TLC Rule 59A-27(e): FHV Owner Daily Safety Inspection

In short

If you own a TLC-licensed for-hire vehicle, you must check it yourself every day before it's driven: brakes, lights, signals, and passenger seat belts and shoulder belts. A 59A-27(e) summons usually follows an on-street stop that found something broken — a dead brake light, a seat belt that won't latch. The fine is $150 if you plead guilty before the hearing, or $200 if found guilty after. No points, no suspension, and you don't have to appear.

What the rule says

From chapter 59, §59A-27(e), "Daily Personal Inspection by Owner": a for-hire vehicle owner "must not permit a For-Hire Vehicle to be operated without daily personal inspection and reasonable determination that all equipment, including brakes, lights, signals, and Passenger seatbelts and shoulder belts, are in good working order and meet all the requirements of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law and these Rules."

Read closely, the rule asks for two things: a daily inspection, done personally by the owner, and a reasonable determination that the equipment works. It doesn't say "perfect at every moment". A bulb that burns out mid-shift is a different situation from a seat belt that has been broken for weeks — that difference is worth discussing with a representative.

A daily check you can actually do

The rule names four items and then says "all equipment". This checklist covers the named ones plus the obvious extras. It remembers your ticks on this device, and you can print it.

Who it applies to

The FHV owner. That's most app drivers who own their car, and fleet or leasing companies that own the cars their drivers use. Medallion taxis have a similar but differently worded rule, 58-30(a), which requires equipment to be in good working order "while a taxicab is in operation" ($150 / $200, appearance not required).

How often this charge appears

OATH's data shows 2,101 in 2015, a low of around 200 a year from 2018 to 2021, and then a sharp rise: 756 in 2023, 748 in 2024 and 2,060 in 2025. More than 1,000 had already been filed in 2026 when the data was fetched. That pattern suggests on-street equipment checks are back in a big way, though the data can't confirm why.

How these summonses are written

Rule 59A-26(b) lets "any officer or employee of the Commission designated by the Chairperson or any police officer" inspect any for-hire vehicle operating in New York City, on the street, and order it to report to TLC's inspection facility. That is usually where a 59A-27(e) summons comes from: an officer notices a dead light or a broken belt during a stop and writes the owner up for letting the car be driven without a working daily check. The driver at the wheel may get a separate summons under the driver rules in chapter 80 for the same stop. If you are a driver and not the owner, pass the summons to the owner at once — the deadline to respond runs from the date on the summons, not from when the owner sees it.

Common situations

• A brake light or tail light is out at a traffic stop.
• A rear seat belt buckle is broken or the belt is jammed under the seat.
• A turn signal is out on one side.
• A mechanical problem appears mid-shift, after the morning check.

Often the same stop produces more than one summons — for example, a 59A-27(e) to the owner and a separate charge if the vehicle is ordered in for a defect, which can lead to 59A-27(d) if not fixed.

Pay or fight?

This charge has a built-in $50 difference: $150 if you plead guilty before the hearing, $200 if you lose after one. If the defect was real and you have no evidence of a daily check, the lower amount may be the practical choice. If you have dated proof that you inspected the car that day and the failure happened suddenly, or the equipment actually worked, you may want a hearing. Our fight-or-pay tool walks through the questions in general terms. Either way, fix the defect right away — leaving it broken invites the next summons.

After the hearing

If you are found in violation, the fine is due within 30 days of the decision under §59A-02(c). Unpaid fines lead to a written notice that your license will be suspended in 10 business days until you pay — so a $200 equipment ticket can still take your car off the road if it is ignored.

Defenses to discuss with a lawyer (general information)

Not legal advice. Points sometimes raised: you did inspect the car that day (with a log, photo or dashcam clip); the part failed during the shift; the summons doesn't say which equipment was defective; or the equipment was working. See evidence for TLC hearings.

Documents to gather

The summons, any daily check log or dated photos, the repair invoice, and a photo of the fixed part. See the vehicle and equipment summons guide and our page for Uber and Lyft drivers. Missed periodic inspections are a different rule: 59A-26(a)(1).