Can I Use My Personal Car for Uber or Lyft in NYC?

No — not unless the car itself is TLC-licensed. In New York City you need two licenses to drive for an app: a TLC driver license for you, and a TLC for-hire vehicle (FHV) license for the car, plus an affiliation with a licensed base. A regular personal car with ordinary plates cannot be used for paid trips in the city. TLC rule §80-11(d) says a driver must not knowingly operate a vehicle for hire unless it is a licensed taxi, FHV or street hail livery.

Two licenses, not one

Holding a TLC driver license does not make your personal car legal for hire. The car must have its own license, be affiliated with a base, and carry the required FHV insurance. See TLC plates for FHVs for how vehicle licensing works.

What it costs to drive an unlicensed car for hire

Several penalties can stack up from one stop:

• TLC rule §80-11(d) (for TLC-licensed drivers): $350 and/or a suspension of 5 to 30 days. Appearance at the hearing is required.
• Admin Code §19-506(b)(1) (the owner and the driver): as a civil penalty, $1,500 for a first violation and $2,000 for a second within 36 months. In criminal court it is a violation punishable by a $1,000–$2,000 fine and up to 60 days in jail.
• Seizure: §19-506(h) lets TLC officers and police seize a vehicle they have probable cause to believe is being operated for hire without a vehicle license. It is not released until the fees and penalty are paid or a bond is posted, unless the charge is dismissed. TLC's own seizure rule is narrower: under TLC rule §68-17(a), TLC or police seize when there is probable cause and the owner already has at least one §19-506(b), (c) or (k) violation in the past 36 months, which makes the vehicle potentially subject to forfeiture. The summons then sets an OATH hearing within 5 business days.
• Forfeiture: if the owner is found liable twice within 36 months, the vehicle used in the later violation can be subject to forfeiture.

Rule §80-02(a) also defines this as unlicensed activity, which is treated seriously in TLC fitness reviews. Read unlicensed activity and street hails.

"My car has plates from another county"

Cars licensed for hire by another New York jurisdiction (for example, Nassau or Westchester) get limited reciprocity under rule §80-21. They may pick up in their own area for trips to or through NYC, or pick up in NYC for trips back to their area. But rule §80-21(c) is clear: transportation for hire between two points wholly within New York City needs a TLC-licensed vehicle and driver. Doing it anyway is unlicensed activity (§80-21(d)).

Renting or leasing

Renting or leasing a car is fine only if that car already holds a TLC FHV license — check the plates and the vehicle license before your first trip. Note that Admin Code §19-506(b)(3) gives a rental company a defense if it did not know the car would be used for hire; it does not protect the driver.

Already got a summons?

An unlicensed-vehicle summons usually means a hearing, and with seizure it means time pressure to get the car back. Read the §19-506(b)(1) summons page and what to do after a TLC summons.