Can I Get the Staten Island Toll Discount on a TLC Car?

Probably not, and nobody official says yes. Both Staten Island toll discounts are written for private, non-commercial vehicles. The MTA's Staten Island Resident plan says "vehicles used for commercial purposes are not eligible." The Port Authority's Staten Island Bridges Plan (PASI) is for "non-commercial plates and private E-ZPass accounts." Neither agency mentions TLC vehicles. Before you enroll a TLC car, ask E-ZPass New York and get the answer in writing. Your personal car can still qualify.

The three resident and Staten Island plans

Sources: MTA resident programs, MTA tolls by vehicle type (rates from January 4, 2026), Port Authority E-ZPass plans.

More rules for the MTA plans: you must mount the tag, or "you will be charged the mid-tier toll rate", show a driver license, utility bill or lease for residency plus a registration for each tag, and "residency status is subject to periodic review." If the rebate program's money runs out, the Staten Island Resident toll goes back to $4.19.

What we can't tell you, and why

A TLC car is licensed to carry passengers for pay. That sounds like "commercial purposes." But the MTA page defines neither "commercial" nor how it treats taxi, livery or FHV registrations, and the Port Authority page doesn't say whether TLC-related plates count as "non-commercial plates." We did not find an official statement either way, so we won't guess. If you enroll and the agency later decides the car was not eligible, you could lose the discount at a review.

What to do next

1. Call E-ZPass New York at 1-800-333-8655. Say the vehicle is TLC-licensed and ask whether it is eligible for the plan you want (SIR, RR or PASI).
2. Ask for the answer in writing, or note the date, time and name of the agent.
3. If the answer is no, enroll your personal car. A personal car registered to a Staten Island address and not used commercially can use the resident rate for your own trips.
4. Keep the TLC car on a standard New York E-ZPass. It still gets $7.46 at the Verrazzano and $14.79–$16.79 at the Port Authority bridges (rates as of October 12, 2026).

Related rules and exceptions

Passengers pay most Staten Island tolls anyway. On a taxi or FHV trip inside the city, TLC rules say the passenger pays the Verrazzano toll twice when going from Brooklyn to Staten Island, and nothing when going from Staten Island to Brooklyn (§58-26(f)(1)). The passenger pays "the actual amount... charged to the EZ-Pass" (§58-26(e)(3)), so on trip crossings a resident discount on the TLC tag would lower the passenger's toll, not raise your income. It would only save you money on crossings you make without a passenger, such as driving to your first pickup. The full rule: Verrazzano and Rockaway return toll rule.

Other pages: Goethals Bridge (full PASI table) · Bayonne Bridge (Green Pass for plug-ins) · Outerbridge Crossing · Staten Island Bridges Plan explained · Congestion pricing low-income discount · Staten Island · Tolls hub