§19-504(g): TLC Vehicle License Revocation for Nonuse

In short: §19-504(g) is not a driving offense. It is the City law that lets TLC revoke a vehicle license for nonuse: when the vehicle "has not been operated for sixty consecutive days," or when the owner sold the vehicle and did not replace it "within one hundred and twenty days from the date of sale." If you got a summons citing it, TLC is asking OATH to take away a vehicle license. Respond, and bring proof that the vehicle was in use or that an exception applies.

What the law says

Admin Code §19-504(g): "The commission may revoke any license for nonuse in the event it shall determine that the vehicle has not been operated for sixty consecutive days, provided that such failure to operate shall not have been caused by strike, riot, war or other public catastrophe or other act beyond the control of the owner; or in the event the owner has sold his or her vehicle and has failed to replace the vehicle within one hundred and twenty days from the date of sale. However, in the event that it is shown to the commission by competent proof that an owner-driver has been disabled through illness, his or her license shall not be revoked because of such nonuse."

Note the word "may": the law gives TLC the power to revoke, it does not force revocation in every case.

Related TLC rules

TLC's rule chapters add their own non-use triggers for specific vehicle types. These are separate from §19-504(g) but often travel with it:

If your summons cites 59A-08(c)(2) (insurance lapse) or a similar rule, the fix is often to show the coverage, affiliation or inspection was in place. See FHV insurance requirements and base affiliation.

How often it appears

Two things stand out in the data. First, all 12,994 summonses with this code as the first charge were issued by TLC, not police or Port Authority, which fits a records-based case. Second, the counts come in waves: 3,459 in 2016, a low of 216 in 2022, then 1,933 in 2024 and 1,655 in 2025. The data does not explain the waves; they may reflect when TLC reviewed its records. By early October 2026, 833 more had been filed.

Situations that lead here

Nonuse cases usually start with ordinary life, not misconduct. Common examples:

• The car was in the shop for months. A long repair can push a vehicle past 60 days without trips. Repair invoices with dates help show what happened, and whether it was beyond your control is for the judge to decide.
• You sold or totaled the car and never replaced it. The 120-day replacement clock runs from the date of sale.
• You were sick. The law protects an owner-driver disabled through illness, if you can show "competent proof." That usually means medical records covering the dates.
• The paperwork lapsed. For FHVs, losing base affiliation, insurance or inspections for 60 days is its own non-use trigger under rule 59A-08(c), even if you kept driving.

Vehicle nonuse vs. driver nonuse

Don't mix this up with your driver license. A different section, §19-505(i), lets TLC revoke a driver's license for nonuse if the driver "has not worked at least twenty-five days as a licensed driver in the calendar year preceding" the decision. It has the same strike, riot, war and catastrophe exceptions, and the same illness protection with competent proof. If your notice is about your driver license, the 25-day test applies, not the 60-day vehicle test.

After a revocation

A revoked vehicle license can affect future applications. For street hail liveries, rule 82-09(g) says that if an applicant had a previous SHL or other TLC vehicle license revoked, the Chairperson may deny the application if the revocation shows the applicant is not fit to hold a license. Read the decision carefully and keep a copy.

What to do now

• Don't ignore it. TLC's summons page warns that if you do not appear, a judge may find you guilty in your absence. Here that could mean losing the vehicle license.
• Know which tribunal. OATH's guide says TLC license cases are heard by OATH and that some, like fitness and compliance cases, go to the OATH Trials Division. Read your notice for the place and format.
• Check the record with our summons lookup.

Points to discuss with your lawyer

General information only:

• Did the vehicle actually stop operating for 60 consecutive days? Records may show otherwise.
• Was the cause beyond your control? The law names strike, riot, war and public catastrophe, plus "other act beyond the control of the owner."
• Owner-driver illness. The law protects an owner-driver disabled through illness, with competent proof.
• What happens to the license after revocation? Ask about revocation and any chance to reapply.