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Garage Won't Return My E-ZPass Deposit: What Now?

A taxi or FHV owner must return unused E-ZPass replenishment money within 30 days after your lease ends. Records to gather, what to send, where to complain.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 5 official sources
On this page (7)
  1. The rule in one minute
  2. Your 30-day clock
  3. Documents to keep
  4. Complaint route
  5. Related rules and exceptions
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

The owner has 30 days after your lease ends to give back whatever is left in your E-ZPass replenishment account. They may keep only tolls their E-ZPass paid for the car you drove that you never paid back. If the 30 days pass, put your request in writing, gather your records, and complain to TLC's Driver Protection Unit. If TLC proves it, the owner faces $250 plus restitution to you.

The rule in one minute

Rule 58-27(d)(2) for taxis, and the same rule 59A-24(d)(2) for for-hire vehicles (chapter 58, chapter 59):

  • The owner may require the account only if the owner is the E-ZPass tag holder.
  • At most $10 for every 12-hour shift in the lease, $100 maximum.
  • The owner may take from it only tolls "paid by the Owner's EZ-Pass® account for a tag assigned to a Taxicab operated by the Driver, for which the Owner has not been reimbursed."
  • "Any funds held in the replenishment account that are not used to reimburse the Owner must be returned to a Driver within 30 days after the termination of the Driver's lease."
  • Agents (the garage or company managing the cab) have the same duties.

The owner rules are explained in full on rule 58-27(d)(2).

Your 30-day clock

From lease end to complaint

  1. Day 0

    Lease ends

    Write down the date and time you returned the car. Ask for a receipt.

  2. Days 1–30

    Owner reconciles tolls

    The owner may use the deposit only for tolls its E-ZPass paid on the car you drove that you didn't pay back.

  3. Day 30

    Refund deadline

    Anything not used for your unreimbursed tolls must be back with you.

  4. Day 31+

    Watch out: Written request

    Ask once more in writing and cite 58-27(d)(2)(iv) or 59A-24(d)(2)(iv).

  5. Next

    Important: Complain to TLC

    Driver Protection Unit or 311, with your records attached.

Documents to keep

  • Your lease and any receipt showing the replenishment amount you paid.
  • The number of 12-hour shifts in your lease, to check the $10-per-shift and $100 caps.
  • Proof the lease ended: return receipt, texts or emails.
  • Trip records with tolls: taxi and green cab receipts show tolls; app drivers can use their weekly statements.
  • Receipts for toll money you handed over, since cash tolls are forwarded at the end of each shift or lease under rule 80-15(d)(4).
  • Your written requests and any reply.

Ask the owner for the E-ZPass statement lines for your shifts. Each deduction should match a crossing you made and not be paid twice.

Complaint route

  1. Send a written request

    Text or email is fine. Example: "My lease on [car/medallion] ended on [date]. Under TLC Rule 58-27(d)(2)(iv) [or 59A-24(d)(2)(iv)], unused replenishment money must be returned within 30 days. Please return $[amount] or send me the list of tolls you deducted."

  2. Wait a few days for a reply

    Save the request and any answer. If the owner sends a toll list, check it against your trips.

  3. Contact the Driver Protection Unit

    TLC's DPU investigates complaints from TLC licensees who say they were subjected to illegal conduct; its list includes failure to return a security deposit and lease overcharges. Email driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov or call (718) 391-5539. Attach your lease, receipts and written requests.

  4. Or call 311

    TLC's receipt rule lists 311 as the Commission complaint number. Give the owner's name, medallion or FHV license number, lease dates and the amount.

If TLC brings a case, the penalty is $250 plus restitution of the money improperly kept. For taxi owners, appearance at the hearing is required.

  • You used your own tag? Then the owner is not the tag holder and had no right to require a replenishment account. See can I use my own E-ZPass in a leased car?
  • Security deposit too? That is a separate fund with separate rules: fleet won't return my security deposit.
  • Uber or Lyft trips: the app must pay you back tolls paid during a dispatched trip (59D-17(c)). Those reimbursements are toll money too, and owed to the tag holder if the owner's tag paid.
  • Owner says you owe more than the deposit? The rule caps what the owner may hold, not what you might owe for unpaid tolls. Ask for the statement before you pay anything extra.

More: replenishment accounts for lease drivers, replenishment account (definition), E-ZPass for TLC drivers, tolls hub.

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

Frequently asked questions

How long does the owner have to return my E-ZPass money?

30 days after your lease ends. Rules 58-27(d)(2)(iv) (taxi) and 59A-24(d)(2)(iv) (FHV) say unused replenishment funds must be returned within 30 days after the termination of the lease.

Can the owner keep some of it?

Only for tolls the owner's E-ZPass account paid for the tag in the car you drove, that you did not already pay back. Nothing else.

What happens to the owner if TLC finds a violation?

$250 plus restitution to the driver of any replenishment money improperly kept.

Who do I complain to?

TLC's Driver Protection Unit investigates complaints from TLC licensees who say they were subjected to illegal conduct, such as failure to return a driver's security deposit or overcharging on a lease: driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov or (718) 391-5539. You can also call 311, which TLC rules name as the Commission complaint number.

Is the E-ZPass deposit the same as my security deposit?

No. The replenishment account is a separate toll fund with its own cap ($10 per 12-hour shift, $100 max). The lease security deposit has its own rules.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 58 (updated Feb 27, 2026): §58-27(d)(2) nyc.gov
  2. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (updated Feb 27, 2026): §59A-24(d)(2) nyc.gov
  3. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (updated June 6, 2025): §80-15(d), receipt rule naming 311 nyc.gov
  4. NYC TLC: Driver Protection Unit nyc.gov
  5. NYC TLC: Driver Pay Rates (Driver Protection Unit contact) nyc.gov

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.

Related

GuideE-ZPass Replenishment Accounts for Lease DriversHow much E-ZPass money a taxi or FHV owner can hold from a lease driver ($10 per 12-hour shift, $100 max), what they may deduct, and the 30-day refund rule.Read Driver questionMy Fleet Won't Return My Security DepositTaxi owners must return a lease deposit within 30 days and itemize deductions; FHV leases must set a return date of 30 days or less. How to get yours back.Read §58-27(d)(2)E-ZPass Replenishment Account$250 plus restitution to the Driver of any replenishment account improperly retained by an Owner or Agent.Replenishment accountMoney a TLC vehicle owner who holds the E-ZPass tag may require a lease driver to keep for unpaid tolls: $10 per 12-hour shift, $100 max, returned within 30 days after the lease.TopicTolls, E-ZPass & Congestion Pricing for TLC DriversFour charges NYC drivers mix up: bridge and tunnel tolls, the MTA congestion toll, the state surcharge and airport fees. Who pays each, and every crossing.Read GuideE-ZPass for TLC Drivers: The Complete GuideHow E-ZPass works for NYC taxi and for-hire drivers, step by step: account, plates, tag, crossing, charge, toll bill, dispute, plus the TLC rules on tags.Read Driver questionCan 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.Read §80-15(d)(4)Forwarding Tolls to the Tag Holder$50 plus restitution to the E-ZPass tag holder of any amount not reimbursed.