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Driver questionTolls, E-ZPass & congestion pricing

Can I Use My Own E-ZPass in a Leased Taxi or FHV?

Yes. TLC rules let you use your own E-ZPass in a leased taxi, green cab or FHV, and the passenger's toll money is then yours. Which tag to use, the catches.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 6 official sources
On this page (6)
  1. The rules that allow it
  2. Who keeps the money
  3. Check your tag issuer before you rely on it
  4. What to do next
  5. FAQ
  6. Sources

Yes. TLC rules allow you to use your personal E-ZPass tag in a taxi, green cab or for-hire vehicle you lease. When you do, the toll money the passenger pays is yours, because the tolls come out of your account. Before you switch, check two things: that your tag is a New York tag (or MTA charges you the mail rate), and that the leased car's plate is on your E-ZPass account.

The rules that allow it

Every license type has the same permission, written in two places: the driver chapter and the owner chapters.

  • Drivers, all license types: "Taxicab, For-Hire Vehicle or Street Hail Livery Drivers may use personal E-ZPass® tags to meet this requirement" (§80-15(d)(3)).
  • Taxi owners must equip each cab with an MTA tag or "Allow a Driver to use his or her personal EZ-Pass® tag" (§58-27(b)(1)). Section 58-27(c) adds: "A Driver can choose to use his or her own EZ-Pass® tag."
  • FHV owners: the same words in §59A-24(b)(1) and (c).
  • Green cab licensees: may "Allow a Driver to use his or her personal EZ-Pass® tag" (§82-27(b)(1)(ii)).

Note that the owner rules still require the owner to have at least one MTA tag for each medallion, FHV license or SHL. Your tag doesn't remove that duty; it only changes which tag is used on your shifts.

Who keeps the money

Your tag vs the owner's tag

Row labelYou use your own tagYou use the owner's tag
Whose account pays the tollYoursThe owner's
Cash toll from the passengerYou keep it (§58-27(c)(2), §59A-24(c)(2))Forward it to the owner at the end of the shift or lease (§58-27(d)(1)(i), §80-15(d)(4))
Card toll from the passengerYou are reimbursed for itThe owner keeps it (§58-27(d)(1)(ii))
Tolls with no passenger (deadhead)Your costYou must reimburse the owner (§58-26(f)(4))
Replenishment depositOnly allowed when the owner is the tag holderUp to $10 per 12-hour shift, $100 max, back within 30 days after the lease (§58-27(d)(2))
Toll charge on top of a taxi leaseNone for tollsOnly "the discount toll amount for use of the Owner's EZ-Pass" (§58-21(c)(5)(iii))

The money doesn't change for the passenger: they pay "the actual amount (often a discounted toll) charged to the EZ-Pass" (§58-26(e)(3)). What changes is who receives it.

Check your tag issuer before you rely on it

Your tag's rate depends on who issued it. MTA's rate table says: "E-ZPass rates apply to NYCSC E-ZPass customers only. Non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates" (MTA). NYCSC tags are issued by the Port Authority, the NYS Thruway and MTA Bridges and Tunnels. For a car at the six major MTA crossings that is $7.46 with a NYCSC tag and $12.03 with a tag from outside NYCSC (MTA rates effective January 4, 2026).

The first three digits of your tag ID tell you the issuer. See which agency issued my E-ZPass? If you need to choose a tag, read which E-ZPass to get.

What to do next

  1. Tell the owner in writing that you will use your own tag, from what date, and that no replenishment deposit applies.
  2. Add the plate to your E-ZPass account and mount your tag.
  3. Agree where the owner's tag goes during your shifts, so a crossing isn't charged to two accounts. If both get charged, ask E-ZPass to fix it and keep the statements.
  4. At lease end, remove the plate and ask for any deposit back. If the owner holds on to it, see garage won't return my E-ZPass deposit.

More background: E-ZPass for TLC drivers, replenishment accounts for lease drivers, how to open an E-ZPass NY account, buying or leasing a TLC vehicle, and do I need E-ZPass to drive for Uber?. Driving your own car for an app is a different setup: can I use my personal car for Uber in NYC? All toll pages: tolls.

This page explains TLC rules. It is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can the owner make me use their E-ZPass?

The owner rules give the owner a choice: equip the car with an MTA tag or allow the driver to use a personal tag. Rule 80-15(d)(3) says drivers may use personal tags. If you want to use yours, agree it with the owner before the lease starts.

If I use my own tag, who keeps the toll money?

You do. Rules 58-27(c) and 59A-24(c) say the driver keeps the toll money the passenger paid, or is reimbursed when the passenger pays by card.

Do I still need to pay a replenishment deposit?

The replenishment rule lets an owner require one only when the owner is the E-ZPass tag holder. If you are using your own tag for the whole lease, ask the owner to put that in writing.

Will my NJ E-ZPass get the discount at MTA bridges?

No. MTA says E-ZPass rates apply to E-ZPass New York Customer Service Center customers only and non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (updated June 6, 2025): §80-15(d) nyc.gov
  2. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 58 (updated Feb 27, 2026): §58-21(c)(5), §58-27 nyc.gov
  3. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (updated Feb 27, 2026): §59A-24 nyc.gov
  4. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 82 (updated Feb 27, 2026): §82-27 nyc.gov
  5. MTA: Tolls by vehicle type (rates effective Jan 4, 2026) mta.info
  6. MTA: How to pay tolls mta.info

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.

TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.

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