On this page (6)
In short: Passenger rules are where TLC is strictest. Overcharging and most kinds of refusal carry mandatory penalties that rule 80-02(e) says the tribunal "will impose", and they count together: a third violation of any mix of them within 36 months means revocation. An overcharge of $10 or more means revocation on its own. These summonses can begin with a passenger complaint, so what you write down the day it happens can matter more than anything else.
The mandatory-penalty rules
Rule 80-02(e) lists the violations and the penalty ladder:
When you may say no
Rule 80-20(b) lists the reasons a refusal is justified. The main ones:
- Another passenger is already seated, or you already acknowledged someone else's hail and are picking them up. (You must not acknowledge one hail over another just to avoid someone.)
- The passenger has an item you reasonably believe will damage the vehicle. This never includes a wheelchair, crutches, a service animal or another mobility aid.
- The passenger has an animal that isn't secured in a suitable container (service animals excepted).
- The passenger is disorderly or intoxicated, but never refuse only because of behavior caused by a disability.
- The passenger keeps smoking after you asked at least twice to stop.
- The destination is Newark Airport, Nassau or Westchester, and you have been driving more than eight hours in a continuous 24-hour period.
- In a taxi or green cab: you are dropping your last passenger before logging off, or you have logged off and locked both rear doors to end your shift or for required repairs.
- In a green cab: the passenger is in the Hail Exclusionary Zone. In an FHV: the person is trying to hail you, or you have already accepted a pre-arranged dispatch.
If you refuse, be ready to show the reason. Our service refusal rules guide covers each one in detail.
Guides in this topic
- Complaints: how TLC passenger complaints work, passenger complaint summonses, responding to a complaint, discrimination complaints.
- Refusals: service refusal rules, 80-20(a)(1), 80-20(a)(3), 80-20(a)(4).
- Fares and payment: overcharging rules, 80-17(a)(1), taxi payment rules.
- Conduct in the car: courtesy rule 80-15(i), no smoking, locked doors, route requests.
- Accessibility and property: service animals and accessibility, lost property, and our WAV drivers page.
What to do the day something goes wrong
If a trip ends in an argument, write down the time, pickup and drop-off, what the passenger asked for, what you said and any reason you had for refusing. Save the trip record, receipt and any dashcam video. Complaints can arrive weeks later, and notes made the same day are far more convincing than memory. Then follow the steps in responding to a passenger complaint, and see the hearings hub for how the case will be heard.
Everything in this topic
PassengersAccessible Dispatch Ended: WAV Taxi E-Hail Trips NowTLC's Accessible Dispatch ended March 1, 2026. How WAV taxi trips work now through Arro, Curb and Myle, the $10 TIF bonus, and when refusing is a violation.Read PassengersDiscrimination Complaints Against TLC DriversHow TLC and the NYC Commission on Human Rights handle bias complaints against taxi and FHV drivers, the rules that apply, and help for drivers who face bias.Read PassengersHow TLC Passenger Complaints Work, Step by StepFollow a passenger complaint from the 311 report to TLC review, settlement or an OATH hearing where the rider testifies. What each stage means for drivers.Read PassengersLost Property in a TLC Vehicle: Driver Duties & FinesWhat TLC rule 80-18 requires when a passenger leaves something in your taxi or FHV: airport checks, returning items, precinct drop-off, and the fines.Read PassengersNYC Taxi Fare History: How the Meter Changed Since 2012Every dated change to the NYC taxi fare since the 2012 meter rate: the 2015 TIF surcharge, 2019 congestion surcharge, 2022 fare increase and 2025 CRZ toll.Read PassengersPassenger Bill of Rights: What It Means for DriversEach of the 16 yellow and 18 green taxi passenger rights, turned into the driver duty behind it, the TLC rule and the fine. What changes for green cabs.Read PassengersPassenger Complaint Summonses: Refusals & OverchargesHow TLC passenger complaints become summonses, the mandatory penalties for service refusals and overcharging under rule 80-02(e), and how drivers respond.Read PassengersResponding to a Passenger Complaint Summons: A PlanGot a TLC passenger complaint summons? A step-by-step plan: read the charge, weigh a plea against a hearing, gather records, and prepare for the rider.Read PassengersService Animals & Accessibility Rules for TLC DriversTLC rules on service animals, wheelchairs, attendants and WAV trips: what every driver must do, extra duties in accessible vehicles, and the penalties.Read PassengersTLC Overcharging Rules: Fares, Tolls & the $10 LineWhat counts as overcharging under TLC rule 80-17 for taxis, green cabs and FHVs: wrong rate codes, tolls, out-of-town fares, and the $10 revocation rule.Read PassengersTLC Service Refusal Rules: When You Can Say NoThe 15 reasons TLC rule 80-20(b) lets a driver refuse a passenger, what counts as a refusal, and the mandatory $350 to revocation penalty ladder explained.Read PassengersTLC Taxi Payment Rules: Cash, Cards, Change & TipsTLC payment rules for taxi, green cab and FHV drivers: accepting cards and cash, change for a $20, card reader outages, tips, receipts and non-paying riders.Read
§80-12(c)Fraud, misrepresentation or theft$350–$1,000 and/or a 5- to 60-day suspension, plus restitution if theft.§80-12(d)Act against the public interest$150–$350 and/or a 5- to 30-day suspension.§80-12(e)Threats, Harassment or Abuse Summons$350–$1,000 and/or a 5- to 30-day suspension.§80-15(b)Smoking Rule 80-15(b): $150 Fine, Must Appear$150.§80-15(c)(1)TLC Locked Doors Rule 80-15(c)(1)Passenger inside the vehicle: $300 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $400 if found guilty after a hearing, and/or a 5- to 30-day suspension.§80-15(i)TLC Courtesy Rule 80-15(i): Discourtesy Summons Guide$200 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $300 if found guilty after a hearing.§80-16(a)TLC Route Rule 80-16(a): Long-Hauling and Route Requests$100 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $150 if found guilty after a hearing.§80-17(a)(1)Overcharging a passenger (taxi or green cab)Mandatory penalties (§80-02(e)): first violation $350 if you plead guilty before a hearing, $500 if found guilty after a hearing; second within 24 months $700 / $1,000 and possible suspension up to 30 days; third within 36 months $750 / $1,000 and revocation.§80-19(a)(2)Adding Passengers Mid-Trip$100.§80-19(a)(3)Suggesting a Shared Ride$50.§80-19(a)(5)Pickups While Logged Off$75 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $100 if found guilty after a hearing.§80-19(b)(6)Green Cab Off-Duty Pickups$75 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $100 if found guilty after a hearing.
PassengersCan a Passenger Change the Destination Mid-Trip?Yes. TLC rule 80-16(b) says drivers must accept a new destination or early stop unless it is impossible or unsafe. How the fare works for taxis and FHVs.Read PassengersCan a Taxi Pick Up Another Passenger Mid-Trip?Only if your passenger asks. Taxi and green cab drivers can't add riders or even suggest it ($100 / $50 fines). App drivers can't force a shared ride.Read PassengersCan a WAV Driver Charge More for a Wheelchair Trip?No. TLC rules ban extra charges for a wheelchair, service animal or attendant, and taxi meters stay off while you load. Fines, base duties, 311 reports.Read PassengersCan I Lock the Doors if a Passenger Won't Pay?No. Locking a passenger in carries $300–$400, 2 points and a possible suspension. The legal steps for a fare dispute in a taxi or FHV, and what is a crime.Read PassengersDo I Have to Take Access-A-Ride Taxi Trips?No: MTA Access-A-Ride on-demand and e-hail offers are optional for taxi drivers. But once you accept a metered e-hail you must serve it. WAV rules since 2026.Read PassengersDo Kids Need Car Seats in NYC Taxis and Ubers?NY's car seat law exempts taxis and liveries, but seat belts still apply from age 8. What TLC drivers must allow, the lap-child rule, and who gets the ticket.Read PassengersDo NYC Taxis Have to Go to Newark Airport?Yes. Newark is a mandatory destination for NYC taxis and green cabs. The meter-plus-$20 fare, tolls both ways, the one long-shift exception and refusal fines.Read PassengersHow Many Passengers Can Ride in a NYC Taxi?Four in a four-seat taxi, five in a five-seat one, plus a child under 7 on an adult's lap. When the front seat must be used, and the FHV seating rule.Read
E-HailA hail for a yellow taxi or street hail livery made through a TLC-licensed app, either metered or at an upfront Flex Fare.Group Ride (Taxi)A yellow taxi trip-record rate code (6) for a group ride; TLC's current rules give it no separate definition or fare, and it is almost never used.Off Duty (Taxi)The status a taxi or green cab driver enters when logging off the technology system; roof light off, and pickups only on the way home or to the garage under strict conditions.Street HailA rider's on-the-spot request for a taxi or green cab at the metered fare, by gesture, voice or e-hail app; FHVs may not accept them.WAVWheelchair Accessible Vehicle — a TLC-licensed vehicle built or modified to carry passengers who use wheelchairs.
PassengersComplaints Against NYC Taxi and Uber Drivers: 311 Data311 got 18,258 for-hire and 9,593 taxi complaints in 2025, most about unsafe driving seen from outside the car. Trends, top types, and summons counts.See the data PassengersTLC Passenger Service Summonses: Refusals to CourtesyTLC summonses for refusals, overcharging, meter use, smoking, courtesy and harassment, year by year from OATH data, with the repeat-penalty rules that apply.See the data
PassengersWAV Drivers: TLC Rules for Wheelchair Accessible VehiclesDrive a wheelchair accessible taxi or FHV? The assist, securement and no-refusal rules in TLC rule 80-20(a)(6), the remedial course and higher WAV pay.Read PassengersYellow Taxi Drivers: TLC Rules, Summonses & Your RightsYellow cab driver in NYC? The hail, taxi stand, airport and refusal rules that bring the most summonses, with the fines from TLC's rule book and next steps.Read
Other topics
OATH hearings & processFines, payments & suspensionsTraffic safety, points & camerasEnforcement & unlicensed activityGetting & keeping a TLC licenseVehicles, bases & inspectionsApps, bases & deactivationElectric 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
Which passenger rules have mandatory penalties?
Overcharging, refusing a trip within the city, requiring an assistant for a passenger with a disability or charging extra for one, refusing a wheelchair or other mobility aid, and asking a passenger's destination before they are seated (rule 80-02(e)).
Can one overcharge cost me my license?
Yes. Under rule 80-02(e)(1), charging or trying to charge $10 or more above the approved fare, or above the rate a base quoted for a pre-arranged trip, means revocation of your TLC Driver License.
Are there legal reasons to refuse a passenger?
Yes. Rule 80-20(b) lists justified reasons, such as another passenger already being seated or having already acknowledged someone else's hail. Our service refusal guide goes through the full list.
Does a passenger have to come to my hearing?
Not necessarily. Our question page on whether the inspector or passenger has to appear explains how OATH handles complainant testimony.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (Drivers), §80-02(e) and §80-20 nyc.gov
- TLC: Received a Driver's License Summons? 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.