TLC Persistent Violator 80-27(a)(1)(i): 6

On this page (9)

What the rule says
How points add up
The 3-point course: timing rules
The code change that confuses old records
A worked example
What to do now
Points to discuss with your lawyer
FAQ
Sources

In short: If you collect 6, 7, 8 or 9 points within 15 months — TLC points, DMV points, or both added together — TLC will suspend your TLC Driver License for up to 30 days. That is the Persistent Violator Program, rule 80-27(a)(1)(i). At 10 or more points the result is revocation under 80-27(a)(1)(ii). A Point Reduction or Defensive Driving course can take 3 points off, but timing is everything.

What the rule says

From §80-27(a)(1)(i) of the TLC Chapter 80 rule book:

"Suspension. Any Driver whose License has not been revoked and who has within a 15-month period accumulated a total of at least six but fewer than ten TLC Points or DMV Points or both combined, counting from the date of conviction, will have such Driver's TLC Driver License suspended for up to 30 days."

TLC's definitions (chapter 51):

TLC Points are points TLC assesses on your TLC license for certain TLC rule violations.
DMV Points are points the NYS DMV, or the equivalent agency in your state, assesses on your chauffeur's license.

Other key parts of rule 80-27(a):

(2) One incident, one count. If several violations come from a single incident, TLC counts only the one with the highest points.
(3) TLC can impose more severe or additional penalties.
(4) Penalties are imposed after the hearing where you are found to have violated the triggering rule, and they are in addition to the penalty for that violation.
(6) It is an affirmative defense that the act behind the violation was "beyond the control and influence of the Driver."

How points add up

Some TLC rules that carry points in the current rule book (fines are separate):

Examples of TLC Points in chapter 80

Rule	Violation	TLC Points
80-13(a)(3)(i)	Speeding (by how far over the limit)	3 to 8
80-13(a)(3)(vii)	Traffic signal (red light)	3
80-13(a)(1) / (a)(2)	Parking or moving violation, 2nd and later within 15 months	1 each
80-14(a)	Reckless driving	4
80-14(g)(1)	Phone or tablet use while driving	3 (4 for a third offense)
80-12(c)	Fraud, misrepresentation or theft	4
80-15(c)(1)	Locking rear doors with a passenger inside	2
80-17(a)(5)	Not giving correct change	2
80-26(b)(1)	Not starting the meter	1
80-26(c)	Taximeter tampering	3

Check every point value against the rule book for your exact code. Our points calculator helps you add up a 15-month window.

The 3-point course: timing rules

From rule 80-27(a)(5):

When a course helps — and when it doesn't

Before the PVP summons is decided
Good to know: Finish the course
A Point Reduction Course removes 3 TLC Points; a DMV-approved Defensive Driving Course removes 3 DMV Points. Only points from convictions for violations within 15 months before you finish count.
Bring proof
Show TLC when and that you passed
Out-of-state license holders must also give a recent driving abstract from their state.
After the PVP summons is decided
Watch out: Too late for this suspension
The reduction only counts after you complete the suspension. If TLC has already suspended or revoked, the course does not change that decision.
Limits
Once per period
TLC Points: once every five years. DMV Points: once every 18 months. If no Point Reduction Course is available, a DMV-approved Defensive Driving Course can be used instead.

The code change that confuses old records

TLC adopted a rule package on May 3, 2023 that consolidated the Critical Driver Program into the Persistent Violator Program. According to TLC, Local Law 12 of 2020 had eliminated the Critical Driver Program (which was based on DMV points) and amended the Persistent Violator Program so a driver is not penalized under it more than once for the same violations. The 2023 rule repealed the old 80-27(a) (Critical Driver) and re-lettered the old 80-27(b) (Persistent Violator) as the new 80-27(a).

That is why the OATH data shows code 80-27(a)(1)(i) only from 2023:

Summonses citing 80-27(a)(1)(i) as the first charge, by year

All issuing agencies. Starts in 2023 because the code was created by TLC's 2023 renumbering. Allegations, not findings.

Summonses

Show data table

Label	Summonses (summonses)
2023	898
2024	1,577
2025	649

Source: NYC Open Data: OATH Hearings Division Case Status (jz4z-kudi) · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Counts use the first-listed charge (charge_1_code) only. Later charge columns mostly repeat the first code, so they are not counted. Codes are normalised for case (80-13(A)(2) and 80-13(a)(2) are the same). Total 2023–2025: 3,124; 2026 so far: 93 (incomplete year, not charted). A summons is not a finding of guilt; outcomes and fines are blank in this dataset. Before 2023 this code appears rarely or not at all (0 summonses since 2014, under 1% of the peak year), often because the rule was renumbered or adopted then.

The older codes 80-27(a)(1) and 80-27(a)(2) were filed thousands of times a year before 2022 and almost disappeared after. On a summons from before mid-2023, 80-27(a) may refer to the old Critical Driver Program. Read more in our Critical Driver Program history.

A worked example

Here is how the count can work, using point values from the rule book. In March you are convicted of a red-light violation under 80-13(a)(3)(vii): 3 TLC points. In July, a DMV speeding conviction adds DMV points to your chauffeur's license. The next spring, a second TLC moving violation within 15 months adds 1 point. If those convictions add up to 6–9 points inside 15 months, TLC can bring a Persistent Violator summons for a suspension of up to 30 days.

Now suppose two of those tickets came from the same stop. Rule 80-27(a)(2) says TLC counts only the violation with the highest points from that incident. And if you finished a Point Reduction Course before the Persistent Violator summons was decided, three TLC points come off. Small details like these can move you below 6.

The Persistent Violator penalty is in addition to the penalty for each underlying ticket. Fighting an underlying ticket that has not been decided yet can also matter, because points count from conviction.

What to do now

List every conviction (TLC and DMV) in the last 15 months, with the conviction date and points. Get a DMV abstract.
Check single-incident overlaps. Two tickets from one stop may count as one.
Consider a course now, before the Persistent Violator summons is decided, if you are eligible under the once-per-period limits.
Answer the summons. Don't let it default. See missed OATH hearing.

Points to discuss with your lawyer

Are all the counted points from convictions inside the 15-month window?
Should two violations be counted as one incident?
Was a course completed in time, and has TLC received proof?
Is there a basis for the "beyond the control and influence of the Driver" defense?

Full background: Persistent Violator Program and points and DMV points for TLC drivers.

Frequently asked questions

How many points trigger a Persistent Violator suspension?

At least six but fewer than ten TLC Points or DMV Points, or both combined, within a 15-month period counting from the date of conviction. The suspension is up to 30 days.

Do DMV points from regular traffic tickets count?

Yes. Since TLC's 2023 rule change, the program counts TLC Points and DMV Points together. DMV Points are points assessed by the NYS DMV (or the equivalent agency of your state) on your chauffeur's license.

Can a course reduce my points?

Yes. Completing a Point Reduction Course takes off three TLC Points, and a Defensive Driving Course takes off three DMV Points, if completed before the Persistent Violator summons is decided. TLC will not reduce TLC Points more than once in five years, or DMV Points more than once in 18 months.

If one incident led to several violations, do all the points count?

No. Rule 80-27(a)(2) says that for multiple violations from a single incident, TLC counts only the single violation with the highest point total.

I see code 80-27(a)(1) on an old summons. Is that the same thing?

Not always. Before TLC's 2023 amendments, subdivision (a) of 80-27 was the Critical Driver Program and the Persistent Violator Program was subdivision (b). The 2023 rule repealed the old (a) and re-lettered (b) as (a). Check the summons date.

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.