TLC Rule 80-15(d): E-ZPass Required

On this page (9)

What the rule says
Who it applies to
Your personal tag is allowed
The owner rules behind it
OATH counts, with caveats
Penalty and points
What to do if you get this summons
FAQ
Sources

In short: Yes, you can get a TLC summons for E-ZPass. Rule 80-15(d)(1) says you must not drive a taxi, for-hire vehicle or green cab for hire without an E-ZPass tag. Part (d)(2) says you must use E-ZPass at every MTA bridge and tunnel and wherever else E-ZPass is accepted. Part (d)(3) says your own personal tag is fine. The fine is $100 if you plead guilty before the hearing, $150 if found guilty after, and you don't have to appear. In practice these summonses are rare: 22 cases in OATH's records with an 80-15(d) code as the first charge, none after 2020.

What the rule says

From TLC chapter 80, §80-15(d) "E-ZPass® Rules":

(1) A Driver must not operate a Taxicab, For-Hire Vehicle or Street Hail Livery Vehicle for hire that is not equipped with an E-ZPass® tag.

(2) The Taxicab, For-Hire Vehicle or Street Hail Livery Driver must use E-ZPass® at all crossings within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Triboro Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and wherever else E-ZPass® is accepted.

(3) Taxicab, For-Hire Vehicle or Street Hail Livery Drivers may use personal E-ZPass® tags to meet this requirement.

§80-15(d)(1)-(3) Fine: $100 if plead guilty before a hearing; $150 if found guilty following a hearing. Appearance NOT REQUIRED

Parts (d)(4) and (d)(5) are a different violation with a different penalty: forwarding toll money to the tag holder and keeping a replenishment balance. See rule 80-15(d)(4).

Who it applies to

Every TLC-licensed driver of a yellow taxi, green cab (street hail livery) or for-hire vehicle, including Uber and Lyft drivers. The words "for hire" matter: the rule is about operating the vehicle for hire.

Your personal tag is allowed

Part (d)(3) settles the most common question. You may bring your own E-ZPass tag. The owner rules agree:

Taxi owners must equip each cab with an MTA tag or "Allow a Driver to use his or her personal EZ-Pass® tag" (§58-27(b)(1)).
FHV owners: the same choice under §59A-24(b)(1).
If you use your own tag, you keep the toll money the passenger pays, or you are reimbursed when the passenger pays by card (§58-27(c), §59A-24(c)).

Which tag you bring changes your cost. MTA's rate table says E-ZPass rates apply to customers of the E-ZPass New York Customer Service Center (NYCSC) only, and "Non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates" (MTA). For a car at the six major MTA crossings that is $12.03 instead of $7.46 (rates effective January 4, 2026). To check your tag's issuer, see which agency issued my E-ZPass?

The owner rules behind it

The driver rule sits on top of rules for owners and companies. Each has its own summons:

Who must do what about E-ZPass

Who	Rule	What it requires	Penalty
Driver (taxi, FHV, green cab)	80-15(d)(1)-(3)	Tag in the car when driving for hire; use it at MTA crossings and where E-ZPass is accepted; personal tag OK	$100 before hearing / $150 after; no appearance
Taxi medallion owner	58-27(a)-(b)	MTA E-ZPass account; MTA tag in each cab or driver's own tag; 1 MTA tag per medallion; funded balance	$100 and suspension until compliance; appearance required
FHV owner	59A-24(a)-(b)	Same as taxi owners, per FHV license	$100 and suspension until compliance; appearance required
Green cab (SHL) licensee	82-27(a)-(b)	Same idea; may use the affiliated base's account	$100 and suspension until compliance; appearance required
Uber, Lyft (high-volume services)	59D-18(a)	Must not dispatch a vehicle that isn't in the E-ZPass program	$100

Details: rule 58-27 for taxi owners, rule 82-27 for green cabs, and do I need E-ZPass to drive for Uber?

OATH counts, with caveats

TLC Help counted OATH cases with an 80-15(d) code as the first charge (NYC Open Data, jz4z-kudi, queried October 12, 2026; codes merged regardless of upper or lower case):

Read these numbers carefully:

Counts, not outcomes. For taxi and FHV cases, OATH leaves the result and penalty fields blank, so we can't tell you how many were dismissed or paid.
First charge only. An 80-15(d) charge listed second wouldn't be counted.
One more case from 2016 cites just "80-15(d)" with no part number, so it isn't in the tiles above.
Rare is not never. The rule is current and the fine is printed in the rule book.

Tolls touch a real share of trips, which is why the rule exists. In TLC trip records from September 2025 to August 2026, about 11% of app trips, 7% of yellow taxi trips and 4% of green cab trips recorded a toll:

Share of trips with a toll recorded, by sector.

Yellow taxi7
Green cab4
App (high-volume FHV)11

Show data table

Label	Trips with a toll (% of trips)
Yellow taxi	7
Green cab	4
App (high-volume FHV)	11

Source: NYC TLC Trip Record Data (yellow, green, high-volume FHV), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Aggregated by TLC Help from TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 (pickup date; TLC publishes trip files about two months after the month ends and may revise them). 'App' = high-volume for-hire services (Uber, Lyft). Taxi records with a negative fare (reversals) are excluded. Averages, medians and rates use 'clean' trips only: 1 minute to 4 hours, more than 0 and under 150 miles, fare above $0 and under $1,000. Tolls = tolls_amount (taxi) or tolls (app): 'total amount of all tolls paid in trip'. Average toll on tolled trips: Yellow taxi $7.90 (median $7.46); Green cab $7.42 (median $7.46); App (high-volume FHV) $10.04 (median $7.46).

Penalty and points

$100 if you plead guilty before a hearing.
$150 if you are found guilty after a hearing.
Appearance not required.
No points are listed for this rule.

What to do if you get this summons

Reading a TLC driver summons

A simplified illustration. Real summonses differ by issuing agency and year, so fields may sit in different places.

Summons numberThe unique number for this summons. Use it to check the official OATH record (or our summons lookup) and write it on anything you send.
Respondent & licenseWho is charged and their TLC license number. Check both are yours and tell your representative about any error.
Date, time & placeWhen and where the officer says the violation happened. Compare it with your trip records, app history and dashcam.
Rule or law violatedThe TLC rule or NYC law you're charged under, such as §80-13(a)(2). Look the code up in the violation library or the summons decoder to see what it means and the listed penalty.
Hearing date & methodYour OATH hearing date. You must respond by this date — by paying (where allowed) or by having your hearing — or OATH can enter a default. See hearing options.
Appearance requiredSome charges can't simply be paid: you (or your representative) must have a hearing. Check whether this is marked on your summons.
PenaltyIf an amount is shown, check it against the rule. Many TLC rules list a lower amount if you plead guilty before the hearing and a higher one if you're found guilty after it.
Issued byWho wrote the summons: a TLC inspector, Port Authority police, or NYPD. The layout differs by issuing agency.

Check the code. 80-15(D)(1) = no tag in the car. 80-15(D)(2) = didn't use E-ZPass at a crossing.
Find your proof. If you had a tag, the E-ZPass statement for that day is the best evidence: tag number, plate, and crossings read. See using E-ZPass records as evidence. A photo of the mounted tag and the account showing the vehicle's plate help too.
Decide: pay or contest. Pleading guilty before the hearing costs $100; losing at a hearing costs $150. If you have records that show a working tag, contesting may make sense. For help deciding, see should I fight my TLC summons?
Fix it for next time. Mount a NY tag, link the plate to the account, and keep the balance above $0. MTA bills Mid-Tier when a NY tag isn't properly mounted. Full setup: E-ZPass for TLC drivers.

Defenses to discuss with a lawyer (general, not a promise): the car had a working tag that the officer didn't see; the vehicle was not being operated for hire at the time; the tag was a valid personal tag, which (d)(3) allows. Evidence decides these, so bring it.

The toll rule that leads to bigger trouble is overcharging: charging a passenger more than the actual E-ZPass toll is an overcharge under §80-17 (§58-26(f)(3), §59A-23(b)(3)). See rule 80-17(a)(1). All toll pages: tolls.

This page explains TLC rules. It is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a TLC summons for not having E-ZPass?

Yes. Rule 80-15(d)(1) says a driver must not operate a taxi, FHV or green cab for hire without an E-ZPass tag. The fine is $100 if you plead guilty before a hearing and $150 if you are found guilty after one. These summonses are rare: 22 cases in OATH data with an 80-15(d) code as the first charge, all years, none after 2020.

Do I have to go to the hearing?

No. The rule book marks 80-15(d)(1)-(3) as Appearance NOT REQUIRED. You can plead guilty before the hearing for $100, or contest it.

Can I use my own E-ZPass instead of the owner's?

Yes. Rule 80-15(d)(3) says drivers may use personal E-ZPass tags to meet the requirement. The owner rules 58-27(c) and 59A-24(c) add that you then keep the passenger's toll money.

Are there points for this violation?

No points are listed for 80-15(d) in the TLC rule book.

Does an NJ E-ZPass count?

The driver rule says only 'E-ZPass tag' and allows personal tags. But MTA charges tags not issued through the E-ZPass New York Customer Service Center the Tolls by Mail rate, so an out-of-state tag can cost you more at MTA crossings.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on Oct 12, 2026.

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.