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About one in four for-hire vehicles fails its first TLC licensing inspection. TLC reported that the initial-inspection failure rate for FHV licenses has stayed in a 23–26% range since 2022 (SHL Pilot Final Report, Sept 2025, p. 3). TLC does not publish pass/fail data by vehicle or by defect, so this page combines that figure with what is public: the taxi inspection schedule on NYC Open Data and the number of summonses written for late inspections.
The numbers at a glance
TLC used the 23–26% range to show that the SHL pilot's lighter vehicle requirements had "not compromised the safety of the for-hire fleet." The report does not split failures into the DMV part (brakes, lights, emissions) and the TLC part (decals, required items), and it does not give a yearly series.
Who is inspected, and how often
The taxi inspection calendar
TLC publishes each medallion's schedule on NYC Open Data. We counted medallions by month (no medallion numbers shown). The pattern follows the rule: the DMV-station inspection month and the third Woodside inspection fall exactly eight months apart.
For a garage or fleet, this means November and December are the heaviest months at Woodside for third inspections in 2026, with about 3,400 medallions each. If your cab is in that group, book repairs early.
Summonses for late or missed inspections
A summons is written when a vehicle is past due. These counts come from OATH's records of TLC summonses (first-listed charge only).
FHV late-inspection summonses peaked at 6,187 in 2021 and were 3,100 in 2025. Taxi summonses under 58-29(b) were 2,472 in 2025. Green cab summonses fell from 2,294 in 2016 to 189 in 2025, in line with the much smaller green cab fleet. The fines grow the longer a cab is late; see what if I miss my inspection appointment?.
What a 1-in-4 failure rate means for your plans
If you are getting a new FHV license or renewing one, plan for the chance of a second visit. The rules give you four tries: within 60 days of the first scheduled inspection for a new license (§59A-04(e)) and within 120 days for a renewal (§59A-04(f)). A missed appointment counts as one of those tries, according to TLC's FHV Inspection Guide. A retest after failing the DMV part also costs a reinspection fee ($27 emissions or $10 safety for FHVs), while a retest after failing only TLC items is free. And you can't carry passengers until the car passes.
What fails most often?
TLC does not publish failure counts by defect. Its Vehicle Inspections page posts short tip videos on seven areas: lights, windshield, brakes, seat belts, engine, tires and mirrors. Those are the areas TLC chose to explain; we can't say which fails most. Our TLC vehicle inspection guide has a checklist, and the reinspection fee page explains which failures cost money to retest.
What the data can't tell you
- No pass/fail dataset. The 23–26% figure is a range from one report, for initial licensing inspections at Woodside, not for every inspection.
- Summonses are not outcomes. OATH's TLC rows don't record results or fines paid, so we can't say how many summonses were upheld.
- Schedules change. TLC calls its schedule tentative. Your own date is on your last Vehicle Inspection Report and the back of your rate card.
- The FHV schedule isn't public the same way. FHV licensing inspections are booked through TLC Licensing and your base; the other two inspections a year can be at any DMV-registered station.
Fleet size behind these numbers: TLC licensed vehicles statistics. Owner routines that prevent failures: FHV owner daily duties. Getting there: Woodside inspection facility guide. Taxes on vehicle costs: CMVT for TLC vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
How many cars fail the TLC inspection?
TLC's SHL Pilot Final Report (September 2025) says the failure rate at initial inspection has been in the 23–26% range among FHV license types since 2022. Vehicles in the SHL pilot had a 23% initial failure rate as of August 2024.
Does TLC publish inspection results data?
Not as an open dataset that we could find. NYC Open Data has TLC's inspection schedules for medallion taxis and street hail liveries, but not pass/fail results. The failure rate above is from a TLC report.
When are yellow cabs inspected?
Three times a year. TLC says the first inspection each year is at a NYS DMV station in the month the sticker expires, and the second and third are at TLC's Woodside facility. TLC's current Open Data schedule puts every medallion's first-of-year DMV month in January–April and its third inspection in September–December 2026.
How many summonses are written for late inspections?
In 2025, OATH records show 3,100 summonses whose first charge was FHV rule 59A-26(a)(1), 2,472 for taxi rule 58-29(b) and 189 for green cab rule 82-30(b). These are summonses filed, not violations proven.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC: SHL Pilot Final Report (Sept 2025), p. 3 nyc.gov
- TLC: Vehicle Inspections nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: Medallion Taxi Initial Inspection Schedule (sp7n-275u) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi) data.cityofnewyork.us
- TLC Rules Chapters 58, 59 and 82 (inspection rules) 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.