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In short: Uber and Lyft are licensed by TLC as High-Volume For-Hire Services, and TLC's Notice #26-03 calls them the current ones. That license brings rules that protect you: a minimum payment for every trip, all your tips and tolls passed on, and 72 hours' notice before a lockout. Other rules are about the company, not you, such as the Green Rides targets. Deactivation is different: TLC does not decide app deactivations, and the city law that would limit them is blocked in court (as of October 2026). Start below with the question you have.
Start here: five things to know
- Pay is per trip, not per hour. The minimum counts miles and minutes with a passenger. Check trips with the minimum pay estimator and learn how to read a pay statement.
- A lockout is not a deactivation. The 72-hour and 16-hour protections are in the app lockout rule. A deactivation removes your account and follows the app's own process.
- The deactivation law is on hold. A federal judge blocked Local Law 52 in July 2026, just before it was set to take effect. Read the NYC deactivation law and its status.
- Your base and app owe you paperwork. Fees must be in your agreement or the company's statement of fees. See your base agreement.
- Money problems go to TLC's Driver Protection Unit: (718) 391-5539, driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov.
If something goes wrong with your pay
Most common questions
- How much do Uber drivers make in NYC? · Does Uber or Lyft pay more?
- Can Uber deactivate me without notice? · Will the apps cut me off if TLC suspends me?
- Can Uber or Lyft keep part of my tips? · Why does my pay show a Black Car Fund charge?
- How many Uber and Lyft drivers are in NYC?
Guides by task
- Pay: rider fare vs driver pay · FHV driver minimum pay · paid sick leave for app drivers · unemployment benefits
- Account problems: deactivated: what to do next · deactivation path finder
- Choosing what to drive: yellow taxi vs Uber/Lyft · e-hail apps for taxis
- Your license type: Uber and Lyft drivers · black car drivers
Data and statistics
More: Uber vs Lyft market share, the app share of the rider's fare, busiest hours, pay by hour of day, minimum pay rate history and Uber trips sent to yellow taxis.
Tools for this topic
Minimum pay estimator for one trip · toll calculator to check toll repayments · congestion pricing calculator for the $1.50 per-trip charge on app trips in the zone.
Official contacts and sources
The rules are in TLC Rule Book Chapter 59 (sub-chapter 59D covers high-volume services). Current pay rates are on TLC's Driver Pay Rates page, and TLC also runs an official Driver Pay Calculator. The Driver Protection Unit takes pay, deposit, receipt and retaliation complaints.
Everything in this topic
Apps & basesApp Lockouts in NYC: The 72-Hour & 16-Hour RuleCan Uber or Lyft block you from logging in? TLC rule 59D-22(c) explained: 72 hours' notice, 16 hours online, the 8-hour reset, exceptions and how to report.Read Apps & basesDeactivated by Uber or Lyft in NYC: What to Do NextDeactivated in NYC? Find your reason type, fix document problems, appeal in Uber's Review Center with evidence, check your TLC license and protect income.Read Apps & basesE-Hail Apps for NYC Taxis: Curb, Arro and Uber TripsHow e-hail apps send trips to yellow and green cabs: TLC-licensed apps, Flex Fare upfront prices, Uber requests forwarded to taxis, and the rules to follow.Read Apps & basesFHV Bases and the WAV Trip Mandate (25% Rule)TLC rule 59B-17 makes FHV bases send 25% of trips to wheelchair accessible vehicles or meet a 10-minute response rule. What it means for WAV owners.Read Apps & basesHow to Open a For-Hire Base in NYC (TLC Base License)How to get a TLC black car or livery base license: name reservation, $5,000 bond, documents, fingerprints, 10 cars, fees, and your duties once open.Read Apps & basesHow to Read an Uber or Lyft Pay Statement in NYCA line-by-line guide to your NYC Uber or Lyft pay statement: what TLC rules say it must show, how to separate pay, tips and tolls, and how to check it.Read Apps & basesNYC Deactivation Law (Local Law 52): Status & RulesNYC's Uber/Lyft deactivation law passed in January 2026 but a federal court blocked it. What it would require, the 7-year lookback, and what applies today.Read Apps & basesPaid Sick Leave for Uber & Lyft Drivers in NYCNYC Uber and Lyft drivers earn 1 hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours, up to 56 a year. What counts, Uber's $18.58 rate, how to use it, what to do if refused.Read Apps & basesThe Cruising Cap Below 96th Street, ExplainedTLC rule 59D-21 caps empty app-car time in Manhattan below 96th St at 31%. How cruising is counted, who is fined, the WAV exemption and what it means to you.Read Apps & basesUber & Lyft $328M Settlement: What NY Drivers GotThe NY Attorney General's 2023 Uber and Lyft deal: $328M back pay for 2014–2017 deductions, who qualified, claim deadlines, and rights drivers keep today.Read Apps & basesUber's NYC Driver Appeals Panel: Who QualifiesUber's NYC-only deactivation review panel: who can use it, which cases are excluded, the AAA and IDG roles, how it differs from the Review Center, and timing.Read Apps & basesUnemployment Benefits for Uber & Lyft Drivers in NYCan NY Uber and Lyft drivers get unemployment? The 2018 Appeal Board ruling, Lowry (2020), Hossain (2022), what Uber says now and how to file with NYS DOL.Read
Apps & basesCan I Be Deactivated for Low Ratings in NYC?Yes. Uber removes drivers whose rating falls below the city minimum, using the average of the last 500 ratings. How it works and the separate ratings process.Read Apps & basesCan My Base Charge Fees Not in My Agreement?No. A fee that isn't in your base agreement or in Uber's or Lyft's statement of fees is an overcharge. Fines, refunds, proof to keep and who to call.Read Apps & basesCan Someone Else Drive on My Uber Account?No. Uber does not allow account sharing in the US, Real-Time ID Checks are built to catch it, and NYC's blocked law would allow removal without notice for it.Read Apps & basesCan Too Many Cancellations Get Me Locked Out?Yes. TLC's lockout rule lets Uber and Lyft restrict you without notice for excessive cancellations or not accepting trips. Declining vs causing rider cancels.Read Apps & basesCan Uber Deactivate Me Without Notice in NYC?Today, yes: no NYC law in force makes Uber or Lyft warn you before deactivation. What Uber promises, what the blocked law would require, and lockout notice.Read Apps & basesCan Uber or Lyft Keep Part of My Tips?No. TLC rule 59D-17(b) makes Uber and Lyft pass on the entire tip, and bases and car owners can't take tips. How to check your tips and report a shortfall.Read Apps & basesDeactivated After a Rider Complaint: How to RespondA rider complained and the app removed you? Evidence Uber says it considers (video, audio, phone sensor data), how to answer, and when TLC opens its own case.Read Apps & basesDo Tips Count Toward the TLC Minimum Pay?What TLC rules say about tips and the Uber/Lyft minimum per trip: two separate duties, how TLC data counts them, and what the rule leaves open.Read Apps & basesDoes Sales Tax Come Out of an Uber Driver's Pay in NYC?No. NYS sales tax on Uber, Lyft and black car rides is the rider's cost, 8⅞% in NYC. What's taxed, the 4% charge outside NYC and the 2014–2017 case.Read Apps & basesDoes the TLC Handle Uber or Lyft Deactivations?No, TLC can't reverse an app deactivation. What TLC does handle (licenses, the lockout rule), what DCWP would do under the blocked law, and the app's role.Read Apps & basesDoes Uber or Lyft Give NYC Drivers Health Insurance?No. Uber's NYC benefits list has sick leave, Black Car Fund benefits and unemployment insurance, but no health plan. What you get, and where to find coverage.Read Apps & basesDoes Uber or Lyft Pay Drivers More in NYC?Uber vs Lyft driver pay in NYC from 12 months of TLC trip records: pay per trip, tips, pay per hour with a rider, why they differ and what is left out.Read
Accessible Vehicle DispatcherA TLC-approved base that receives wheelchair accessible vehicle requests from other bases it has agreements with and dispatches WAVs for them, serving at least 90% of requests in under 10 minutes (TLC Rule §59B-17(f)).App lockoutWhen a ride-hail app stops a driver from logging in or accepting trips for a period of time; limited in NYC by TLC rule 35 RCNY §59D-22(c).Bona fide economic reasonUnder NYC Local Law 52 of 2026 (blocked), a documented drop in business or exit from NYC that allows an app to lay off drivers with 120 days' notice, by reverse seniority.CPI-W adjustmentThe March 1 inflation increase to TLC's Uber and Lyft minimum pay rates, based on the yearly change in the NY-NJ-PA CPI-W.DeactivationWhen a ride-hail company removes a driver's account or access to take trips, usually with no end date.Egregious misconductUnder NYC Local Law 52 of 2026 (blocked), conduct posing an imminent danger to others, such as violence or sexual assault, or illegal discrimination.HVFHS License NumberThe TLC license number of a High-Volume For-Hire Service (an app company like Uber or Lyft), written HV plus four digits: HV0003 is Uber and HV0005 is Lyft in TLC trip data.Just causeUnder NYC Local Law 52 of 2026 (blocked), a valid reason to deactivate an app driver: egregious misconduct, failing to perform job duties, or other materially harmful misconduct.Minimum pay standardTLC's per-trip floor on what Uber and Lyft must pay drivers, set per mile and per minute with a passenger; not a wage.Pre-Arranged TripA trip the passenger books in advance through a licensed base, by phone, app, website or another method, instead of hailing on the street. It is the only way black cars, liveries, limousines and app cars may carry passengers.Statement of fees (HVFHS)The list of driver deductions, commissions and charges a high-volume service files with TLC; any fee not on it is prohibited (59D-19(d)).
Apps & basesBiggest NYC For-Hire Bases by Trips (Not Uber or Lyft)The 25 busiest NYC car service and black car bases in 2025, ranked by trips TLC recorded, with cars and trips per car. Plus what the numbers can't tell you.See the data Apps & basesBusiest Hours for Taxis, Uber and Lyft in NYC (Trip Data)When NYC riders take Uber, Lyft and yellow taxis by hour and weekday, from 12 months of TLC trip records, with borough and airport peaks and the limits.See the data Apps & basesHow Long NYC Riders Wait for Uber/Lyft: Wait Time DataNYC app riders waited 5.4 minutes on average in January 2026 (TLC). Trip data by borough, hour, airport and WAV request, and why waits matter for the cap.See the data Apps & basesLivery and Black Car Trips in NYC: The Comeback DataTLC data on non-app car services: black car trips tripled since 2015 and livery trips are back near 2019 levels. Trips per day, vehicles, bases and caveats.See the data Apps & basesRider Fare vs Driver Pay: The App Share in NYCTLC trip data: NYC Uber and Lyft drivers got 77.1% of the base fare in the last 12 months. One trip in ten paid under 55%; about 15% paid more than the fare.See the data Apps & basesShared Rides in NYC: Pool Trips Before and After COVIDShared app rides fell from about 154,800 a day in 2018 to 323 in 2021, then rose to about 10,800 in 2025, near 1.6% of app trips. TLC data, surcharge, rules.See the data Apps & basesUber & Lyft Driver Pay by Hour of Day in NYC (Trip Data)Which hours pay NYC Uber and Lyft drivers most per trip and per hour with a rider, weekdays vs weekends, from 12 months of TLC trip records, and the limits.See the data Apps & basesUber & Lyft Minimum Pay Rate History in NYC (2019–2026)Every change to TLC's Uber and Lyft minimum pay since 2019: per-mile and per-minute factors, the 2025 rule, the March 2026 rates and the next raise.See the data Apps & basesUber Trips Sent to Yellow Taxis: The Forwarding DataTLC says over 800,000 Manhattan Uber requests went to taxis via Curb and Arro in one month. See the 2026 trip data, where rides start, what it means.See the data Apps & basesUber vs Lyft in NYC: Trips and Market Share by YearUber did 72.2% of NYC app trips in 2025 and Lyft 27.8%, per TLC base data. See every year since 2015, the Via and Juno exits, and why the apps share cars.See the data
Apps & basesDeactivation Path Finder: Your Next StepDeactivated or blocked by Uber or Lyft in NYC? Answer 3 questions to see which process applies, what to do first, what evidence to save and who to contact.Open tool Apps & basesUber & Lyft Minimum Pay Estimator (NYC 2026)Enter a trip's miles and minutes to see the least Uber or Lyft must pay you under TLC's 2026 rates, including WAV and out-of-town trips. Check your statement.Open tool
Other topics
OATH hearings & processFines, payments & suspensionsTraffic safety, points & camerasEnforcement & unlicensed activityPassengers & service rulesGetting & keeping a TLC licenseVehicles, bases & inspectionsElectric vehicles & chargingMedallions & ownershipAirports: JFK, LaGuardia & NewarkTolls, E-ZPass & congestion pricingZones, stands & places to workPay, fees & earnings rulesTaxes for TLC driversDriver rights & help programs
Frequently asked questions
Can Uber or Lyft lock me out of the app in NYC?
TLC rule 59D-22(c) says the company must give 72 hours' notice before restricting your access on a day, and once you go online it must let you stay available for at least 16 hours. The exceptions are missing licensing credentials, breaking TLC rules, and breaking the company's own rules, including misconduct and excessive cancellations or non-acceptance.
Is the NYC deactivation law in effect?
No. Local Law 52 of 2026 would require apps to give drivers 14 days' notice before a deactivation, except for egregious misconduct. In July 2026 a federal judge blocked the city from enforcing it, ruling on lawsuits by Uber and Lyft. Until that changes, the app's own appeal process is what applies.
Does TLC handle deactivations?
TLC handles your license, the lockout notice rule and pay complaints. It does not run an appeal process for app deactivations. For pay problems, contact TLC's Driver Protection Unit at (718) 391-5539.
Must the app give me all my tips and tolls?
Yes. Rule 59D-17 says a high-volume service must remit to the driver the entirety of anything designated as a tip, and the entirety of any toll the driver paid during a dispatched trip.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (§59D-17 tips and tolls; §59D-22 pay and app access) nyc.gov
- NYC TLC: Driver Pay Rates nyc.gov
- TLC Industry Notice #26-03 (Feb 24, 2026) nyc.gov
- NYC TLC: Driver Protection Unit nyc.gov
- Reuters via Insurance Journal: Uber, Lyft win court block on NYC deactivation law (July 23, 2026) insurancejournal.com
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.