numbers.Read
Your rights as a TLC driver: discrimination, deactivation, advocacy groups, and help and assistance programs.
Driver rightsBlack Car Fund Workers' Comp: How to File a ClaimHurt on an Uber, Lyft or black car trip? Who the Black Car Fund covers, the 3 calls to make, the papers to gather, and how the two-thirds wage benefit works.Read Driver rightsEvery TLC Rule Change in 2025, in Plain EnglishAll 12 TLC rule packages adopted in 2025 with vote and start dates: app pay and lockouts, WAV e-hail, TIF, Vision Zero points, PIP cut, ads and decals.Read Driver rightsFree Legal Help for NYC Drivers: Who Handles WhatThe free legal hotlines TLC lists for drivers, matched to your problem: debt, housing, small claims, immigration, parking tickets, medallions, OATH hearings.Read Driver rightsGet Paid for Classes: BCF Earn While You Learn ($400 DDC)Black Car Fund pays eligible drivers $400 for its defensive driving class, $250 for Wellness STEP and up to $250 for RIDE. Who qualifies, timing and rules.Read Driver rightsHow TLC Makes Rules and How Drivers Can Speak UpHow a TLC rule goes from proposal to public hearing to Commission vote to effective date, who the 9 Commissioners are, and how to comment or testify yourself.Read Driver rightsHow to File a Human Rights Complaint as a DriverFiling a discrimination complaint with the NYC Commission on Human Rights: the 1-year deadline, why the online form doesn't stop the clock, and each step.Read Driver rightsKnow Your Rights: NYC TLC Drivers at a GlanceEvery right a NYC taxi or app driver has, on one page: pay floor, lockouts, sick leave, lease caps, no retaliation, bias, workers' comp, and who enforces it.Read Driver rightsNYC Driver Unions & Advocacy Groups ComparedNYTWA and the Independent Drivers Guild side by side, using only what each says on its own site: who they represent, dues, services, deactivation help.Read Driver rightsNYC Human Rights Law: Protections for DriversIndependent-contractor drivers are covered by the NYC Human Rights Law. The protected classes, what counts as job, housing or public bias, and deadlines.Read Driver rightsOfficial Websites and Apps for NYC Drivers (Avoid Fakes)The real web addresses and phone numbers for TLC, LARS, TLC UP, OATH, DMV, E-ZPass, Tolls by Mail and the Black Car Fund, and how to spot a fake look-alike.Read Driver rightsTLC Driver Calendar 2026–2027: Every Key DateDated, sourced deadlines for NYC TLC drivers from fall 2026 into 2027: TLC office closings, tax dates, the March pay update, pending rules and renewals.Read Driver rightsTLC Driver Protection Unit: Get Money You're OwedTLC's Driver Protection Unit chases unpaid trips, kept deposits, lease overcharges and retaliation. What it handles, what to send, and what it can't do.Read Driver rightsTLC Factbook and Reports: Where to Find Official NumbersEvery official TLC data source in one map: the Factbook dashboard, annual reports, FHV license reviews, OFS, TIF, surveys, trip data, and what each answers.Read Driver rightsTLC Owner/Driver Resource Center: Free Help for DriversTLC's Owner/Driver Resource Center offers free legal help for small medallion owners, money counseling, benefits applications and wellness. How to book it.Read Driver rightsTLC Rule Changes in 2026: What Drivers Need to Know2026 TLC changes so far: app pay +3.36%, PIP cut, Accessible Dispatch ended, FHV cap kept, deactivation law blocked, plus proposed fee and fine cuts.Read
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