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13,377 licensed TLC vehicles were Toyota RAV4s on October 12, 2026: 10,449 for-hire vehicles (FHVs) and 2,928 yellow taxis. The RAV4 is the third most common TLC model and the second most common yellow taxi, after the Toyota Sienna.
The yellow-taxi story is the one to know. RAV4 taxis stop at model-year 2024: since October 18, 2024, new hack-ups must be accessible vehicles, and the RAV4 is not on TLC's approved accessible list. So the 2,928 RAV4 cabs will be replaced by other vehicles as they retire.
Where the numbers come from
TLC's FHV list and authorized medallion vehicle list do not name the make or model. TLC Help decoded each VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder and counted the results. The plug-in hybrid RAV4 Prime decodes as its own model and has its own page. Lists change daily; these numbers are a one-day snapshot.
Model years: taxis stop at 2024, FHVs keep growing
RAV4 yellow taxis climb from 100 (model-year 2018) to 506 (2022), 730 (2023) and 743 (2024), then drop to zero. TLC's hack-up page explains why: "As of October 18, 2024 you are required to hack an accessible vehicle, even if you do not own an accessible medallion." The RAV4 is not on the approved accessible list.
For FHVs there was no such stop. The largest FHV year is 2025 (1,751 cars), and 38.2% of FHV RAV4s are model-year 2024 or newer, compared with about 31% of all FHVs (dataset tlc-vehicle-model-years).
If you drive or lease a RAV4 taxi
A non-accessible taxi has a scheduled retirement date under rule 67-18. When it comes, the owner must hack up an approved accessible vehicle instead. The way the date is calculated, and the one-time hardship extension, are explained in TLC vehicle retirement age. See also can my taxi be a non-accessible car and yellow taxi fleet by model.
Hybrid share
9,571 RAV4s (71.5%) decode as hybrid. That is more than double the hybrid share of the whole FHV fleet (about 30%) and close to the yellow-taxi fleet (about 72%). Among the top Toyota SUVs, the RAV4 is much more hybrid-heavy than the Highlander (25.8%).
Who uses RAV4s
10,249 RAV4s are at black car bases, the base type app trips run through. 195 are at livery bases and 5 at luxury limousine bases. None are marked wheelchair accessible; 83 carry the "PILOT" label in TLC's FHV list, which the dataset does not define.
Putting a RAV4 on an FHV license
- New FHV licenses are only for approved wheelchair accessible vehicles (TLC). A RAV4 does not qualify. See are new TLC plates available.
- If you hold an FHV license, a vehicle transfer moves it to a RAV4. Fees and timing: TLC plates for FHVs.
- After that: inspections three times a year and FHV insurance.
Two fleets, two different futures
The same car is treated very differently depending on the license it carries. On the taxi side, the RAV4 is a closing chapter: no new RAV4 can be hacked up, and each of the 2,928 cabs has a fixed retirement point. On the FHV side, nothing in the hack-up rule applies, and RAV4s keep arriving through vehicle transfers: 800 FHV RAV4s are already model-year 2026.
If you are offered a used RAV4 that is "already TLC," ask which license it is on. A taxi RAV4 belongs to a medallion and cannot simply become your FHV. An FHV RAV4 is only plated because its owner's FHV license is attached to it; the license belongs to that owner, not the car. Before you pay, you can check whether a VIN is currently on TLC's FHV – Active list, and read can I sell or transfer my FHV license.
More: Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Suburban, and every model in TLC fleet by make and model.
Use the lease-vs-buy tool or browse 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.
- Toyota RAV4: licensed TLC vehicles by model year — Active FHVs and authorized medallion taxis that are a Toyota RAV4, 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.
- Toyota RAV4 in the TLC fleet: hybrid, electric or gas — Licensed Toyota RAV4 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
- Toyota RAV4: where it is licensed (FHV base type vs medallion taxi) — Licensed Toyota RAV4 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, 83 PILOT. App-based (high-volume) work generally runs through black car bases.
Frequently asked questions
How many Toyota RAV4s are licensed by the TLC?
13,377 in the October 12, 2026 snapshot: 10,449 for-hire vehicles and 2,928 yellow taxis (11.62% of all TLC vehicles). TLC Help counted them by decoding VINs with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. The plug-in RAV4 Prime is counted separately.
Can a new RAV4 be hacked up as a yellow taxi?
No. Since October 18, 2024 TLC requires every hack-up to be an accessible vehicle, and the RAV4 is not on TLC's approved accessible list (revised October 2, 2026). The data fits: there are 743 RAV4 taxis from model-year 2024 and none from 2025 or 2026.
What happens to the RAV4 taxis already on the road?
They keep working until their scheduled retirement under rule 67-18, and must then be replaced with an approved accessible vehicle. Our retirement-age guide explains how the date is set.
Can I get new FHV plates for a RAV4?
No. New FHV vehicle licenses are only for approved wheelchair accessible vehicles. If you already hold an FHV license, you can move it to a RAV4 with a vehicle transfer.
Are TLC RAV4s mostly hybrids?
Yes, by the VIN decode: 9,571 hybrid (71.5%) and 3,806 gas. That is well above the FHV fleet average of about 30% hybrid.
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: Yellow Cab Hack-Up nyc.gov
- TLC: Approved accessible vehicles (revised Oct 2, 2026) nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 67 (Taxicab Hack-up and Maintenance) nyc.gov
- TLC: Vehicle License Frequently Asked Questions nyc.gov
- TLC: Get a For-Hire Vehicle License 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.