TLC Rule 80-22(b): Driver Duty to Check Vehicle Condition

In short: Even if you don't own the car, you are responsible for checking it. Rule 80-22(b) says a TLC driver must not operate a vehicle without "continuing personal inspection and reasonable determination" that all equipment — brakes, tires, lights, signals, and passenger seatbelts and shoulder belts — works. The fine is $50 if you plead guilty before a hearing or $75 if found guilty after one. No points are listed. A quick check at the start of every shift is the best protection.

What the rule says

From §80-22, "Vehicles – Operation and Condition," in the TLC Chapter 80 rule book:

"(b) Inspection by Driver of Vehicle Condition. A Driver must not operate a Vehicle without continuing personal inspection and reasonable determination that all equipment, including brakes, tires, lights, signals and passenger seatbelts and shoulder belts, is in good working order." §80-22(b) Fine: $50 if plead guilty before a hearing; $75 if found guilty following a hearing. Appearance NOT REQUIRED

Three phrases do the work here:

• "Continuing" — not a one-time check. It runs through the shift.
• "Personal" — your own inspection. Relying only on the owner or garage is not enough.
• "Reasonable determination" — you are expected to notice what a reasonable driver would notice. The rule does not expect you to be a mechanic.

Who it applies to

Every TLC driver: yellow taxi, green cab and FHV and app drivers. It matters most for drivers who lease or share a vehicle, because the person who drives the car is charged under this rule even when the owner is responsible for repairs. Owners have their own, separate duties — for example, FHV owners must do a daily vehicle safety check under rule 59A-27(e), which the TLC rules for for-hire vehicles set out in chapter 59A.

Driver duty vs owner duty

The FHV owner rule is worded almost the same way, which shows how TLC splits responsibility. Rule 59A-27(e), "Daily Personal Inspection by Owner," says an FHV 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." Its fine is higher: $150 if the owner pleads guilty before a hearing, $200 after.

So for an FHV, both the owner and the driver have an inspection duty. The owner's check is daily; the driver's is continuing through the shift. If you drive your own car, both duties are yours. If you lease or drive someone else's car, a defect can lead to a summons for you, for the owner, or for both — each under their own rule. Taxi owners have their own vehicle rules in the medallion owner chapter.

The practical point: tell the owner or base about any defect as soon as you notice it, in writing if you can (a text message is enough to create a record), and don't drive passengers until it is fixed.

A start-of-shift check that covers the rule

The rule names five things. Here is a simple routine, based on those items:

Keeping a simple dated log of these checks (on paper or a phone note) can help you show a "continuing personal inspection" if you are ever charged.

Related rules in §80-22

Brake problems can also be charged as a traffic violation. Rule 80-13(a)(3)(iv) and (v) list "inadequate brakes" as a hazardous moving violation, with a $300 / $400 fine and 4 points (own vehicle) or 2 points (employer's vehicle). Points count toward the Persistent Violator Program, so check which code your summons uses.

How often it is charged

The peak was 2017 (567). In 2025 there were 93 — the lowest year in the dataset.

Paying versus a hearing

This is a low-fine summons: $50 if you plead guilty, $75 if you lose after a hearing. If the defect was real and you missed it, paying may make sense. If you checked the car and the problem appeared during the shift — a bulb that blew, a tire that picked up a nail — that is the kind of fact a judge will want to hear, because the rule is about a reasonable determination. Our fight-or-pay tool walks through the choice. If you pay, do it within 30 days, or TLC can suspend your license after notice (rule 80-02(c)).

What to do now

1. Fix the problem and keep the repair receipt, dated.
2. Write down when you last checked the car and what you saw.
3. Ask the owner or base for maintenance records showing recent service.
4. Check the code — 80-22(b), an 80-13 brake code, or an owner rule.

Points to discuss with your lawyer

• Could a reasonable driver have noticed the defect before or during the shift?
• Did the defect appear suddenly, after your check?
• Is the defect one of the items the rule covers?
• Was the charge written against you, or should it have gone to the owner?

More: vehicle equipment and inspection summonses and TLC vehicle inspection.