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In short: TLC rules touch your money in three ways: what you must be paid (a minimum per-trip rate on Uber and Lyft trips, plus limits on app lockouts), what you may charge (approved taxi fares, quoted base fares, and card payment rules), and what you must pay (license fees and fines, due within 30 days of a decision). Getting any of these wrong can cost far more than a single trip.
What you must be paid on app trips
Under rule 59D-22, Uber and Lyft must pay at least a set rate per mile and per minute on every trip they dispatch. The rates from March 1, 2026 (Industry Notice #26-03):
The same rule requires 72 hours' notice before an app restricts your access on a day you could work, and 16 hours of access once you log on, with exceptions for licensing problems, TLC rule violations and the company's own policies. Details are on our Uber and Lyft drivers page and in FHV driver minimum pay; to run the numbers for one trip, use the minimum pay estimator. Underpayments go to TLC's Driver Protection Unit: (718) 391-5539, driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov.
Time on the road differs by industry
What you may charge
- Taxis and green cabs charge the approved rate of fare. Overcharging carries mandatory penalties, and $10 or more over means revocation. See the overcharging rules and 80-17(a)(1).
- Card payments in taxis have their own rules: taxi payment rules and 80-17(e)(1). Trips outside the city follow 80-17(f)(1).
- Pre-arranged trips must not cost more than the base quoted (rule 80-02(e)(1)). See our livery drivers page.
- Congestion charges in Manhattan are covered in congestion pricing for TLC drivers. Bridge and tunnel tolls, E-ZPass and toll bills have their own hub: tolls. TLC's rules define the Congestion Zone as Manhattan south of, and not including, 96th Street.
Keep your own records
Pay disputes and fare complaints are decided on records, and so is your tax return (see the taxes hub). Download your weekly pay statements and trip histories from each app, and keep them for at least as long as a complaint or summons could arrive. Taxi drivers should keep receipts and know how to pull a trip from the technology system. If a number looks wrong, write down the trip details the same day, then contact the company and, if it isn't fixed, TLC's Driver Protection Unit.
What you must pay
A TLC Driver License costs $252 for three years, plus course, exam, drug test and fingerprint fees, all non-refundable (TLC). Fines are due 30 days after you are found guilty, and unpaid fines lead to suspension: see the fines hub and paying TLC fines. Use the fine lookup to see what a rule code costs before you decide whether to fight it.
Everything in this topic
Pay & feesBlack Car Fund Driver Benefits: Free CoverageFree Drivers Benefits for Uber, Lyft and black car drivers: dental, vision, a $100,000 death benefit, disability pay. Who qualifies and why to enroll now.Read Pay & feesCongestion Pricing for TLC Drivers: Who Pays WhatTwo congestion charges apply to taxi and FHV trips in Manhattan. See the amounts, the zones, who pays, and why your pay should not go down because of them.Read Pay & feesDo WAV Drivers Get Paid Extra? Pay Rules ExplainedApp WAV trips pay $1.601/mile vs $1.283. Taxi WAV drivers get $10 per phone-requested trip and a $77/week lease credit; the $1/trip payment ended April 2025.Read Pay & feesEssential Plan Cut in 2026: What Drivers Must KnowFrom July 1, 2026 the Essential Plan stopped covering incomes over 200% of poverty. The cut-off by household size, the next enrollment date and free help.Read Pay & feesExtra Charges a Taxi Fleet Can and Can't Add to Your LeaseBeyond the lease, a taxi garage may charge only what Rule 58-21(c)(5) allows: $7/shift card fee, $25/hour late return, gas if supplied. Full list and refunds.Read Pay & feesFree Financial Counseling for NYC DriversNYC Financial Empowerment Centers give drivers free one-on-one help with debt, credit and budgets. What they do and don't do, how to book, and what to bring.Read Pay & feesHealth Insurance for NYC Drivers in 2026The apps give NYC drivers no health plan. Compare Medicaid, the Essential Plan, marketplace plans, NYC Care and Black Car Fund benefits for 2026 side by side.Read Pay & feesHow a NYC Taxi Fare Is Calculated: Every ChargeThe NYC taxi meter explained: 70-cent units, every surcharge and tax with its time window, which charges the driver keeps, rate codes 1–6 and worked examples.Read Pay & feesHow Many Hours NYC Drivers Really Work: TLC DataTLC data: yellow drivers record trips in 7.5 hours a day, app drivers 6.4 (2025). What those 'hours' really measure, who works full time, and TLC hour limits.Read Pay & feesHow to Use NYC TLC Trip Record Data (Driver's Guide)Download and read TLC trip records: the four file types, the fields that matter (driver_pay, tips, zones), Open Data shortcuts and the traps that fool people.Read Pay & feesNY Congestion Surcharge: Filing Rules for Bases & OwnersWho files the NYS congestion surcharge: bases and apps monthly, TSPs for taxis and green cabs. Due 20 days after month end, 200% penalty, exemptions, records.Read Pay & feesNYC Taxi Lease Caps and the Driver Bill of RightsThe most a NYC taxi owner may charge: $105–$129 a shift, $630/$737 a week, $952 medallion-only, DOV +$275. Hybrid rates, the 6-shift rule and getting refunds.Read
§58-16(f)(3)Taxi Improvement Surcharge Unpaid$1,000 and suspension until compliance (§58-16(f)(1)–(4)).§80-17(e)(1)TLC Card Payment Rule 80-17(e)(1)80-17(e)(1)(i)–(v): $100, appearance not required.§80-17(f)(1)City Fare Rule 80-17(f)(1): Flat Rate & Meter$100, appearance not required.§82-17(g)(2)SHL Improvement Surcharge SummonsCurrent rule book (Feb.
Pay & feesAm I Covered by the Black Car Fund?Uber, Lyft and black car drivers: yes. Yellow, green and livery: no. Check your work type, the 20-hour rule for free benefits and where livery drivers go.Read Pay & feesCan a Taxi Owner Charge Me for Repairs or Maintenance?On a NYC taxi shift or weekly lease, maintenance is the owner's cost. Crash damage only with a written negligence agreement, and refunds if insurance pays.Read Pay & feesCan Drivers Get the Saver's Credit in 2026?Lower-income drivers who save in an IRA or solo 401(k) can get up to $1,000 back. The 2026 Saver's Credit tiers by filing status and which accounts count.Read Pay & feesCan Drivers Without Insurance Use NYC Care?Yes, if you live in NYC and can't get or afford insurance. NYC Care isn't insurance, fees start at $0 and it doesn't ask immigration status. How to sign up.Read Pay & feesCan Green Cabs Charge the LaGuardia Surcharge?Yes, on street-hail trips to LaGuardia: green cabs add $5.00 under Rule 82-26. Yellow taxis add it to and from LGA. Pre-arranged green trips work differently.Read Pay & feesCan I Lease a Taxi for Less Than a Full 12-Hour Shift?A fleet may offer you a shorter, pro-rated taxi shift but doesn't have to. If the cab is late from the last shift, it must cut your price under Rule 58-21.Read Pay & feesDo Taxi & Uber Drivers Earn Social Security Credits?Yes, if you report your driving income. In 2026 each $1,890 of net earnings is one credit, up to 4 a year. Why filing Schedule SE matters for your retirement.Read Pay & feesDo Uber Drivers in NYC Earn Minimum Wage?No hourly wage is guaranteed. NYC sets a per-trip minimum for Uber and Lyft, built in 2018 to equal $17.22/hr after costs. How it works and what it means.Read Pay & feesDoes the Taxi Driver Pay the Congestion Surcharge?No. Passengers pay the $2.50 NYS congestion surcharge and 75-cent MTA toll, and TLC says the surcharge can't come out of driver pay. How to check your payout.Read Pay & feesHow Many Trips Does a NYC Yellow Taxi Do per Day?About 15 a day in 2025: 131,133 yellow trips a day across 8,722 taxis on the road (TLC data). Down from 39 in 2010 and 22 in 2019. What the number means.Read Pay & feesHow Much Can a Taxi Owner Charge Drivers for Credit Cards?A NYC taxi owner may charge you at most $7 a shift or $49 a week for credit card processing, and no other card or TSP fees. The rules, fines and refunds.Read Pay & feesHow Much Do NYC Yellow Taxi Drivers Make?TLC: full-time yellow cab drivers gross a median of about $60 an hour; average farebox per driver was $48,698 in 2024. What is left after the lease.Read
Credit card surcharge (taxi lease)A fee a taxi owner may charge a lease driver for card processing: up to $7 per shift or $49 per week (TLC Rule 58-21(c)(5)(xi)).Cruising milesMiles a taxi or for-hire car drives with no passenger on board, while looking for or waiting for the next trip.Essential PlanNew York's $0-premium, no-deductible marketplace health plan; since July 1, 2026 limited to household income up to 200% of the federal poverty level.FareboxTLC's total of all fares, surcharges, taxes and tolls collected by taxis, not counting credit card tips.Gas surcharge (taxi lease)An optional lease add-on a taxi owner may charge only when it supplies all the driver's fuel for the shift, in an amount set by TLC's gas-price table.High-Volume For-Hire ServiceTLC's license for app companies that dispatch 10,000 or more for-hire trips a day in NYC; currently Uber and Lyft.ILDBF (Independent Livery Driver Benefit Fund)New York fund, created in 2008, that gives workers' comp for serious injuries and crimes against drivers of qualifying independent livery bases.Interior Advertising Provider (IAP)A TLC-licensed business that supplies approved ad tablets for for-hire vehicles and must share at least 25% of each tablet's ad revenue with the driver.Lease cap (taxi)The most a taxi medallion owner may charge a driver for a shift or week of leasing, set by TLC Rule 58-21(c).Member baseA dispatch base that belongs to the Black Car Fund; its drivers get BCF workers' comp on its jobs and can enroll in Drivers Benefits.Night Surcharge (Taxi)A $1.00 charge added to yellow taxi and green cab trips that begin after 8 p.m. and before 6 a.m.NYC CareA city health care access program (not insurance) at NYC Health + Hospitals for residents who can't get or afford insurance; fees from $0.
Pay & feesCard vs Cash in NYC Taxis: Payment Data Since 2010TLC data: 36% of yellow taxi trips were paid by card in 2010, about 89% in 2026. Flex Fare, cash, why cash tips are missing, and the driver card-fee cap.See the data Pay & feesEmpty Miles in Manhattan: Taxi vs Uber Cruising DataIn 2025 yellow taxis drove 47.3M empty miles in Manhattan's business district vs 46.5M with riders; app cars cruised 26% of their miles. MTA data explained.See the data Pay & feesHow Long Are NYC Taxi and Uber Trips? Distance & Time DataHalf of NYC yellow cab trips are under 2 miles; the median Uber/Lyft trip is 2.9 miles and 16 minutes. Distance and time by borough, airport and hour.See the data Pay & feesNYC Taxi & App Demand by Weekday and MonthSaturdays bring 35% more Uber/Lyft trips than Mondays; yellow cabs peak on Thursdays. August is the slowest month for both (TLC data, 2023–2026).See the data Pay & feesNYC Taxi & Uber Demand on Holidays and Storm DaysDay-by-day TLC trip data, Sep 2025–Aug 2026: Christmas cut trips 30%, the Feb 2026 snowstorm travel ban 73%, while New Year's Eve app trips rose 16%.See the data Pay & feesNYC Taxi and Uber Trip Statistics: TLC Data, 2010–2025Daily trips by yellow taxi, green cab, Uber/Lyft, black car and livery from TLC data: the app takeover, the 2020 crash, trip times, and pickups by borough.See the data Pay & feesNYC Yellow Taxi Fare per Trip: 2010–2026 DataWhat an average NYC yellow taxi trip collects, 2010–2026: $16.86 in 2019, $24.98 in 2023 after the fare rise, $27.13 in 2026 so far, with each jump explained.See the data Pay & feesTablet Ads in Uber Cars: What NYC Drivers EarnTLC's first report on in-car ad tablets: about 4,700–4,900 NYC drivers earned about $33 a month on average (May 2025–Jan 2026). The 25% rule and your rights.See the data Pay & feesTipping on Uber, Lyft and Taxi Trips in NYC: The DataOnly 1 in 5 NYC Uber/Lyft trips gets a tip, vs 9 in 10 taxi card trips. Trip-record data on tip frequency and size by hour, borough and airport, 2025–26.See the data Pay & feesUber & Lyft Driver Earnings in NYC: What TLC Data ShowsTLC: median gross weekly pay for NYC Uber/Lyft drivers was $1,100–$1,400 (Feb 2025–Jan 2026). What that means after car costs, and who works full time.See the data Pay & feesUber/Lyft Driver Pay per Trip, Mile and Minute in NYCMedian NYC Uber/Lyft trip paid the driver $15.83 before tips (Sep 2025–Aug 2026). Pay by trip length, borough and out-of-town trips, vs TLC's minimum.See the data Pay & feesWhat's Inside an Average NYC Taxi Fare (Trip Data)33 million metered yellow taxi trips split into meter fare, surcharges, MTA tax, congestion charges, tolls and tips, card vs cash, and how often each applies.See the data
Pay & feesBronx TLC Guide: Westchester Fares, Hails & OATH 161st StDriving in the Bronx: how taxi fares to Westchester must be charged, when you may refuse, green cab hail rules, and why OATH's Bronx office takes no payments.Read Pay & feesNewark Airport Trips for NYC TLC Drivers: Fare & RulesHow to charge a NYC taxi trip to Newark Airport: meter plus $20 and tolls both ways, what to tell the rider, when you may refuse, and the rules at EWR.Read
Other topics
OATH hearings & processFines, payments & suspensionsTraffic safety, points & camerasEnforcement & unlicensed activityPassengers & service rulesGetting & keeping a TLC licenseVehicles, bases & inspectionsApps, bases & deactivationElectric vehicles & chargingMedallions & ownershipAirports: JFK, LaGuardia & NewarkTolls, E-ZPass & congestion pricingZones, stands & places to workTaxes for TLC driversDriver rights & help programs
Frequently asked questions
Who do I contact if an app underpaid me?
TLC's Driver Protection Unit investigates pay issues: (718) 391-5539 or driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov. Under rule 59D-22, the company can be fined $500 per underpayment and ordered to pay you the difference.
Does TLC's minimum pay apply to yellow taxi drivers?
No. Rule 59D-22 applies to trips dispatched by High-Volume For-Hire Services, currently Uber and Lyft. Taxi fares follow TLC's approved rates instead.
How often do the minimum pay rates change?
Every March 1, the per-mile and per-minute rates are adjusted by the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners (59D-22(a)(4)). The March 1, 2026 increase was 3.36%.
What does a TLC Driver License cost?
$252 for a three-year license, plus the costs of the drug test, courses, exam and fingerprints listed on TLC's page. All TLC fees are non-refundable.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Industry Notice #26-03: Minimum HVFHS Driver Pay Rates nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (For-Hire Service), §59D-22 nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (Drivers) nyc.gov
- TLC: Get a TLC Driver's License nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: TLC Industry Indicators data.cityofnewyork.us
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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.