TLC Rule 80-19(b)(1): Green Cab Hail in Exclusionary Zone

On this page (11)

What the rule says
The lines, exactly
Who it applies to
How the penalty climbs
Who writes it and how often
Common situations
Does the summons fit?
Penalty and points
What to do
FAQ
Sources

In short: A green cab (Street Hail Livery) driver must not take a street hail in the Hail Exclusionary Zone, which is Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street, plus JFK and LaGuardia airports. A green cab also must not accept a pre-arranged trip that begins in Manhattan below those streets. Breaking rule 80-19(b)(1) costs $500 and a suspension the first time, $750 and a suspension for a second within 24 months, and revocation for a third within 120 months. You must appear at the hearing. This is the most serious solicitation rule a green cab driver faces.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

What the rule says

Section 80-19(b)(1) of TLC Chapter 80:

(1) Exclusionary Zones (i) A Driver of a Street Hail Livery must not solicit Passengers in the Hail Exclusionary Zone. (ii) A Driver of a Street Hail Livery must not accept a Pre-Arranged Trip beginning in the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone.

§80-19(b)(1) Fine: First Violation: $500 and suspension; Second Violation in 24 months: $750 and suspension; Third Violation in 120 months: Revocation — Appearance REQUIRED

So there are two parts. Part (i) is about hails. Part (ii) is about base or app bookings that start in lower and midtown Manhattan. OATH records both, as 80-19(b)(1)(i) and 80-19(b)(1)(ii).

The lines, exactly

Chapter 51 defines three areas:

Where a green cab may and may not work

Area (Chapter 51)	What it covers	Street hails	Pre-arranged trips that begin there
Hail Exclusionary Zone	Manhattan south of E. 96th St and W. 110th St, plus the NYC airports	Not allowed: 80-19(b)(1)(i)	See next row
Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone	Manhattan south of E. 96th St and W. 110th St only (no airports)	Not allowed	Not allowed: 80-19(b)(1)(ii)
Hail Zone	All of NYC except the two areas above	Allowed	Allowed, through a base

Three things trip drivers up:

East and west lines differ. On the east side the line is 96th Street; on the west side it is 110th Street.
Airports are only in the hail zone ban. JFK and LaGuardia are in the Hail Exclusionary Zone, but not in the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone. Port Authority airport rules apply there too. See can green cabs pick up at JFK or LaGuardia.
Drop-offs are not limited. A hail that starts in the Bronx can end in Midtown. The problem is accepting the next hail there. Head back to the Hail Zone before you take another passenger.

For the exact edges, see Hail Exclusionary Zone, Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone and Hail Zone.

Who it applies to

Green cab drivers. Yellow taxis may take hails anywhere in the city's streets, but they too have limits: no soliciting at the airports or within 100 feet of a taxi stand (80-19(a)(4)). FHV drivers have a similar enhanced penalty for non-prearranged pickups in the same Manhattan area or at the airports: 80-19(c)(2), $500, $750, then revocation. Green cab owners and bases have their own rules in Chapter 82, such as 82-13(a)(1).

How the penalty climbs

Who writes it and how often

Summonses citing 80-19(b)(1), by year and part

*2026 to October 12. First-listed charge only. A summons is an allegation, not a finding.

Summonses

(i) Hail in exclusionary zone
(ii) Pre-arranged trip starting there

Show data table

Label	(i) Hail in exclusionary zone	(ii) Pre-arranged trip starting there
2016	53	4
2017	102	2
2018	15	0
2019	11	1
2020	1	3
2021	7	6
2022	4	0
2023	12	1
2024	5	0
2025	1	0
2026*	0	0

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

Most of these came in 2016 and 2017. The drop tracks the shrinking green cab fleet: TLC's industry indicators show an average of 7,214 green cab drivers with trips per month in 2015 and just 627 in 2025.

Drivers with trips each month, by industry

Monthly average by year, from TLC industry indicators. Licenses overlap across industries; don't add the lines.

Drivers (monthly average)

Yellow taxi
Green cab (boro taxi)
High-volume FHV (app-based)
Black car
Livery
Luxury limousine

Show data table

Label	Yellow taxi	Green cab (boro taxi)	High-volume FHV (app-based)	Black car	Livery	Luxury limousine
2015	30,629	7,214	21,910	5,218	8,992	2,459
2016	29,433	6,508	41,165	7,099	17,119	3,073
2017	26,760	5,050	63,353	7,445	14,680	3,185
2018	23,837	3,981	79,371	7,126	10,658	2,993
2019	20,995	3,269	85,555	6,143	8,011	2,306
2020	8,394	1,445	50,944	4,927	5,521	1,078
2021	7,313	1,071	59,275	4,803	5,531	1,164
2022	9,919	1,031	73,489	7,399	4,864	1,567
2023	11,559	906	80,990	7,981	6,049	1,769
2024	12,414	746	83,399	9,390	8,563	1,748
2025	13,297	627	83,299	12,007	9,616	1,714

Source: NYC Open Data: TLC Industry Indicators (v6kb-cqej) · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Yearly values are the average of the 12 monthly figures TLC publishes, tabulated from trip records. High-volume FHV means app-based companies licensed as High-Volume For-Hire Services. One license lets a driver work in several industries, so the lines can overlap and must not be added together.

Green cabs still work mostly by hail. In TLC's green trip files from September 2025 to August 2026, street-hail trips outnumbered dispatched trips by more than ten to one every month.

Common situations

You drop a passenger at Penn Station, and someone waves you down on Eighth Avenue. Taking that hail is part (i).
You finish a trip at JFK and a traveler at the curb asks for a ride. The airport is in the Hail Exclusionary Zone, so this is part (i).
Your base sends you a booking that starts on the Upper West Side below West 110th Street. Accepting it is part (ii).
You are on Lexington Avenue at East 100th Street. That is above 96th Street on the east side, so it is in the Hail Zone and a hail is allowed.
You are on Broadway at West 104th Street. That is below 110th Street on the west side, so it is still in the exclusionary zone.

Does the summons fit?

Questions to work through with your representative

Answer a few questions · general information, not legal advice

Question 1Which part is on the summons?

Which part is on the summons?

(i) a hail
Where exactly did the passenger get in?
- Manhattan below E. 96th / W. 110th
  Important: What this means for you
  The facts may match the rule. With a suspension and an appearance requirement, get a lawyer or representative before the hearing.
- At JFK or LaGuardia
  Important: What this means for you
  The facts may match the rule. With a suspension and an appearance requirement, get a lawyer or representative before the hearing.
- Above those streets or in another borough
  Good to know: What this means for you
  Location is the whole case. Your trip record (pickup location and time) and any base dispatch record are key. Bring them to the hearing.
(ii) a pre-arranged trip
Did the booked trip begin in Manhattan below E. 96th / W. 110th?
- Yes
  Important: What this means for you
  The facts may match the rule. With a suspension and an appearance requirement, get a lawyer or representative before the hearing.
- No, it began elsewhere
  Good to know: What this means for you
  Location is the whole case. Your trip record (pickup location and time) and any base dispatch record are key. Bring them to the hearing.

Penalty and points

	Penalty
1st violation	$500 and suspension
2nd within 24 months	$750 and suspension
3rd within 120 months	Revocation
TLC points	None listed in Chapter 80
Appearance	Required

What to do

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.

Go to the hearing. Appearance is required. Missing it can lead to a default decision with the full penalty.
Get the trip record for that trip. It records where the trip started and whether it was a hail or a dispatch.
Check your history. Whether this is a first, second or third violation decides the penalty. Count back 24 months and 120 months.
Talk to a lawyer or registered representative early. A suspension affects your income right away.

Frequently asked questions

What is the penalty for 80-19(b)(1)?

First violation: $500 and suspension. Second within 24 months: $750 and suspension. Third within 120 months: revocation. Appearance at the hearing is required.

Where is the Hail Exclusionary Zone?

Manhattan south of East 96th Street and West 110th Street, plus the New York City airports (JFK and LaGuardia). Green cabs may not accept street hails there.

Can a green cab take a pre-arranged trip that starts at JFK?

Under TLC rules, the Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone is only Manhattan south of East 96th and West 110th, so the airports are not in it. Port Authority airport rules also apply at the airports; check them before you go.

Can I drop off a passenger in Midtown?

Yes. The rule limits where you accept hails and where pre-arranged trips begin. A trip that starts in the Hail Zone can end anywhere a taxi trip may end.

Is it common?

OATH data shows 228 summonses citing 80-19(b)(1) from 2016 to October 12, 2026, mostly in 2016 and 2017 when there were many more green cabs. TLC wrote 223 of them.

Sources

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

TLC Rules Chapter 80: Drivers (PDF, updated June 6, 2025), §80-19(b) nyc.gov
TLC Rules Chapter 51: Definitions (Hail Exclusionary Zone, Pre-Arranged Exclusionary Zone, Hail Zone) nyc.gov
NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi), queried Oct 12, 2026 data.cityofnewyork.us
TLC Trip Record Data (green), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 nyc.gov
NYC Open Data: TLC Industry Indicators (v6kb-cqej) data.cityofnewyork.us

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.