TLC Rule 80-19(a)(4)(iv): Cruising Where It's Banned

On this page (12)

What the rule says
How (iv) differs from the other three
Words that matter
Who it applies to
How often it is charged
Common situations
Is (iv) the right code?
Penalty and points
Points to discuss with your lawyer
Related pages
FAQ
Sources

In short: Rule 80-19(a)(4)(iv) is the catch-all no-cruising rule for yellow taxis. It bans soliciting passengers, or cruising to find them, "in any area of the City of New York where Taxicab cruising is prohibited." The fine is $100 if you plead guilty before a hearing or $150 after one, with no points listed. The rule itself does not say where those areas are. So the most important thing on this summons is the place written on it.

What the rule says

From §80-19(a)(4) of the TLC Chapter 80 rule book:

A Driver of a Taxicab must not solicit or cruise for the purpose of soliciting Passengers: (i) At Kennedy, La Guardia or Newark Airports (ii) Within 100 feet of any authorized Taxi Stand (iii) Within the private streets of Lincoln Center (iv) In any area of the City of New York where Taxicab cruising is prohibited

Penalty for all four: "$100 if plead guilty before a hearing; $150 if found guilty following a hearing. Appearance NOT REQUIRED."

How (iv) differs from the other three

The four places in §80-19(a)(4)

Sub-code	Where	Summonses 2016 – Oct 2026	Who wrote them
(i)	JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports	869	TLC 537, Port Authority Police 332
(ii)	Within 100 feet of an authorized taxi stand	228	TLC 224, Port Authority Police 4
(iii)	Private streets of Lincoln Center	1	TLC
(iv)	Any NYC area where taxi cruising is prohibited	81	TLC 81

Counts are summonses with the code as the first charge, from our query of the OATH case data on October 12, 2026. Another 21 summonses in 2016–2017 cite "80-19(a)(4)" without a sub-code.

Sub-codes (i) to (iii) name a place. Sub-code (iv) does not: it borrows a prohibition from somewhere else — another law, a rule or a posted restriction — and makes cruising there a TLC violation too. If your summons says (iv), it should be possible to say which prohibition applied at that spot. If it can't be identified, that is a point to raise.

Words that matter

Solicit — try to get a passenger, for example by signalling or stopping for a hail. A "hail" is a request "for on-demand Taxicab or Street Hail Livery service" by calling out, raising a hand or using an e-hail app, by "a person who is currently ready to travel" (TLC Chapter 51).
Cruise for the purpose of soliciting — driving around empty to find a hail.
Note that Chapter 51's defined term "Cruising" is about for-hire vehicles: "the time a For-Hire Vehicle spends available to receive dispatches." That is a different meaning used for FHV pay and data. Our cruising glossary entry explains both.

Who it applies to

Drivers of yellow medallion taxis. The rule sits in §80-19(a), "Limits on Driver Solicitation of Passengers in Taxicabs." Green cab hail limits are in §80-19(b) (for example, no hails in Manhattan below East 96th/West 110th Streets), and FHVs may not take hails anywhere (§80-19(c)).

How often it is charged

Summonses citing 80-19(a)(4)(iv) by year

First-listed charge. All 81 were written by TLC. No summonses in 2016, 2017 or 2023; 2026 runs to October 12.

Summonses

Show data table

Label	Summonses (summonses)
2018	1
2019	19
2020	16
2021	17
2022	14
2023	0
2024	5
2025	8
2026	1

Source: NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi), queried 2026-10-12

It is a rarely written code: 14 to 19 a year from 2019 to 2022 and only a handful since 2023. The OATH data does not record where summonses were written or how they ended, so it can't show which areas are enforced or how many were dismissed.

Common situations

Driving empty and slowly along a street or private road that is closed to taxi cruising, looking for a fare.
Picking up a hail inside an area with posted restrictions, such as a private campus road or a venue road during an event.
Being charged under (iv) when the place was really an airport, a taxi stand or Lincoln Center, which have their own codes.

Is (iv) the right code?

Check the code against the place

Answer a few questions · general information, not legal advice

Question 1Where were you when you were stopped?

Where were you when you were stopped?

At JFK, LaGuardia or Newark
Note: What this means for you
Airports have their own sub-code, (a)(4)(i). Note the mismatch and discuss it with your representative.
Near a taxi stand
Note: What this means for you
Cruising within 100 feet of a stand is (a)(4)(ii). Note the mismatch and measure the distance.
On Lincoln Center's private streets
Note: What this means for you
Lincoln Center's private streets are (a)(4)(iii). Note the mismatch.
Somewhere else
Does the summons (or the officer's notes) say why cruising was prohibited there?
- Yes
  Good to know: What this means for you
  Check that prohibition yourself: a sign at the spot, a posted restriction or a rule. Photograph it, with the date.
- No
  Watch out: What this means for you
  Ask for the basis. Rule (iv) only applies where cruising is prohibited by something else. This is a question for your lawyer or representative.

Penalty and points

$100 if you plead guilty before the hearing; $150 if found guilty after it. Chapter 80 lists no TLC points, and you do not have to appear. TLC's summons page explains how to plead, pay or ask for a hearing.

Points to discuss with your lawyer

General questions, not legal advice:

What made cruising prohibited at that spot? The rule depends on another prohibition. Ask what it was.
Were you soliciting? Dropping off, following a GPS route or stopping at a light is not soliciting.
Right code? If the place was an airport, a stand or Lincoln Center, a different sub-code should have been used.
Accuracy: date, time, place and medallion number against your trip records.

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.

The sibling rule about taxi stands is 80-19(a)(4)(ii). For a plain list of places taxis can't cruise, see where are taxis not allowed to cruise. Enforcement trends for all these codes are on taxi stand and cruising summonses. Stand rules: taxi stand rules, 80-19(d)(1) and 80-19(d)(2). Trade dress and roof-light questions are in TLC vehicle decals and trade dress. More on the places hub.

Frequently asked questions

What does 80-19(a)(4)(iv) mean?

A yellow taxi driver must not solicit passengers, or cruise looking for them, 'in any area of the City of New York where Taxicab cruising is prohibited.' It covers places other than the airports, taxi stands and Lincoln Center, which have their own sub-codes.

Where is taxi cruising prohibited?

The TLC rule does not list the areas. It points to places where cruising is banned by some other rule, law or sign. The summons should identify the place, and that is the first thing to check.

How much is the fine?

$100 if you plead guilty before a hearing, $150 if found guilty after a hearing. No TLC points are listed, and you do not have to appear in person.

How often is it written?

Rarely. The OATH data shows 81 summonses with this as the first charge from 2016 to October 12, 2026, all written by TLC, with the most in 2019 to 2022.

Sources

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

TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (PDF dated June 5, 2025), §80-19(a)(4) nyc.gov
TLC Rule Book, Chapter 51 (Definitions): Cruising, Hail nyc.gov
NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi), queried 2026-10-12 data.cityofnewyork.us
TLC: Receive a Summons 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.