Do I Need to Speak English to Get a TLC License?

No written English test is required. Since August 2016, when New York City created one universal TLC driver license, the law has said TLC may not use a written examination to check English. Today you can take the TLC exam in seven languages — English, Bengali, Urdu, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Arabic or Spanish — and the 24-hour course is taught in seven languages as well. You still have to know NYC geography and TLC rules, and passengers expect a driver who can find their destination and treat them courteously.

What changed in 2016

Before 2016, yellow cab drivers had to pass an English proficiency test, as CBS New York reported when it ended. Local Law 51 of 2016 merged the taxi and for-hire driver licenses into one "universal" license and added this sentence to the city's Administrative Code (§19-505(r)):

"Any procedures established by the commission to determine the ability of an applicant for a universal driver's license to speak and understand English shall not include a written examination."

Note the exact wording: the law bans a written English examination. It does not say English is irrelevant. TLC's rule 80-04(j) still requires applicants to complete required courses and "pass all prescribed tests," and TLC's licensing page does not list any English test among the requirements as of October 12, 2026.

Exam and course languages

You choose the exam language from a drop-down menu when you book in your PSI account. For the course, pick a school that teaches in your language — our course and exam location finder shows the languages each school lists. Medical forms, application guides and free interpreters are covered in TLC in your language.

What passengers and TLC still expect

Rule 80-04(f) says an applicant must be familiar with NYC geography, streets and traffic regulations, TLC rules, and the NY Vehicle and Traffic Law. The exam tests these, in your language. On the road, the Yellow Taxi Passenger Bill of Rights promises riders "a driver who knows city geography" and "a driver who is safe and courteous." In practice that means:

• reading English street signs, addresses and building numbers,
• understanding a destination when a passenger says it, and
• reading app messages and TLC notices (many notices are translated, but not everything).

TLC encourages English learning: its Driver Education page links to We Speak NYC, free New York Public Library English classes, CUNY ESOL and adult English classes from the NYC Department of Education.

What to do next

• Check every other requirement with which TLC license do I need and the immigrant drivers' guide.
• Know what the exam covers: what is on the TLC exam.
• Driving only for apps? You still need the TLC license: do I need a TLC license for Uber.
• Other requirements that surprise applicants: child support clearance.
• Planning a long trip home? Read taking a break from driving.
• Different license types have their own rules. Paratransit is the exception on English: rule 56-04(f) requires paratransit applicants to understand, speak, read and write English — see paratransit drivers. Commuter van drivers: commuter van drivers.