TLC Rule 59A-29(a): FHV Decals Missing or Wrong

In short

A TLC-licensed for-hire vehicle must show three valid TLC license decals, put on by TLC staff, in specific spots on the windows. If one is missing, expired, damaged or in the wrong place, the owner can get a 59A-29(a) summons: $500 for a first offense in 12 months, and $1,000 plus suspension for a repeat within 12 months. That is one of the highest fixed fines in the FHV owner chapter for what is often a simple problem — so replace a lost or damaged decal before an inspector notices.

What the rule says

Section 59A-29 of chapter 59, "Vehicles – Markings & Advertising", begins with "Valid License Decals":

• (a)(1) Three valid decals must be "plainly visible and affixed" — one on the lower front right side of the windshield, and one on the lower rear corner of each of the two rear quarter windows. With no rear quarter windows, they go on the lower rear window just above the rear door. The decals "must be affixed by Commission staff."
• (a)(2) New decals are placed by TLC's Safety and Emissions Division when the license is renewed, or if the vehicle is replaced, changes affiliation, or changes its license plates.
• (a)(3) Luxury limousines need only one decal, on the lower right of the front windshield.

When you need new decals

All of these go through TLC's Safety and Emissions facility at 24-55 BQE West, Woodside, NY 11377, listed on TLC's vehicle inspections page.

Replacing a lost or damaged decal

TLC's licensed vehicles FAQ explains the steps if a decal is "lost, stolen, damaged, or mutilated":

A $25 replacement now is far cheaper than a $500 summons later.

The penalty, and the 12-month repeat rule

The owner penalty counts offenses within a 12-month period, so a second decal summons a few months after the first is much more expensive and also suspends the vehicle license until it's fixed. A base has the same duty under 59B-29(a): bases must not dispatch a vehicle that doesn't meet the decal rule.

Other markings in the same section

Section 59A-29 covers much more than the three license decals, and inspectors often check several items at once. A quick tour of the rest, from the rule book:

• (b) a valid state registration sticker on the left front windshield ($100);
• (c) a NYS inspection sticker with at least eight months left ($100, suspension until corrected and 1 penalty point — see 59A-29(c));
• (d) no part of an FHV may be taxi yellow, and only valid street hail liveries may use apple green ($350 first, $500 second within 24 months, revocation on a third within 36 months);
• (g) livery vehicles must show base name, license number and phone number on the doors or rear ($25; black cars and luxury limousines are exempt);
• (j) the interior "Turning? People are Crossing." sticker behind the rearview mirror ($75);
• (o) decals inside both rear doors warning passengers to look for cyclists ($50 or $75, with no penalty if fixed within 10 days).

Who it applies to

The FHV owner, plus — separately — the base that dispatches the car. App drivers who own their car are owners. If you lease a car, check the decals before you take it; a missing decal can also bring trouble at an on-street stop.

Common situations

• A windshield was replaced and the front decal went with the old glass.
• The car changed bases or plates, but the owner didn't go to Woodside for new decals.
• The decal was scraped or peeled during cleaning or tinting.
• The license was renewed and the old, expired decals stayed on.
• The owner moved a decal from a damaged window themselves — the rule says only TLC staff may affix them.

Defenses to discuss with a lawyer (general information)

Not legal advice. A representative may ask: Were all three decals present and valid but hard to see? Is the car a luxury limousine needing only one? Is this really a second offense within 12 months, which changes the fine and adds a suspension? Was a replacement already requested before the summons? See what TLC must prove.

Documents to gather

The summons; dated photos of all three decal locations; any replacement request, LARS payment receipt and Woodside confirmation; and windshield repair invoices. For the full marking rules, read our decals and trade dress guide, plus the guides on TLC plates and changing base affiliation. The inspection sticker is a separate rule, 59A-29(c).