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626 Nissan Altimas held TLC licenses on October 12, 2026. All are for-hire vehicles (FHVs), all decode as gas, and none are yellow taxis. The Altima ranks 26th among TLC models and is the second most common Nissan after the NV200 van.
What sets the Altima apart is age. A quarter of TLC Altimas (157 cars) are model-year 2016 or older, about two and a half times the share for all FHVs. Very few new ones are joining: only 31 are 2024 or 2025 models, and none are 2026.
Where the count comes from
TLC's FHV list and taxi vehicle list give VINs but no models, so we decoded each VIN with NHTSA's vPIC. Counts reflect one day.
Model years: an older, thinning fleet
The biggest years are 2020 (108) and 2022 (93), but the fleet is spread widely: 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 each have 55 to 70 cars. After 2022 the numbers fall to 25, 21 and 10. Only 5.0% are 2024 or newer, against about 31% of all FHVs.
If you drive an older Altima, the first question is how long it can stay licensed. TLC's age rules are explained in TLC vehicle retirement age; check your own car's date there before you sign a long lease or buy one used.
All gas: what EPA says
fueleconomy.gov rates the 2020 Altima with the 2.5-liter engine and front-wheel drive at 32 mpg combined (28 city, 39 highway); the AWD version is rated 30. That is good for a gas sedan, but city driving is where hybrids gain most. The EV vs hybrid guide and lease-vs-buy tool help you compare with your own mileage.
Base types
611 (97.6%) are at black car bases and 15 (2.4%) at livery bases. None are at luxury limousine bases and none are marked wheelchair accessible.
The livery share is a little above the 2.0% for all FHVs. Chapter 59 defines a livery base as one that dispatches only pre-arranged trips, uses vehicles designed to carry fewer than six passengers, and charges by flat rate, time, mileage or zones. A regular sedan like the Altima fits that kind of work. If you are thinking of moving from app work to a local car service, read FHV base affiliation.
Safety rules that hit older cars hardest
Worn parts show up first at inspection and on the street. Chapter 59 (PDF) sets these rules:
- Unsafe or unfit vehicles (59A-27(a)). If TLC finds the car unsafe, it takes the decals. If the DMV or another DMV inspection station finds it unsafe, you must return the decals to TLC within 72 hours. Driving it anyway can bring a $100–$350 fine, up to 30 days' suspension and suspension until you fix it.
- On-street inspections (59A-26(b)). TLC inspectors and police may inspect an FHV on the street and send it to TLC's facility.
- Three inspections a year (59A-26(a)). At least once every four months. See TLC vehicle inspection.
When the Altima is off duty, anyone with a valid state license may drive it for personal reasons, per TLC's vehicle license FAQ. It still has TLC plates, so if an inspector believes it is carrying paying riders, it can be stopped and summonsed. More: can I drive a TLC car for personal use.
Read about the Toyota Avalon, Ford Fusion, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Sonata, and see every model in TLC fleet by make and model.
More in the vehicles topic.
Data on this page
Aggregates of public data. They describe trips and vehicles, never individual people.
TLC's vehicle lists have no make/model column, so TLC Help decoded the VIN of every licensed vehicle with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (one representative VIN per manufacturer + model-descriptor + model-year pattern) and published only counts. 5 of 115,081 vehicles (0%) could not be decoded to a model and are left out. vPIC sometimes reports trim-family names (e.g. 'RX' not 'RX 350h'); powertrain comes from vPIC's electrification/fuel fields and may misclassify a few model years. Snapshot lists change daily.
- Nissan Altima: licensed TLC vehicles by model year — Active FHVs and authorized medallion taxis that are a Nissan Altima, by model year.NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026Model year from TLC's vehicle_year / model_year columns. Age limits for TLC vehicles come from TLC rules, not this chart.
- Nissan Altima in the TLC fleet: hybrid, electric or gas — Licensed Nissan Altima vehicles by powertrain (from decoded VINs).NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026
- Nissan Altima: where it is licensed (FHV base type vs medallion taxi) — Licensed Nissan Altima vehicles by fleet: FHVs by the type of base they are affiliated with, and medallion taxis.NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026Wheelchair-accessible (FHV list): 0 WAV, 0 PILOT. App-based (high-volume) work generally runs through black car bases.
Frequently asked questions
How many Nissan Altimas are licensed by the TLC?
626 on October 12, 2026, all for-hire vehicles and 0.54% of all TLC vehicles. TLC Help counted them by decoding each VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder.
Are there hybrid Altimas in the TLC fleet?
No. All 626 decode as gas. By comparison, 38.1% of TLC Camrys and 32.8% of TLC Accords decode as hybrid.
How old are the Altimas on TLC plates?
Older than most. The median model year is 2019, and 157 cars (25.1%) are 2016 or older, compared with about 10% of all FHVs. Only 31 are 2024 or 2025 models.
Can my family drive my TLC Altima?
Yes, for personal use, if they hold a valid state driver license. TLC warns that inspectors or police can stop and summons the car if they believe it is being used for hire.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- NYC Open Data: For Hire Vehicles (FHV) – Active (8wbx-tsch) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NYC Open Data: Medallion Vehicles – Authorized (rhe8-mgbb) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder API vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 59 (For-Hire Vehicles), updated Feb 27, 2026 nyc.gov
- TLC: Vehicle License Frequently Asked Questions nyc.gov
- fueleconomy.gov: 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 L fueleconomy.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.