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TLC Traffic Rules, Points & Safety: Topic Guide

Traffic summonses, TLC and DMV points, the Persistent Violator Program, phone and driving-hour limits, and crashes: how safety rules can cost your license.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 2 official sources
On this page (7)
  1. What summonses are most often about
  2. How points add up
  3. Phones and hours
  4. Cameras are a different system
  5. Crashes
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

In short: Traffic rules generate more TLC summonses than anything else, and they carry points. TLC adds your TLC points and DMV points together: 6 to 9 points in 15 months means a suspension of up to 30 days, and 10 or more means revocation (rule 80-27). A voluntary course can take 3 points off before TLC acts. Phone use and driving-hour limits round out the rules most drivers meet.

What summonses are most often about

The charge listed first on taxi and for-hire summonses at OATH is usually a traffic rule:

Most common first-listed charges, 2021 to 2025

Taxi and FHV summonses filed at OATH, all three issuing agencies, first-listed charge only. A summons is an allegation, not a finding. Source: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi).

  1. 80-13(a)(2)53,599
  2. 80-13(a)(3)(viii)37,544
  3. 59A-26(a)(1)21,078
  4. 80-13(a)(3)(vii)20,561
  5. 59A-13(j)(1)19,486
  6. 80-13(a)(1)15,315
  7. 19-506(b)(1)12,808
  8. 58-29(b)10,356
  9. 59A-27(d)9,071
  10. 80-13(a)(3)(i)(b)5,308
  11. 19-504(g)5,031
  12. 80-24(a)(2)4,929
  13. 80-14(g)(1)4,799
  14. 59A-27(e)4,061
  15. 80-14(f)(2)4,060
Show data table
LabelSummonses (summonses)
80-13(a)(2)53,599
80-13(a)(3)(viii)37,544
59A-26(a)(1)21,078
80-13(a)(3)(vii)20,561
59A-13(j)(1)19,486
80-13(a)(1)15,315
19-506(b)(1)12,808
58-29(b)10,356
59A-27(d)9,071
80-13(a)(3)(i)(b)5,308
19-504(g)5,031
80-24(a)(2)4,929
80-14(g)(1)4,799
59A-27(e)4,061
80-14(f)(2)4,060

Source: NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi) · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Counts are summonses filed at OATH by the agency, dated by violation_date (the date on the summons). A summons is not a finding of guilt. hearing_status, hearing_result, penalty_imposed, paid_amount and the charge descriptions are blank for taxi rows in this dataset, so it cannot show outcomes or fines. Counts use the first-listed charge (charge_1_code) only. Later charge columns mostly repeat the first code, so they are not counted. Codes are normalised for case (80-13(A)(2) and 80-13(a)(2) are the same). 1,484 summonses in this window have no charge code. Look up each code's meaning in the TLC rules before describing it.

The top two are moving violations under 80-13(a)(2) and stop sign violations under 80-13(a)(3)(viii). Red lights (80-13(a)(3)(vii)), parking and standing (80-13(a)(1)) and phone use (80-14(g)(1)) are also on the list.

How points add up

Persistent Violator Program (rule 80-27), any 15 months

  1. 0 to 5 points

    Good to know: No program penalty

    Each summons still carries its own fine.

  2. 6 to 9 points

    Watch out: Suspension up to 30 days

    TLC points, DMV points or both combined, counted from the date of conviction.

  3. 10+ points

    Important: Revocation

    TLC revokes the TLC Driver License.

Three details matter. Only the highest-point violation counts when several come from one incident. The 3-point course credit applies only to points from convictions within 15 months before you finished the course. And to count right away, the course must be done before the Persistent Violator summons is decided; finishing afterward helps only once the suspension is served. Our Persistent Violator Program guide, DMV vs TLC points and the points calculator work through examples. The program replaced the older Critical Driver Program; see critical driver program.

Phones and hours

  • Phone use: $250 if you plead guilty before a hearing, $350 after, plus points and a suspension that is deferred 60 days and avoided if you finish the Distracted Driving Portable Electronic Device course in time. See the cell phone rule guide for which mounted setups are allowed.
  • Driving hours: 10 hours of passenger trips in 24 hours and 60 hours in a week. Fines rise with each hour over: 80-14(f)(2) and 80-14(f)(3).

Cameras are a different system

Speed and red-light camera tickets are not TLC summonses. They are handled by the city's Department of Finance and are written to the vehicle's registered owner, so they work differently from a summons an inspector or officer hands you. Our guide to speed and red-light cameras for TLC drivers explains what that means if you drive a leased or rented car, and how camera tickets differ from the 80-13 traffic summonses above.

Crashes

If you are in a crash, you have reporting duties to TLC as well as to police and the DMV: see crash reporting. Leaving the scene is its own serious charge, 80-13(a)(4), and reckless driving is 80-14(a). For points and suspensions after a hearing, the fines hub explains the payment and suspension rules.

Everything in this topic

Guides

15See all 15
Safety & pointsAssaulted or Threatened as a Driver: What to Do NextAttacked, robbed or threatened in your cab or app car? What to do in the first hour, how to save camera video before it's erased, and who pays if you're hurt.Read Safety & pointsCrash in a TLC Vehicle? Who You Must Tell, and WhenAfter a crash in a taxi or FHV you have duties at the scene, to the vehicle owner, to the DMV within 10 days and sometimes to TLC. A step-by-step timeline.Read Safety & pointsDMV Points vs TLC Points: How Both Add Up for DriversOne bad month can put points on two records. See which tickets give DMV points, which give TLC points, how the two counts differ, and where they add together.Read Safety & pointsMental Health Help for NYC DriversFree, confidential mental health help for NYC taxi and app drivers: 988, counseling in 8 languages, the TLC Wellness Room and virtual doctors. Who qualifies.Read Safety & pointsNYC Speed Limits in 2026: 25, 20, 15 & 10 MPH StreetsNYC speed limits now: the 25 mph default, Sammy's Law 20 mph streets and slow zones, 15 mph school zones, and what speeding costs a TLC driver in points.Read Safety & pointsPre-Shift Checklist for TLC Drivers: Papers, Car, AppsA printable 5-minute check before each TLC shift: fitness, hours, papers on display, brakes and lights, E-ZPass mounting and phone rules, each tied to a rule.Read Safety & pointsScams Targeting NYC Drivers and How to Spot ThemFake Uber support calls, payout card swaps, toll texts, health-plan pressure and identity theft: how scams hit NYC drivers, the red flags, where to report.Read Safety & pointsSerious Crash Rule: When TLC Can Suspend Your LicenseTLC rule 80-14(h): what counts as a Serious Crash, when TLC can suspend your license at once, when revocation is automatic, and how to ask for a hearing.Read Safety & pointsSpeed and Red Light Cameras: What TLC Drivers OweCamera tickets go to the owner, carry no points and skip OATH. See who pays when you lease, what a garage may charge you, and when they matter to TLC.Read Safety & pointsStorms, Travel Bans & Emergencies: A TLC Driver GuideCan you drive during a NYC travel ban or curfew? What the 2026 blizzard order said about for-hire vehicles, past TLC notices, and how to get official alerts.Read Safety & pointsTaxi Safety Gear: Partitions, Trouble Lights & CamerasWhich NYC taxis, green cabs and livery cars need a partition, amber trouble lights or a camera: the specs, the fines, and who may see the camera video.Read Safety & pointsTLC Cell Phone Rule: What Phone Setups Are LegalTLC's phone rule is stricter than state law: even an earbud counts. See which mounted devices taxi, green cab and FHV drivers may use, and what a ticket costsRead

Violation codes

20See all 20
§19-507.1(b)507.1(b): Persistent Violator Suspension (6–9 Points)Suspension of the TLC driver license for up to 30 days when a driver has 6 or more but fewer than 10 TLC and/or DMV points within any 15-month period (Admin Code §19-507.1(b)).§19-507.1(c)507.1(c): TLC License Revocation at 10+ PointsRevocation of the TLC driver license when a driver has 10 or more TLC and/or DMV points within any 15-month period (Admin Code §19-507.1(c)).§54-13(a)(2)Old TLC Rule 54-13(a)(2): Taxi Moving Violation (Pre-2016)Last version of chapter 54 (effective through 10/25/16): $200 if pleaded guilty before a hearing; $300 if found guilty following a hearing.§54-14(e)(1)Old TLC Rule 54-14(e)(1): Taxi Phone Use Code (Pre-2016)Last version of chapter 54 (effective through 10/25/16): $250 if pleaded guilty before a hearing; $350 if found guilty after a hearing; plus a Distracted Driving Course within 60 days of conviction or suspension until completed.§56-13(b)(1)Paratransit Driver Points SuspensionSuspension of the Paratransit Driver's License for up to 30 days when the driver accumulates at least 6 but fewer than 10 TLC and/or DMV points within 15 months.§59A-27(e)FHV owner: no daily vehicle safety check$150 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $200 if found guilty following a hearing.§80-13(a)(1)Stationary (parking/standing) traffic violation1st in 15 months: $100 (plead guilty before hearing) / $200 (found guilty after hearing).§80-13(a)(2)Moving traffic violation (non-hazardous)1st in 15 months: $200 (plead guilty before hearing) / $300 (found guilty after hearing).§80-13(a)(3)(i)(B)TLC Speeding 11–20 mph Over: 80-13(a)(3)(i)(B)$300 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $400 if found guilty after a hearing (each violation).§80-13(a)(3)(vi)TLC Failure to Yield 80-13(a)(3)(vi)$300 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $400 if found guilty after a hearing (each violation).§80-13(a)(3)(vii)Traffic signal violation (red light)$300 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $400 if found guilty after a hearing (each violation).§80-13(a)(3)(viii)Stop sign violation$300 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $400 if found guilty after a hearing (each violation).

Questions

15See all 15
Safety & pointsA Passenger Harassed or Threatened Me: What Can I Do?A passenger harassed or threatened you? Where to report it (app, TLC victim services, police), what evidence to save the same day, and what not to do.Read Safety & pointsCan I Reduce My TLC Points Before My Hearing?Yes: a TLC Point Reduction Course or DMV defensive driving course can take 3 points off, but timing is everything. Finish it before the summons is decided.Read Safety & pointsCan TLC Drivers Keep a Weapon or Pepper Spray in the Car?TLC rule 80-15(a) bans weapons in the vehicle without written permission, and the penalty is revocation. What counts as a weapon, and what about pepper spray.Read Safety & pointsDo I Need to File an MV-104 After a Crash in a TLC Car?Yes, within 10 days, if anyone was hurt or killed or one person's property damage tops $1,000 (your own counts). Plus the TLC copy the owner must send.Read Safety & pointsDo Speed and Red Light Camera Tickets Give TLC Points?No. NYC speed and red light camera tickets are owner fines, not convictions, so they add no DMV or TLC points. Unpaid ones can still block your renewal.Read Safety & pointsHow Do I Get Taxi Camera Footage After an Incident?Taxi cameras only have to keep video 30 days. The installer must give it to the driver on request. Who holds it, how to ask, and what to do if it's gone.Read Safety & pointsHow Long After Drinking Can I Drive a TLC Vehicle?At least six hours after any alcohol or drugs, and you may not even sit in the car. TLC rule 80-14(b) carries revocation. How it differs from DWI law.Read Safety & pointsHow Many Phones Can I Mount in My TLC Vehicle?TLC rule 80-22 device limits: one e-hail phone in a taxi, one or two mounted dispatch phones in an FHV, and when a tap becomes a cell phone charge.Read Safety & pointsHow Much Does Black Car Fund Workers' Comp Pay?Two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to $1,281.50 a week for injuries from July 1, 2026. When pay starts (the 7/14-day rule), medical and Rx.Read Safety & pointsHurt While Driving for Hire in NYC: Who Pays?Injured driving for Uber, a black car, a livery base or a yellow taxi? Which fund or insurer pays your medical bills and lost pay, and the deadlines for each.Read Safety & pointsIs Assaulting a Taxi or Uber Driver a Felony in NY?Not as a special category: NY's assault law doesn't name cab or app drivers, and bills to add them stalled. What the law does add, and how to report.Read Safety & pointsMy App Earnings Went to Someone Else's CardPayouts moved to a card you never added? Secure the account, report it inside the app, file a police report, and know when TLC's Driver Protection Unit helps.Read

Glossary

10All glossary
Critical Driver ProgramA former TLC program that added penalties for DMV points; merged into the Persistent Violator Program by a 2023 rule.DMV PointsPoints the NY DMV (or your home state) puts on your chauffeur's license; TLC adds them to TLC Points under the Persistent Violator Program.IVCS (In-Vehicle Camera System)The TLC-approved security camera inside a taxi or green cab that photographs everyone in the car and keeps images for at least 30 days.Persistent ViolatorA TLC driver who reaches 6+ combined TLC and DMV points within 15 months, triggering suspension (6–9) or revocation (10+) under Rule 80-27.Sammy's LawA 2024 New York State law that lets NYC lower speed limits to 20 mph on individual streets, and to 10 mph on redesigned streets.Taxi partitionA clear shield with a steel lower plate that separates a taxi driver from rear-seat passengers; required unless the cab has the trouble lights, emergency phone and camera exemption.TLC PointsPoints TLC assesses on a driver's TLC license for certain rule violations; they count with DMV points toward Persistent Violator penalties.Trouble lightsTwo flashing amber 'lollipop' lights, front and rear, that a taxi, green cab or livery driver switches on silently to signal distress.Vision ZeroNew York City's initiative, started in 2014, to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries; TLC is one of its member agencies.Vision Zero Safety Honor RollTLC's annual recognition of drivers with five years free of serious crashes, traffic violations and TLC safety-rule violations (1,069 drivers in 2025).

Statistics

3All statistics
Safety & pointsTaxi Crashes in NYPD Data: When and Where They Happen2,608 NYC crashes in 2025 listed a taxi as the first vehicle in NYPD data. See them by hour, weekday, borough and cause, and why Uber cars mostly don't show.See the data Safety & pointsTLC Traffic Summons Statistics: Red Lights to PointsYear-by-year TLC traffic summonses under rule 80-13 (moving, stop sign, red light, speeding, parking), the points each adds, and Persistent Violator trends.See the data Safety & pointsTLC Vehicle Crash Statistics: Crashes, Injuries, DeathsCrashes involving TLC-licensed vehicles by year and industry, from TLC's Local Law 31 data, with the 2020 reporting break and what the numbers can't prove.See the data

Free tools

2All free tools
Safety & pointsCrash Deadline Planner for TLC DriversAnswer four questions about your crash to see every report you owe — owner, insurer, DMV MV-104, TLC copy, injury claim — and the day-count for each deadline.Open tool Safety & pointsTLC Points Calculator: Persistent Violator ProgramAdd TLC and DMV points by conviction date to see your 15-month total under TLC's Persistent Violator Program, when each drops off, and course credits.Open tool

Other topics

OATH hearings & processFines, payments & suspensionsEnforcement & 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 workPay, fees & earnings rulesTaxes for TLC driversDriver rights & help programs

Frequently asked questions

How many points before TLC suspends my license?

Under rule 80-27, 6 to 9 TLC points, DMV points or both combined within 15 months means a suspension of up to 30 days. 10 or more within 15 months means revocation. The 15 months count from the date of conviction.

Can I reduce my points?

Yes. Before suspending or revoking, TLC deducts 3 TLC points if you voluntarily complete a Point Reduction Course, or 3 DMV points for a Defensive Driving Course. The course must be completed before the Persistent Violator summons is decided to count right away.

Do several charges from one stop all count?

For the Persistent Violator Program, if you are found guilty of several violations from a single incident, TLC counts only the one with the highest points (80-27(a)(2)).

How many hours can I drive?

No more than 10 hours of passenger trips in any 24 hours (the count resets after 8 straight hours without passengers) and no more than 60 hours in a Monday-to-Sunday week (80-14(f)).

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (Drivers), §80-13, §80-14, §80-27 nyc.gov
  2. NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status data.cityofnewyork.us

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

GuideTLC Persistent Violator Program: Points & SuspensionHow TLC adds up TLC and DMV points over 15 months under rule 80-27, when your license is suspended or revoked, and how point-reduction courses help.Read GuideDMV Points vs TLC Points: How Both Add Up for DriversOne bad month can put points on two records. See which tickets give DMV points, which give TLC points, how the two counts differ, and where they add together.Read GuideAssaulted or Threatened as a Driver: What to Do NextAttacked, robbed or threatened in your cab or app car? What to do in the first hour, how to save camera video before it's erased, and who pays if you're hurt.Read GuideNYC Speed Limits in 2026: 25, 20, 15 & 10 MPH StreetsNYC speed limits now: the 25 mph default, Sammy's Law 20 mph streets and slow zones, 15 mph school zones, and what speeding costs a TLC driver in points.Read GuideStorms, Travel Bans & Emergencies: A TLC Driver GuideCan you drive during a NYC travel ban or curfew? What the 2026 blizzard order said about for-hire vehicles, past TLC notices, and how to get official alerts.Read GuideTLC Cell Phone Rule: What Phone Setups Are LegalTLC's phone rule is stricter than state law: even an earbud counts. See which mounted devices taxi, green cab and FHV drivers may use, and what a ticket costsRead GuideCrash in a TLC Vehicle? Who You Must Tell, and WhenAfter a crash in a taxi or FHV you have duties at the scene, to the vehicle owner, to the DMV within 10 days and sometimes to TLC. A step-by-step timeline.Read §80-13(a)(2)Moving traffic violation (non-hazardous)1st in 15 months: $200 (plead guilty before hearing) / $300 (found guilty after hearing).