Do Green Cabs Charge the $70 JFK Flat Fare?

Only in one case. A green cab (Street Hail Livery) charges the $70 flat fare on a street-hail trip to JFK that starts in upper Manhattan, meaning north of East 96th Street on the East Side or north of West 110th Street on the West Side. A hail trip to JFK from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island goes on the meter. There is no green cab flat fare from JFK, because green cabs can't take hails at the airport.

The rule is TLC Rule 82-26(b), Chapter 82 PDF dated February 27, 2026. This page explains it. It is not legal advice.

What Rule 82-26(b) says

(1) Flat Fare Rate from Manhattan. The fare for a Hail Trip to Kennedy Airport from a location in Manhattan which is in the Hail Zone will be a Flat Rate of $70, plus any tolls and applicable surcharges.

(2) Metered Fare from Boroughs Other Than Manhattan. All Hail Trips to Kennedy Airport from a borough other than Manhattan are governed by the metered rate of fare as set forth in §82-26(a).

The "Hail Zone" is all of New York City except Manhattan south of East 96th and West 110th Streets and the city's airports (Chapter 51). So the only part of Manhattan where a green cab can start a hail trip to JFK is upper Manhattan, from East Harlem and Harlem up to Inwood.

The $5 rush surcharge and the MTA tax

Rule 82-26(b)(1)(i) adds $5.00 to the flat rate for trips beginning on a weekday after 4:00 p.m. and before 8:00 p.m., not on legal holidays. That is twice the regular $2.50 rush surcharge on metered trips. Rule 82-26(b)(1)(ii) says the 50-cent MTA tax is charged on top, and (iii) says the taximeter must show that the trip is a flat-rate fare.

TLC's fare page, checked October 12, 2026, also lists the $1.00 improvement surcharge for JFK–Manhattan trips, and a $2.75 congestion surcharge for green cabs when a trip begins, ends or passes through Manhattan south of 96th Street. A trip from upper Manhattan to JFK usually stays out of that area, but the route decides it.

The LaGuardia surcharge works only one way

For yellow taxis the $5.00 LaGuardia surcharge applies to trips "to and from" LaGuardia (Rule 58-26). For green cabs, Rule 82-26(a)(2)(iii) says "for all trips to LaGuardia Airport". The reason is the same as for JFK: a green cab can't take a hail at the airport, so a green cab hail trip never starts there. More in can green cabs charge the LaGuardia surcharge?

Why direction matters

Both airports are inside the Hail Exclusionary Zone. A green cab may drop off at JFK or LaGuardia but may not accept a hail there (can green cabs pick up at JFK or LaGuardia?). Picking up a hail in the exclusionary zone is a serious violation under 80-19(b)(1): a $500 fine and suspension for a first offense, with appearance required. So the green cab airport rules are written only for the trip to the airport.

Overcharge risk

Charging $70 flat on a Queens or Brooklyn hail trip to JFK is charging something other than the approved fare. Under Rule 80-17(a)(1), charging above Commission-approved rates carries mandatory penalties: $350 if you plead guilty before a hearing, $500 after, for a first offense (80-02(e)). If the overcharge is $10 or more, the rule says your license will be revoked. When in doubt, run the meter on a trip from outside Manhattan.

What to do next

• Set the meter correctly before you start. On a flat-fare trip, the meter must show the flat rate.
• Tell the passenger the fare rule if they ask. Showing them Rule 82-26 on your phone can settle a dispute.
• See how many trips use the JFK rate code in TLC data: JFK flat fare trip statistics.
• Going outside the city instead? See out-of-city taxi fares, the negotiated flat-rate rule 80-17(f)(1), and is the JFK flat fare for Brooklyn and Queens?

More: JFK Airport for drivers, overcharging rules and the airports topic.