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Airports: JFK, LaGuardia & Newark: TLC Driver Hub

Working JFK, LaGuardia and Newark as a TLC driver: who may pick up where, the $70 flat fare, 2026 access fees, waiting lots and the rules behind fines.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 5 official sources
On this page (9)
  1. Start here: five things to know
  2. How an airport pickup works, by license
  3. Most common questions
  4. Guides by task
  5. Data and statistics
  6. Tools for this topic
  7. Official contacts and sources
  8. FAQ
  9. Sources

In short: The airports are the most rule-heavy places a TLC driver works. Who may pick up depends on your license: yellow taxis use the dispatcher-run taxi line at JFK and LaGuardia, app and black car drivers pick up only booked riders, green cabs can't take hails at the airports, and NYC vehicles have no hail rights at Newark. Fares and fees are fixed by rule: the $70 JFK–Manhattan flat fare, the $5 LaGuardia surcharge, the $20 Newark surcharge and the Port Authority access fee, which went up on March 15, 2026. This hub sends you to the right page for each question.

Start here: five things to know

Airport facts (as of October 12, 2026)

  • $70Taxi flat fare, JFK ↔ ManhattanPlus surcharges, tolls, tip; $5 weekday 4–8pm. Elsewhere in NYC: meter.

    Source: TLC: Taxi Fare

  • $3.50Port Authority fee per FHV pickup or drop-offSince Mar 15, 2026. Taxi pickups: $2.00. Rises in 2027 and 2028.

    Source: Port Authority approved fee schedule

  • $250Taking an app dispatch at a JFK/LGA pickup areaRule 80-19(f).

    Source: TLC Rule Book, Ch. 80

  • $100 / $150Taxi soliciting at JFK, LGA or NewarkRule 80-19(a)(4)(i): plead guilty before a hearing / found guilty after.

    Source: TLC Rule Book, Ch. 80

  • $20Newark surcharge on taxi trips to EWRPlus tolls to and from Newark.

    Source: TLC: Taxi Fare

  1. The pickup right comes from your license. Port Authority rules (Section V.D) require "specific pre-arrangement" for airport pickups, except vehicles licensed for street hails by the city where the airport is. An NYC yellow taxi qualifies at JFK and LaGuardia only.
  2. Green cabs: TLC's definitions put "the New York City Airports" in the Hail Exclusionary Zone, so no hails there.
  3. App drivers: wait where the app and airport tell you, and never accept a trip while sitting in a pickup area (80-19(f)).
  4. No soliciting, no tips to dispatchers (80-19(a)(4)(i) and 80-12(a)(2)), and check the car for left items after every airport trip (80-18(a)).
  5. Fees changed in 2026. Read the airport access fee for the full 2026–2028 schedule.

How an airport pickup works, by license

From arriving at the airport to the pickup

  1. Yellow taxi

    Wait in the airport's taxi holding area, then move up the terminal feed line and take the next passenger at the taxi stand. No soliciting, no e-hail pickups.

  2. Uber / Lyft

    Wait where the app and airport direct you, never in a pickup area. Accept the trip there, then drive to the terminal's ride-app pickup point.

  3. Black car / limo

    Booked through your base. For a flight arrival, show an announcement card: your company, the passenger's name, airline and flight.

  4. Green cab

    You may drop off, but you may not take street hails at the airports.

Most common questions

Guides by task

Data and statistics

TLC pickups at JFK and LaGuardia by year

Yellow taxi, green cab and app (high-volume FHV) pickups; non-app black cars and livery are not included. In 2025, JFK was about 9% below its 2019 total and LaGuardia about 4% below.

Pickups

2019202020212022202320242025
  • JFK Airport
  • LaGuardia Airport
Show data table
LabelJFK AirportLaGuardia Airport
20196,712,0746,440,040
20201,912,6441,662,382
20213,134,3222,687,738
20225,579,5044,922,228
20236,406,8905,691,255
20246,321,4816,034,170
20256,131,4436,214,590

Source: NYC Open Data: Pickups and Drop-offs by Taxi Zone and Industry (c5iv-bn4s) · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Counts come from trip records filed by app companies (high-volume FHVs) and taxi technology providers. Black car, livery and luxury limo trips that are not high-volume are not included.

More numbers: airport pickups by hour, airport trip economics, airport solicitation summonses and NYC airport trip statistics. Port Authority Police also write TLC summonses; see Port Authority TLC summonses.

Tools for this topic

The airport trip helper shows the fare rule and charges for any airport, direction and license. Then use the taxi fare estimator for a full fare, or the toll calculator for your route.

Official contacts and sources

Port Authority rules for all three airports are in its Airport Rules and Regulations. Each airport posts current ride-app pickup points and free waiting lots on its own website (jfkairport.com, laguardiaairport.com, newarkairport.com); they move with construction, so check before your shift. TLC fares and surcharges are on TLC's Taxi Fare page.

Everything in this topic

Guides

8All guides
AirportsAirport Meet-and-Greet Pickups: Rules for Black Car DriversHow black car and limo drivers can legally meet a passenger at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark: the announcement card, base booking, where to park, what not to do.Read AirportsJFK Flat Fare: What Taxi Drivers Add and Don't AddThe $70 JFK–Manhattan taxi fare line by line: the $5 rush charge, MTA tax, congestion charges, the $2 access fee, tolls, multi-stop trips and overcharge risk.Read AirportsJFK for Uber & Lyft Drivers: Lots, Queue, Terminal PickupsWhere app drivers wait and pick up at each JFK terminal: the two staging lots, Howard Beach for T5/T7, T4 Zone B, the FIFO queue, and the $250 and $500 rules.Read AirportsJFK Taxi Line: Holding Lot, Feed Lines & Dispatch RulesHow a yellow taxi gets a fare at JFK, step by step: the holding area, relief breaks, feed lines, short- and long-haul tickets, dispatcher rules and the fines.Read AirportsJFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark: Fares, Fees & Rules ComparedWhat changes between airports for NYC taxi and app drivers: fare rules, surcharges, access fees, who may pick up, where to wait, and the Newark exceptions.Read AirportsLaGuardia for App Drivers: Hold Lot, Queue & Pickup SpotsWhere Uber and Lyft drivers wait and pick up at LaGuardia: the Berrian Blvd FHV Hold Lot, lot hours, Terminal A, B and C pickup spots, ExpressMatch and fines.Read AirportsLaGuardia Taxi Line: Hold Lot, Terminal Stands & FeesHow yellow taxi pickups work at LaGuardia and what to charge: terminal stands, holding rules, the $5 LGA surcharge, the $2 access fee and the website mix-up.Read AirportsPort Authority Airport Rules for Drivers: The Fine PrintThe Port Authority's own airport rules on soliciting, pre-arranged pickups, the announcement card, loading and stopping, and how they stack with TLC rules.Read

Violation codes

5All violation codes
§80-12(a)(2)Tipping Airport Dispatchers$10,000 and revocation.§80-18(a)Checking the Car After Airport Trips$25.§80-19(a)(4)(i)Soliciting at JFK, LGA or Newark$100 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $150 if found guilty following a hearing.§80-19(e)(2)Airport Holding Area Relief Rule$50.§80-19(f)Taking App Dispatches at JFK or LGA$250.

Questions

10All questions
AirportsCan Green Cabs Pick Up at JFK or LaGuardia?Green cabs can't take street hails at JFK or LaGuardia, but TLC rules allow a pre-arranged base trip starting there: the two zones, $500 penalty, drop-offs.Read AirportsCan I Leave My Car at the Airport Curb to Help a Rider?No. JFK, LaGuardia and Newark curbs are for active pickups only, and unattended cars are towed. You can load bags at the curb; to go inside, use paid parking.Read AirportsCan NYC Uber Drivers Pick Up at Newark Airport?Port Authority rules allow pre-arranged app pickups at Newark, and Uber says NYC drivers get NYC-bound trips there. Pickup spots, the hold lot, what to check.Read AirportsDo Green Cabs Charge the $70 JFK Flat Fare?A green cab charges the $70 JFK flat fare only on a street-hail trip to JFK from upper Manhattan. From other boroughs it's the meter. Rule 82-26 explained.Read AirportsHow Much Is a Taxi From LaGuardia to Manhattan?A metered LaGuardia–Manhattan taxi: Port Authority estimates of $24–$57, plus $8.50 to $14.25 in TLC add-ons, tolls and tip, explained line by line.Read AirportsIs the $70 JFK Flat Fare for Brooklyn or Queens Too?No. The $70 JFK taxi flat fare covers Manhattan only. Trips from JFK to Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx or Staten Island go on the meter, plus surcharges.Read AirportsWhat Is the Airport Fee on an Uber or Lyft Trip?The airport fee on NYC Uber and Lyft trips is the Port Authority access fee: $3.50 per pickup and per drop-off at JFK, LGA and Newark since March 15, 2026.Read AirportsWho Pays the Return Toll on a Taxi Trip to Newark?On a NYC taxi trip to Newark Airport the passenger pays the tolls both ways, including your toll back into New York, plus the meter and a $20 surcharge.Read AirportsWhy Did I Lose My Place in the Airport Queue?Uber says you lose your JFK or LGA queue spot if you go offline, leave the zone, skip requests in a row or cancel often. App rules vs TLC rules, explained.Read AirportsWhy Does the LGA Website Show Different Taxi Surcharges?The LGA taxi page shows a $1 rush and 50-cent night surcharge from before TLC's 2022 fare rule. TLC now sets $2.50 and $1, plus $5 for LGA. Trust the meter.Read

Glossary

6All glossary
Airport Taxi DispatcherPort Authority or contractor staff who run the airport taxi line; drivers must cooperate and may not tip them.Airport Virtual QueueThe app's first-in, first-out line for drivers waiting in a designated airport lot; company policy, not a TLC rule.Announcement CardThe sign a driver shows to meet an arriving air passenger at a Port Authority airport: provider, passenger name, airline and flight.Feed LineThe line of taxis that feeds into a terminal's pickup spot; taxi stand rules apply in it.Short HaulA taxi trip from a transportation terminal under a set distance or time; airport stands may use separate short- and long-haul lines.Taxi Holding LotThe airport lot where yellow taxis wait before dispatch to a terminal; TLC rules call it a taxi holding area.

Statistics

6All statistics
AirportsAirport Fees on NYC Trips: How Many Trips Pay ThemAbout 20.9 million app trips and 3 million yellow taxi trips carried an airport fee in a year of TLC records. Counts by airport, direction, month and amount.See the data AirportsAirport Solicitation Summonses: Taxi Data at OATHHow often taxi drivers get summonsed under TLC's airport solicitation rule 80-19(a)(4)(i), by year and agency, plus Port Authority's 2025 enforcement count.See the data AirportsAirport Trips by the Numbers: Miles, Fares & Driver PayHow long JFK, LaGuardia and Newark trips are and what they pay compared with other NYC trips: medians for miles, minutes, fares, app driver pay and tips.See the data AirportsJFK Flat-Fare Taxi Trips: Monthly Data and Fare MathHow many yellow taxi trips use the $70 JFK flat fare each month, what those trips total, how riders pay and tip, and how many trips use the Newark rate.See the data AirportsWhen Airport Pickups Happen: JFK & LGA by HourHour-by-hour and day-by-day pickups at JFK and LaGuardia for yellow taxis and Uber/Lyft, from 12 months of TLC trip records, and what the data can't tell you.See the data AirportsWhere Airport Trips Start: Top Zones to JFK & LGAWhich NYC neighborhoods send the most taxi and Uber/Lyft trips to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, how it differs by industry, and the early-morning airport rush.See the data

Free tools

1All free tools
AirportsAirport Trip Helper: Rules, Fees & Where to WaitPick JFK, LaGuardia or Newark, your direction and what you drive: see the fare rule, airport fees, congestion charges and tolls, and where to wait.Open tool

Tolls & crossings

1All tolls & crossings
AirportsAirport Access Fee at JFK, LGA & Newark (2026–2028)Port Authority airport fee since March 15, 2026: $3.50 per app pickup or drop-off, $2.00 per taxi pickup. The 2027 and 2028 steps, and what trip data shows.Rates as of Oct 12, 2026Read

Other topics

OATH hearings & processFines, payments & suspensionsTraffic safety, points & camerasEnforcement & unlicensed activityPassengers & service rulesGetting & keeping a TLC licenseVehicles, bases & inspectionsApps, bases & deactivationElectric vehicles & chargingMedallions & ownershipTolls, E-ZPass & congestion pricingZones, stands & places to workPay, fees & earnings rulesTaxes for TLC driversDriver rights & help programs

Frequently asked questions

Which TLC drivers can pick up at JFK and LaGuardia without a booking?

Only yellow taxis, from the airport taxi line. Port Authority rules require pre-arrangement for everyone else. Green cabs can't take hails at the airports, and app, black car and livery drivers pick up only booked passengers.

Can an NYC yellow taxi pick up at Newark?

Not by hail. Newark is in New Jersey, and Port Authority rules give hail pickup rights only to vehicles licensed for hails by the city where the airport is. NYC taxis drop off at Newark, and the passenger pays the $20 Newark surcharge and the tolls both ways.

How much is the airport access fee in 2026?

Since March 15, 2026: $2.00 per taxi pickup at JFK and LaGuardia, and $3.50 per for-hire vehicle pickup and per drop-off. The Port Authority's approved schedule raises it again in March 2027 and March 2028.

Can Uber drivers wait at the airport?

Only where the app and airport direct. TLC rule 80-19(f) forbids accepting a dispatch while at JFK or LaGuardia unless you are parked somewhere other than the designated passenger pickup locations ($250). Curbs are for active pickups only.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. Port Authority Airport Rules and Regulations (7/27/2022) panynj.gov
  2. Port Authority: Approved Fee Changes – Aviation (airport access fee) panynj.gov
  3. NYC TLC: Taxi Fare nyc.gov
  4. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (Drivers) nyc.gov
  5. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 51 (Definitions) 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.

Related

GuideJFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark: Fares, Fees & Rules ComparedWhat changes between airports for NYC taxi and app drivers: fare rules, surcharges, access fees, who may pick up, where to wait, and the Newark exceptions.Read GuideJFK Taxi Line: Holding Lot, Feed Lines & Dispatch RulesHow a yellow taxi gets a fare at JFK, step by step: the holding area, relief breaks, feed lines, short- and long-haul tickets, dispatcher rules and the fines.Read GuideJFK for Uber & Lyft Drivers: Lots, Queue, Terminal PickupsWhere app drivers wait and pick up at each JFK terminal: the two staging lots, Howard Beach for T5/T7, T4 Zone B, the FIFO queue, and the $250 and $500 rules.Read GuidePort Authority Airport Rules for Drivers: The Fine PrintThe Port Authority's own airport rules on soliciting, pre-arranged pickups, the announcement card, loading and stopping, and how they stack with TLC rules.Read Free toolAirport Trip Helper: Rules, Fees & Where to WaitPick JFK, LaGuardia or Newark, your direction and what you drive: see the fare rule, airport fees, congestion charges and tolls, and where to wait.Open tool LocationJFK Airport Rules for TLC Drivers: Flat Fare, Lots & FinesWorking JFK as a taxi or app driver: what the $70 flat fare includes, taxi line and holding lot rules, the $500 FHV pickup fine, and Port Authority policing.Read