On this page (6)
In short: Port Authority Police wrote 8,836 taxi/FHV summonses dated 2025, up from 6,524 in 2019, even though total TLC summonses fell by about 40% over the same years. Their summonses are mostly traffic charges: in 2021–2025, 63% had a first charge of 80-13(a)(2) (moving violation) or 80-13(a)(1) (parking or standing). They also write a large share of the city's overcharging, harassment and courtesy summonses.
The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) patrols the Port Authority's facilities, including JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports, its bridges and tunnels, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PAPD). The numbers below come from OATH's official dataset, where these summonses are tagged TAXI_Port Authority.
Port Authority summonses by year
The share matters more than the count. In 2019, Port Authority Police wrote about 6% of taxi/FHV summonses at OATH. In 2024 it was 16.7%, and in 2025 14.3%. Over the same years, airport pickups recorded by TLC returned close to their 2019 level (airport trip statistics). So the higher share is not explained only by more airport trips. The data cannot tell us the cause.
What Port Authority Police charge most
What the codes mean, from TLC's chapter 80 driver rules:
| Code | What it covers | PAPD summonses 2021–25 | PAPD share of all summonses with this first charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80-13(a)(2) | Moving traffic violation (non-hazardous) | 11,971 | 22% |
| 80-13(a)(1) | Parking, standing or stopping violation | 11,230 | 73% |
| 80-17(a)(1) | Overcharging a passenger | 1,349 | 60% |
| 80-20(a)(1) | Refusing to take a passenger to a destination | 991 | 37% |
| 80-12(e) | Threats, harassment or abuse | 745 | 73% |
| 80-13(a)(3)(xii) | Unsafe lane change (3 points) | 722 | 61% |
| 80-15(i) | Not being courteous to passengers | 703 | 98% |
| 80-13(a)(3)(vii) | Traffic signal (red light) (3 points) | 638 | 3% |
| 80-14(g)(1) | Using a phone while driving | 588 | 12% |
| 80-12(c) | Fraud, misrepresentation or theft | 524 | 28% |
The last column divides each Port Authority count by the all-agency count for the same code over the same five years. For example, 11,230 of the 15,315 summonses whose first charge was 80-13(a)(1) came from Port Authority Police.
Three things stand out:
- Parking, standing and lane-change summonses come mostly from the Port Authority. About 73% of all 80-13(a)(1) summonses and 61% of all unsafe lane change summonses in 2021–2025 were written by PAPD. The data can't say where they were written. Our JFK and LaGuardia pages explain the local rules.
- Passenger-service charges are concentrated there too. Almost all courtesy summonses (80-15(i)), most overcharging (80-17(a)(1)) and harassment (80-12(e)) summonses, and over a third of refusal summonses (80-20(a)(1)) were Port Authority summonses. See passenger service summons statistics.
- Several of these need a personal appearance. TLC's rules mark 80-12(c) and 80-12(e) as "Appearance REQUIRED". Overcharging and refusal carry mandatory penalties that rise for repeat findings within 24 and 36 months. Read the summons carefully and see how to prepare for a TLC hearing.
If a Port Authority officer gave you a TLC summons
It is still a TLC summons, heard by OATH. The same options apply: a hearing by phone, online or by mail if your case is eligible, or in person on request (OATH). Missing the hearing date leads to a default finding. Write down the terminal, the time and anything the officer said, and keep trip records from your app or meter. Those notes can help your hearing.
What this data can and cannot tell you
It can tell you how many TLC summonses Port Authority Police filed each year and which rule codes they used.
It cannot tell you:
- Which airport, bridge, tunnel or terminal a summons came from. There is no usable location field for taxi rows.
- Outcomes. Dismissals, fines and payments are blank, so no one can say whether airport summonses are more or less likely to stand.
- Officer counts or patrol patterns. A rising count can come from more patrols, new focus areas or more vehicles.
- The second charge. We use the first-listed charge only.
Frequently asked questions
Can Port Authority Police give me a TLC summons?
Yes. OATH's dataset lists Port Authority Police as an issuing agency on taxi/FHV summonses. They wrote 36,397 of them for violations dated 2021–2025. The summons is heard at OATH like a TLC-written one.
What do Port Authority Police write TLC summonses for?
Mostly traffic rules. In 2021–2025 nearly two-thirds of their TLC summonses had a first charge of 80-13(a)(2) (moving violation) or 80-13(a)(1) (parking/standing). Overcharging, refusals, harassment and courtesy charges follow.
Does the data show which airport a summons came from?
No. The OATH dataset has no usable violation-location field for taxi rows. Port Authority Police patrol JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports as well as bridges, tunnels and the bus terminal, so the data cannot be split by facility.
Are Port Authority summonses increasing?
They rose from 3,201 in 2020 to a peak of 10,557 in 2024, then 8,836 in 2025. Their share of all taxi/FHV summonses went from about 6% in 2019 to 14–17% in 2024–2025.
Is a Port Authority TLC summons handled differently?
It goes to the same OATH Hearings Division process, with the same hearing options. Check the summons for whether you must appear and for your hearing date.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi) data.cityofnewyork.us
- Port Authority Police Department: About PAPD panynj.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 80: Drivers nyc.gov
- OATH: Hearings and Defaults 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.