On this page (6)
In short: Every TLC vehicle has its own license, separate from the driver's, and its own rule chapter: 58 for yellow taxis, 59A for for-hire vehicles (and 59B for their bases), and 82 for green cabs. The rules owners most need to watch are about inspections (miss one and the license can be suspended), insurance, and base affiliation. These summonses usually go to the vehicle owner, but if you drive a leased or rented car, a suspended vehicle stops you too.
Inspection schedules at a glance
Our TLC vehicle inspection guide covers what is checked and what to do if you fail. The summonses: 58-29(b) for taxis, 59A-26(a)(1) for FHVs, 82-30(b) for green cabs, and the defect follow-ups 58-30(b) and 59A-27(d).
How old is the fleet?
Age matters most for taxis: a non-accessible yellow taxi must be retired about seven years (84 months) after hack-up, while accessible taxis have no set date and TLC's current rules set no retirement age for FHVs. This chart compares the model years of the two fleets:
Check your own vehicle's limit in TLC vehicle retirement age before you buy or lease.
If you drive a car you don't own
Most vehicle summonses are written to the owner, but they reach you anyway: a car with a suspended license cannot work, whoever is behind the wheel. Before you lease or rent a TLC vehicle, ask the owner for the next inspection date, proof of current insurance and the base it is affiliated with. During the lease, tell the owner at once about any defect notice or TLC letter you see in the car, and keep copies of what you hand over. If a summons names you for something that was the owner's duty, bring the lease and those messages to your hearing.
Owners have duties toward drivers too. A for-hire vehicle owner must not let the car be dispatched with a driver who lacks a valid TLC license (59A-11(b)(1)), so expect to be asked for your licenses, and keep them current.
Guides in this topic
- Owning or leasing: buying or leasing a TLC vehicle, TLC plates for FHVs, decals and trade dress, dashcams.
- Staying licensed: FHV insurance requirements, base affiliation, and the insurance summonses 59A-12(a) and 59A-08(c)(2).
- Summonses: vehicle, equipment and inspection summonses, ignoring TLC directives, and revocation for nonuse.
- Getting a vehicle license now: new FHV licenses are limited; see the FHV license cap explained. Electric cars have their own hub, EVs, and taxi owners will find medallion rules in medallions.
- By vehicle type: black car, livery, green cab and yellow taxi drivers.
Inspection and directive charges are among the codes most often listed first on taxi and FHV summonses at OATH. See the enforcement hub for who writes them.
Everything in this topic
Vehicles & basesBuying or Leasing a TLC Vehicle: Rules Before You SignA used car with TLC plates has no license attached. Who can get a new FHV license now, the lease rights TLC gives drivers, and a checklist before you sign.Read Vehicles & basesCommercial Motor Vehicle Tax (CMVT) for TLC VehiclesNYC's Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax is $400 a year for taxis and FHVs. Who counts as the owner, the June 20 due date, who collects it, and why TLC lists $800.Read Vehicles & basesCOVID Livery Recovery Act: Renew an Expired LicenseLivery FHV licenses that expired from March 7, 2020 to Sept. 12, 2022 got a one-year chance to renew. Who qualifies, the limits, costs and if it's still open.Read Vehicles & basesDashcams in TLC Vehicles: What the Rules AllowCan NYC taxi and Uber/Lyft drivers use a dashcam? TLC camera (IVCS) rules, required decals, who gets the footage, audio cautions, and using video at OATH.Read Vehicles & basesFHV Base Affiliation: Rules, Base Transfers & RisksWhy every NYC for-hire vehicle needs one base, how to switch bases ($25), when you can take other bases' trips, and the 60-day rule that can end your license.Read Vehicles & basesFHV License Storage: Pause Your Plates for Up to 90 DaysTLC's short-term FHV storage program: who qualifies, the 60-day plate surrender window, how to enter and leave in TLC UP, and the $300 fine for overstaying.Read Vehicles & basesFHV Owner Duties: Daily Inspection, Plates, VIN MatchFHV owners get summonses without driving: daily inspection, matching plates and VIN, 48-hour plate reports, rear shoulder belts. Each duty and its fine.Read Vehicles & basesFHV Vehicle Penalty Points: The 4-Point Revocation RuleHow FHV vehicle license penalty points work: the five violations that carry a point, why 4 points in one term means revocation, and how points follow renewal.Read Vehicles & basesHow an FHV License Gets Revoked for Non-UseTLC must revoke FHV plates after 60+ days without a base, insurance or required inspections (Rule 59A-08(c)). The three clocks and how to stay safe.Read Vehicles & basesHow to Get New TLC Plates in 2026: The WAV-Only RouteIn 2026 new FHV plates are only for wheelchair accessible vehicles. All 9 steps, the 45-day deadline, documents, costs ($0 to $875) and the routes now closed.Read Vehicles & basesOwning a Green Cab: SHL Permit Rules, Fees and RenewalsFor green cab owners: how the SHL permit and FHV license fit together, two renewal dates, the $540 vs $900 fee question, 6-month inspections and storage.Read Vehicles & basesRegistering a TLC Vehicle in NJ, PA or CTTLC lets FHVs be registered in NJ, PA or CT, not just NY. The extra rules: for-hire plates first, TLC insurance, seating on the registration and $800 CMVT.Read
§19-504(g)TLC Vehicle License Revocation for NonusePenalty: see rule page§58-15(i)(1)Medallion Owner Ignored TLC Directive$300 and suspension until compliance.§58-29(b)Taxicab missed tri-annual inspectionCumulative by days past the inspection due date: 0–30 days $100 and suspension until compliance; 31–60 days $100–$250 and suspension; 61–120 days $250–$500 and suspension; more than 120 days $500 and/or revocation.§58-30(b)Taxicab owner: not correcting a defect after a TLC notice$50 and suspension until the defective condition is corrected.§58-39(e)(3)(i)Taximeter not tested within 12 months$150 if you plead guilty before a hearing; $200 if found guilty following a hearing.§59A-08(c)(2)FHV Revoked for Insurance LapsePenalty: see rule page§59A-12(a)FHV Insurance Not Maintained$150–$350 and/or suspension up to 30 days.§59A-13(j)(1)FHV owner: not complying with TLC directives or summonses$300 and suspension until compliance.§59A-26(a)(1)FHV missed tri-annual inspection$100 and suspension of the vehicle owner license until any defect found is corrected or until the vehicle passes inspection (including any applicable NYS DOT inspection).§59A-27(d)FHV owner: not correcting a defect after a TLC notice$50 and suspension until the defective condition is corrected.§59A-29(a)FHV Decals Missing or Wrong$500 for the first offense in 12 months; $1,000 for the second and subsequent offenses within a 12-month period and suspension of the For-Hire Vehicle License until compliance.§59A-29(c)FHV Inspection Sticker Under 8 MonthsVehicle owner: $100 and suspension of the vehicle owner license until any defect found is corrected.
Vehicles & basesAre Green Cabs Still Around in NYC?Yes, but very few: about 600 green cabs and 1,300–1,600 trips a day in 2025–26, mostly street hails in East Harlem and upper Manhattan. Numbers and sources.Read Vehicles & basesCan a Two-Door Car Be Licensed by TLC?No. TLC rule 59A-28(c) says no for-hire vehicle can be a two-door car; the penalty is suspension of the owner's license. Other body rules your car must meet.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Change Bases While Renewing My FHV License?Yes. TLC lets you file a base transfer with your FHV vehicle renewal. The $25 fee, the 24-hour payment rule, who signs, and why no extra inspection is needed.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Get New TLC Plates in 2026?Only for a wheelchair accessible vehicle. TLC's Feb 2026 review kept the FHV cap: 1,206 of 1,241 new licenses were WAV-only. Here are your real options.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Insure My TLC Car With Any Insurance Company?Not any company: TLC needs a New York-authorized insurer, a TLC-approved policy form, 24/7 coverage and an FH-1 in the owner's name. But no rule names one.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Pause My TLC Plates While I Travel Abroad?Going abroad? Store your FHV license for up to 90 days, surrender plates first, watch your renewal date, and keep up your driver license drug test.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Rent TLC Plates to Put on My Own Car?"TLC plates for rent" ads explained: an FHV license belongs to one vehicle and one SSN or EIN. What the rules allow instead, and red flags before you pay.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Sell or Transfer My TLC Plates (FHV License)?No. TLC says an FHV license is not transferable and stays with the original SSN or EIN. What you can change, and how medallions and SHL permits differ.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Use My Personal Car for Uber or Lyft in NYC?Not unless the car has its own TLC for-hire vehicle license. Driving an unlicensed car for hire can mean a $350 TLC fine, a $1,500 civil penalty and seizure.Read Vehicles & basesCan I Use My TLC-Plated Car for Personal Trips?Yes. TLC says anyone with a valid state license may drive a TLC car for personal use, but inspectors can stop it if it seems to be working. Rules that apply.Read Vehicles & basesCan My Car Work While Its FHV Renewal Is Pending?Only until the expiration date. After that, a TLC car can't work until its renewal is approved and it passes inspection (Rule 59A-06). Dates, fines and tips.Read Vehicles & basesCan Someone Else Drive My TLC Car or Use My App Login?Letting someone use your TLC license or app login means a $10,000 fine and revocation. When another driver may take your car, and the $250 and $50 rules.Read
Base AffirmationThe online confirmation an FHV base submits to TLC for a vehicle before the owner can apply for a new FHV vehicle license.Black CarA for-hire vehicle affiliated with a black car base or a High-Volume For-Hire Service; trips are always pre-arranged.Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax (CMVT)New York City's yearly tax on commercial vehicles, including taxis and for-hire vehicles that carry passengers; $400 a year for passenger vehicles (NYC Finance).DMV Plate LetterThe letter TLC issues (on TLC UP and by email) that lets the NYS DMV give a vehicle 'TC' for-hire plates and registration.Double-Shift InsuranceTaxi insurance coverage TLC rule 58-13(d)(2) requires for fleets, minifleets and independent owners whose cab runs more than one shift a day.FH-1The for-hire vehicle insurance certificate, in the owner's name, that TLC must have on file for every licensed vehicle.FHVFor-Hire Vehicle: a TLC-licensed car or van (20 or fewer seats) that may only carry pre-arranged passengers through a licensed base.FHV license capTLC's limit on new for-hire vehicle licenses since August 2018; today only WAV-restricted licenses are issued.Hack-UpOutfitting a vehicle as a yellow taxi and getting TLC approval for it to serve on a medallion for the first time; since Oct 18, 2024 only accessible vehicles may be hacked up.Lease-to-Own (Conditional Purchase)A vehicle lease in which part of each payment goes toward buying the car, with title passing to the driver once the purchase payments are complete.LiveryA for-hire vehicle affiliated with a livery base; pre-arranged trips only, priced by flat rate, time, mileage or zones.Luxury LimousineA for-hire vehicle affiliated with a TLC Luxury Limousine Base: pre-arranged trips only, 20 or fewer seats, mostly non-cash, charged garage to garage.
Vehicles & basesFHV License Cap by the Numbers: 2019–2026FHV licenses in good standing at each TLC review (120,126 in 2019 to 103,618 in 2026), new licenses by type, expirations, EV counts and every review decision.See the data Vehicles & basesGreen Cab (Boro Taxi) Statistics: Rise and DeclineHow many green cabs are left: trips fell from 52,723 a day in 2015 to 1,582 in 2025, about 600 cars a month. Top pickup zones and the hail vs dispatch split.See the data Vehicles & basesNYC TLC Fleet by Make and Model (2026)Every NYC for-hire car by make and model, from 104,845 decoded VINs: Camry 16%, Sienna 12%, RAV4 10%, Model Y 6%. Fuel types, WAVs, model years.See the data Vehicles & basesTLC Vehicle Inspection StatisticsAbout 1 in 4 FHVs fail their first TLC licensing inspection (23–26% since 2022). Taxi inspection schedules by month and summons counts for late inspections.See the data Vehicles & basesTLC Vehicle Insurance Market Share by CarrierWho insures NYC's 115,528 TLC vehicles: American Transit 67%, Hereford 21%, then a long tail. Counted from TLC's daily insurance file, Oct 2026.See the data Vehicles & basesTLC Vehicle Owner Summonses: Inspections & DirectivesOATH data on summonses for FHV and medallion owners: missed inspections, ignored TLC directives, defects, insurance and nonuse, with the rule behind each.See the data Vehicles & basesTLC Vehicle Statistics: FHVs, Medallion Taxis, BasesHow many for-hire vehicles, medallion taxis and bases TLC licenses, how old the fleets are, how many are accessible or electric, and how many are active.See the data Vehicles & basesWheelchair Accessible Ride Requests on Uber/Lyft: DataOnly about 0.3% of Uber and Lyft trips are wheelchair accessible requests, yet 1 in 10 runs in a WAV. Monthly data, WAV pay rates and what drivers can expect.See the data Vehicles & basesWheelchair Accessible Taxis and FHVs: NYC Fleet DataHow many NYC taxis and for-hire cars are wheelchair accessible (6,385 of 10,236 authorized taxis), the court-ordered deadlines, WAV models and app WAV trips.See the data
Vehicles & basesBlack Car Drivers in NYC: TLC Rules, Bases & SummonsesWhat makes a car a 'black car' under TLC rules, how your base affects you, the Black Car Fund, and the dispatch and airport rules behind black car summonses.Read Vehicles & basesLivery Car Drivers: TLC Rules for Car Service DriversDrive for a neighborhood car service? The TLC rules for livery cars: base signs, distress lights, quoted fares, license display and the street-hail ban.Read
Vehicles & basesAcura MDX: 424 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules424 Acura MDXs are TLC-licensed, 99% at black car bases, with fewer new ones each year since 2022. Model years, premium-fuel EPA ratings, insurance minimums.Read Vehicles & basesCadillac Escalade ESV: 2,156 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules2,156 Escalade ESVs are TLC-licensed, and 1 in 5 works for a luxury limousine base, the top share of any model. Base types, diesel and insurance tiers.Read Vehicles & basesCadillac XT6: 1,372 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules1,372 Cadillac XT6s are TLC-licensed, all gas and none newer than model-year 2025. Base types, how it compares with other luxury SUVs, and plate rules.Read Vehicles & basesCadillac XTS: 181 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules181 Cadillac XTS sedans hold TLC plates and 108 of them are 2019s, the final model year. EPA mpg for FWD, AWD and Limo versions, base types and plate rules.Read Vehicles & basesChevrolet Equinox: 654 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules654 Chevy Equinoxes hold TLC plates: three in four are 2022–2023 models, and 31 decode as battery electric. Fleet data, EPA ratings and the EV license rules.Read Vehicles & basesChevrolet Malibu: 344 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules344 Chevy Malibus hold TLC plates, almost all gas and 42% from model year 2022 alone. Base types, EPA mileage, and the plate rules if you switch to one.Read Vehicles & basesChevrolet Suburban: 4,716 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules4,716 Chevrolet Suburbans are TLC-licensed, all FHVs, nearly half model-year 2024 or newer. Base types, the diesel count and the seating rules to check.Read Vehicles & basesChevrolet Traverse: 666 TLC Cars, WAV Data & Rules666 Chevy Traverses hold TLC plates and 28 are marked wheelchair accessible. It is the only SUV on TLC's approved WAV list. Fleet data and the rules.Read Vehicles & basesChrysler Voyager: 295 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules295 Chrysler Voyagers hold TLC licenses and 244 are flagged wheelchair accessible. Approved Voyager/Pacifica conversions, model years, and WAV plate rules.Read Vehicles & basesFord Escape: 911 TLC Cars, Taxi & FHV Data911 Ford Escapes hold TLC licenses and 508 are yellow taxis, mostly 2021–2023 hybrids. Why no new Escape cabs can join, the FHV age mix, and the rules.Read Vehicles & basesFord Expedition MAX: 369 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules369 Ford Expedition MAXs are TLC-licensed, 107 of them 2024 models and 31 at luxury limo bases. Fleet data, EPA mpg and the TLC fees for switching into one.Read Vehicles & basesFord Explorer: 308 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules308 Ford Explorers hold TLC plates, and 27% are model year 2016 or older, three times the FHV rate. Model years, EPA mpg, and inspection rules for older SUVs.Read
Other topics
OATH hearings & processFines, payments & suspensionsTraffic safety, points & camerasEnforcement & unlicensed activityPassengers & service rulesGetting & keeping a TLC licenseApps, 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 often does a TLC vehicle need inspection?
Yellow taxis every four months (rule 58-29(b)); for-hire vehicles three times a year, at least once every four months (rule 59A-26(a)); green cabs every six months (chapter 82).
Who gets a vehicle summons, the driver or the owner?
Vehicle rules in chapters 58 (taxis), 59A (for-hire vehicles) and 82 (green cabs) are written for the vehicle licensee, so those summonses usually go to the owner. If you own your vehicle, those owner summonses are yours too.
What happens if a taxi misses its inspection?
Rule 58-29(b) says the owner's license is summarily suspended, and fines grow with time: $100 up to 30 days late, rising to $500 and/or revocation after 120 days.
Can my FHV be affiliated with two bases?
No. For-hire vehicles can only affiliate with one base at a time. Our FHV base affiliation guide explains transfers and the 60-day revocation risk.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 58 (Medallion Taxicab Service), §58-29 nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (For-Hire Service), §59A-26 nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book, Chapter 82 (Street Hail Livery Service) nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: For Hire Vehicles (FHV) - Active data.cityofnewyork.us
- NYC Open Data: Medallion Vehicles - Authorized 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.