When TLC Driver Licenses Expire: Renewal Wave Data

About 180,600 TLC driver licenses are active, and every one comes up for renewal once in each three-year cycle. They are not spread evenly. In TLC's active-driver list (updated October 11, 2026), the busiest month ahead is December 2028, with 7,850 expirations. The quietest are January and February 2028, with about 2,450 each. Near term, 5,227 licenses expire in December 2026 and 5,463 in January 2027.

If your license expires in a busy month, schools, drug-test sites and TLC's review all see more drivers at once. Start in the first weeks of your 90-day window.

Expirations by month, October 2026 to September 2029

The chart shows three phases:

• A near-term wave from November 2026 to March 2027, with 4,587 to 5,463 licenses a month.
• A long quiet stretch from April 2027 to February 2028, mostly 2,400 to 3,300 a month.
• A big wave from April 2028 to August 2029, with roughly 5,600 to 7,850 a month, peaking November 2028 to March 2029.

The numbers at a glance

Why the waves exist

The rule explains why waves repeat. Rule 80-06 says a new license expires three years from the date it was issued, and a renewal expires three years from the date the previous license expires, not from the day you renewed. So a driver whose license expires in December keeps a December expiration cycle after cycle. A month that was busy three years ago tends to be busy again.

The rule also explains the licenses that expire after September 2029. A new license issued by October 12, 2026 expires by October 12, 2029. So the 2,988 licenses expiring from November 2029 to January 2030 must be renewals already approved for licenses that expire from November 2026 to January 2027. Those drivers renewed early in their 90-day window.

What the data can't tell you is why some months are bigger. It doesn't show when drivers first got licensed, how many renew and how many leave, or how many new applicants join each month.

Plan ahead: course and drug test timing

TLC's renewal page, checked October 12, 2026:

• You can renew up to 90 days before your license expires.
• The renewal drug test must be passed in the 90 days before expiration.
• The TLC Driver License Renewal Course must also be done in that window. TLC says you can't take it earlier.
• Your defensive driving certificate can't be older than three years before your expiration date.
• Rule 80-06(d)(1): file at least 30 days before expiration, or TLC may not finish its review in time.

Put your date into the planner to get your own window:

Away during your window? See moving your TLC renewal date earlier. The full checklist is in the TLC license renewal guide, and renewal costs are in every TLC fee in one table.

Grace periods: what really happens after expiry

Interim (anniversary) drug tests are separate and also yearly. Points on your DMV record can affect renewal too. See TLC license and DMV points.

Aggregate only: a privacy note

TLC's active-driver list on NYC Open Data is public and includes each driver's name and license number. We use it only to count licenses by month. We do not publish names or numbers, and nothing on this page can be traced to one person. To check your own record, use the Licensee Snapshot in TLC UP. Why the list is public at all is explained in why is my name on the TLC active driver list.

What the data can't tell you

• It shows only active licenses. Licenses that are suspended, revoked or already expired are not on the list, so drivers inside a late-renewal window are missing.
• It is a snapshot. TLC updates the list daily. As renewals are approved, licenses move from near months to months three years later.
• It is one license type. When we checked on October 12, 2026, every row with a type said "For Hire Vehicle Driver" (in one pull, 2 rows were blank). No row is typed paratransit or commuter van, so those licenses do not appear to be counted here.
• It doesn't show how many drivers work. For drivers who actually take trips each month, see TLC active drivers statistics. For the whole industry, see TLC industry by the numbers. Every license type is explained in every TLC license type explained.

Related data: congestion zone entries by taxis and FHVs. More on the licensing hub.

Data: NYC Open Data, FHV – Active Drivers (xjfq-wh2d), snapshot October 12, 2026. Renewal rules from TLC's renewal page and chapter 80, checked the same day. General information, not legal advice.