On this page (8)
In short: The Port Authority charges a ground transportation access fee on taxi and for-hire trips at its airports. Since March 15, 2026 it is $3.50 for each for-hire (Uber, Lyft, black car, limo) pick-up and drop-off, and $2.00 for each yellow taxi pick-up. It is already approved to rise to $4.50 / $2.25 in March 2027 and $5.00 / $2.50 in March 2028.
The approved schedule
Where and when it is charged
- For-hire vehicles: pick-up and drop-off. The Port Authority lists both a pick-up rate and a drop-off rate. TLC's HVFHV trip records describe the
airport_feefield as charged "for both drop off and pick up at LaGuardia, Newark, and John F. Kennedy airports" (HVFHV dictionary). - Yellow taxis: pick-up only. TLC's fare page lists "Airport Access Fee — Taxi: $2.00 for pick up only at LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy Airports" (TLC taxi fare). A taxi dropping off at the airport has no access fee.
- On a taxi receipt the fee appears with the other passenger charges, separate from the metered fare. In yellow trip records it is the
airport_feefield (yellow dictionary).
Don't confuse it with other airport charges
| Charge | Who sets it | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport access fee | Port Authority | $3.50 FHV / $2.00 taxi | FHV pick-up and drop-off; taxi pick-up |
| LaGuardia surcharge | TLC fare rules | $5.00 | Yellow taxi trips to and from LGA (§58-26(a)(2)(iii)); green cab trips to LGA (§82-26) |
| JFK flat fare | TLC fare rules | $70 + extras | Yellow taxi, Manhattan ↔ JFK |
| Newark surcharge | TLC fare rules | $20.00 | Taxi trips to Newark Airport, plus tolls both ways |
So a yellow taxi pick-up at LaGuardia carries both the $2.00 access fee and the $5.00 LaGuardia surcharge. The full fare rules are in JFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark for drivers.
What TLC trip data shows
The change is clearly visible in TLC's own trip records. Before March 15, 2026, almost every app trip with an airport fee showed $2.50; afterwards, $3.50. Yellow taxis moved from $1.75 to $2.00 at the same time.
From April to August 2026, 8,680,329 of the 8,892,803 app trips with an airport fee (97.6%) showed $3.50. For yellow taxis, 1,218,039 of 1,226,880 (99.3%) showed $2.00. Our counts from the TLC parquet files for September 2025 – August 2026, read October 12, 2026. TLC's HVFHV data dictionary (dated March 18, 2025) still says $2.50. That text is out of date; the Port Authority schedule and the records themselves show the new amount.
Who bears the fee on app trips
We have not found an official source that says whether the passenger or the driver bears the access fee on Uber or Lyft trips, so we don't say. What the records do show: TLC defines driver_pay as pay "not including tolls or tips and net of commission, surcharges, or taxes", and airport_fee is a separate field. If you think a fee was taken from your pay, compare your trip statement with the airport fee on your Uber receipt.
What the next two increases mean for a driver
The fee is charged per trip, so its weight depends on how much of your work is at the airports. Some simple arithmetic with the approved amounts:
- App trips. A trip from LaGuardia to an address in Queens and a later trip from that area back to JFK each carry one fee. In 2026 that is $3.50 + $3.50 = $7.00 in fees on the two trip records. With the March 2028 amount it would be $10.00.
- Yellow taxis. Only the airport pick-up carries the fee: $2.00 now, $2.25 from March 15, 2027 and $2.50 from March 15, 2028. A taxi drop-off at the airport has none.
- Your pay statement. On an app trip the fee is one charge among many on the trip record. TLC's minimum pay standard for app trips is calculated per mile and per minute (see FHV driver minimum pay); check that your statement matches it.
Approved amounts can still be changed by the Port Authority before they start, so check the schedule again near each March date.
When do airport pickups happen? Airport pickups by hour. Where airport trips start: where airport trips start. The big picture: NYC airport trip statistics. Bridge and tunnel tolls to the airports: toll calculator. More in the airports hub.
Data on this page
Aggregates of public data. They describe trips and vehicles, never individual people.
- Airport trips per day by month (all sectors) — Average daily pickups and drop-offs at JFK and LaGuardia, and drop-offs at Newark, each month (yellow + green + app).NYC TLC Trip Record Data (yellow, green, high-volume FHV), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · pulled Oct 12, 2026Aggregated by TLC Help from TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 (pickup date; TLC publishes trip files about two months after the month ends and may revise them). 'App' = high-volume for-hire services (Uber, Lyft). Taxi records with a negative fare (reversals) are excluded. Averages, medians and rates use 'clean' trips only: 1 minute to 4 hours, more than 0 and under 150 miles, fare above $0 and under $1,000.
Frequently asked questions
What is the airport access fee for Uber and Lyft at JFK and LaGuardia?
Since March 15, 2026 the Port Authority's fee for for-hire vehicles is $3.50 for a pick-up and $3.50 for a drop-off. It goes to $4.50 on March 15, 2027 and $5.00 on March 15, 2028.
What is the airport access fee for a yellow taxi?
$2.00 per pick-up since March 15, 2026 (it was $1.75). TLC's fare page lists it for pick-ups only at LaGuardia and JFK. It rises to $2.25 in 2027 and $2.50 in 2028.
Is the airport fee the same as the $5 LaGuardia surcharge?
No. The $5 LaGuardia surcharge is part of the TLC taxi fare (trips to and from LGA for yellow taxis, trips to LGA for green cabs). The access fee is a separate Port Authority charge.
Why does TLC's data dictionary still say $2.50?
The HVFHV data dictionary is dated March 18, 2025, before the increase. TLC's own trip records show $3.50 on 97.6% of app trips with an airport fee from April to August 2026.
Does the driver or the passenger pay the airport fee on an app trip?
No official source we opened says who bears it on app trips. In TLC trip records it is a separate field from driver pay. Check your trip statement for how your company shows it.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- Port Authority of NY & NJ: Approved Fee Changes – Aviation (PDF) panynj.gov
- NYC TLC: Taxi Fare nyc.gov
- TLC data dictionary: High Volume FHV trip records (March 18, 2025) nyc.gov
- TLC data dictionary: Yellow taxi trip records (March 18, 2025) nyc.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 58 (§58-26(a)(2) LaGuardia surcharge) nyc.gov
- NYC TLC: Trip Record Data 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.