Can I Get New TLC Plates in 2026?

Short answer: Only if your car is a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV). As of TLC's February 2026 review, "the only for-hire vehicle licenses available are those restricted to wheelchair accessible vehicles," and TLC decided not to issue any others. TLC's Get a Vehicle License page says the same: "Currently, the TLC will only accept a new FHV application if the vehicle is wheelchair accessible."

"TLC plates" here means an FHV vehicle license, the license that lets a car be dispatched by a base (including for Uber and Lyft). Your TLC driver license is not capped.

The number behind the answer

These figures are from TLC's February 2026 FHV License Review. The full series is on FHV license cap statistics.

What the number does and doesn't mean

• It does not mean nobody can get plates. TLC still issued 1,241 new FHV licenses in its last review year, almost all for WAVs from its approved list.
• It does mean the license is WAV-only for good. TLC's FHV license page says a license issued under the WAV exception can only ever be used with a WAV; a replacement car must also be a WAV.
• It does not affect renewals. If you already hold an FHV license, you can renew it every two years. Don't let it lapse: you can file up to 60 days late, but never after that, and an expired license can only be replaced by a WAV license.
• Electric cars don't qualify on their own. EV-only applications closed on November 13, 2023 and have not reopened; see can I get an EV TLC license now?.

Will this change?

Possibly, but nothing is announced. TLC's rule (§59A-06(a)(1)) requires a yearly review of congestion, driver pay, license attrition, outer-borough service and electric-vehicle factors, and TLC posts each decision on its Industry Reports page. The last three reviews (2024, 2025 and 2026) all kept the WAV-only rule. If TLC ever opens another window, as it briefly did for electric cars in October and November 2023, it would announce it by industry notice, so keep your email current in LARS.

What to do next

1. If you want your own license: follow the steps in how to get new TLC plates with a WAV. Check the car against the approved list before paying.
2. If you already have plates: protect them. Renew on time (FHV renewal), and if you need a break, use the 90-day storage program instead of turning plates in.
3. If you just want to drive: rent or lease a licensed car; see TLC plates for FHVs and can I rent TLC plates for my own car?.
4. If you want to know why: read the FHV license cap explained.
5. Keep the insurance on. Rule 59A-12(a) says an owner must keep the required insurance on the vehicle at all times, and 60 or more days without it can lead to revocation for non-use. See 59A-12(a) and the vehicles hub.