How Long Do I Have to Pay a TLC Fine After a Hearing?

You have 30 days from the day you are found guilty. That is the rule in TLC's adjudication chapter, §68-02(c)(2), and the driver chapter repeats it in §80-02(c). The one exception: if you file an appeal on time, the fine is not due until 30 days after the appeal decision.

Pay by close of business on the due date. After that, TLC can start the suspension process. (For TLC cases you don't have to pay to appeal: see do I have to pay before appealing.)

Find your start date

The clock starts on the decision date, not the day the envelope reaches you. On an OATH decision, the date is printed next to the hearing officer's signature on the last page (OATH: Appeal FAQ).

30 days or 35 days?

You may see two numbers:

• TLC rule: 30 days from the day you are found guilty or plead guilty (§68-02).
• OATH general rule: 30 days, or 35 if the decision was mailed, unless a payment plan is arranged with the collecting agency (48 RCNY 6-18).

OATH's own payment page, for TLC summonses, says you "must pay the fine within 30 days of the date of the decision" and that payment goes to TLC directly (OATH: Pay a Penalty). The safe plan is simple: pay within 30 days of the decision date. Don't rely on the extra five days.

Payment plans

OATH's rule mentions a payment plan "arranged with the collecting agency." For TLC fines, that agency is TLC, and TLC does take payment plan requests. Its contact page says to email PaymentPlans@tlc.nyc.gov if you can't pay the full balance upfront, and its Long Island City office (31-00 47th Avenue, 3rd floor) accepts payment plan requests from 8am to 3pm on weekdays. TLC doesn't publish the terms, so ask before day 30, and ask whether the plan stops a suspension in your case. Get any arrangement in writing.

Example

Your decision is dated March 3. You don't appeal. The fine is due by close of business on April 2 (30 days later). If it's still unpaid, TLC sends a written notice, and your license is suspended 10 business days after that notice, until you pay.

If instead you appeal on March 20, and the Appeals Unit decides on June 10 and upholds the fine, the fine is due July 10.

Where the amount comes from

The fine on the decision comes from the penalty box at the end of the rule you were charged under. Some rules set a lower amount if you plead guilty before a hearing and a higher one if you are found guilty after a hearing (§80-02(e)). Read the TLC penalty schedule explained, or look up your code with the fine lookup.

For how to pay and what proof to keep, see paying TLC fines. If a notice already arrived, read can TLC suspend my license for unpaid fines.