TLC registration fees start at $275 per year for a standard for-hire vehicle license, which comes to $550 for the two-year license term the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission issues.1New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Section 19-504 – General Provisions for Licensing of Vehicles On top of that, most owners owe a $400 annual Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax, and a vehicle registered outside New York City is charged an additional $800 CMVT at licensing.2NYC.gov. Get a For-Hire Vehicle License Yellow taxicabs and street hail liveries sit on separate, higher fee schedules, and every TLC payment is non-refundable.
Fees by License Type
The statutory fee for a for-hire vehicle license is $275 per year, prorated when a license is granted for less than a full year.1New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Section 19-504 – General Provisions for Licensing of Vehicles This covers livery vehicles, black cars, and the app-dispatched vehicles that run on platforms like Uber and Lyft.
Yellow taxicab licenses cost $550 per year, roughly double the FHV rate.3American Legal Publishing. New York City Rules Section 58-07 – Licensing Fees Over a two-year cycle, a taxicab owner pays $1,100 in licensing alone, before insurance, inspections, or the medallion itself. That fee is also prorated when the license will be held for less than a full year by the next May 31.
Street hail liveries, the green boro taxis permitted to accept hails outside Manhattan’s core, carry a renewal fee of $540.4NYC.gov. Street Hail Livery Permit
For the new FHV license applications the TLC currently accepts (wheelchair-accessible vehicles only, discussed below), the total cost is listed as $0 to $875. The license fee itself appears waived for these vehicles, with potential charges of $75 if the vehicle has been driven 500 miles or more and the $800 out-of-state CMVT charge if the vehicle is registered in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Connecticut.2NYC.gov. Get a For-Hire Vehicle License
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax
The CMVT is a flat annual tax, and for every for-hire passenger vehicle the rate is the same: $400 per year. That rate covers medallion taxis, livery cars, and app-based vehicles.5NYC311. Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax – Section: Tax Rates Medallion taxicab owners pay the same $400 figure after a legislative reduction that cut their annual CMVT from $1,000.6NYC.gov. Business Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax – CMVT
Non-passenger commercial vehicles pay by maximum gross weight rather than by passenger status:
- 10,000 pounds or less: $40 per year
- 10,001 to 12,500 pounds: $200 per year
- 12,501 to 15,000 pounds: $275 per year
- Over 15,000 pounds: $300 per year
Those weight-based figures apply to commercial trucks and cargo vehicles, not to sedans and SUVs carrying passengers.5NYC311. Commercial Motor Vehicle Tax – Section: Tax Rates
If your vehicle is registered in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Connecticut instead of New York, the TLC collects an $800 CMVT charge at licensing time.2NYC.gov. Get a For-Hire Vehicle License
The Driver License Is a Separate Fee
A vehicle license lets the car operate as a for-hire vehicle. A TLC driver license lets a person sit behind the wheel. The driver license costs $252 for a three-year term and is a separate application with its own fee.7NYC.gov. Get a TLC Drivers License You can own a TLC-licensed vehicle and hire someone else to drive it, or hold a driver license and drive someone else’s licensed vehicle, but the car and the driver each need their own license.
Who Can Apply for a New FHV License Right Now
Fees only matter if you can apply. The TLC currently limits new for-hire vehicle license applications to owners of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.2NYC.gov. Get a For-Hire Vehicle License An electric vehicle exemption existed briefly but was suspended by court order in November 2023, and as of early 2026 the TLC is not accepting new EV applications.
A license granted under the wheelchair-accessible exception is permanently restricted to wheelchair-accessible vehicles. If the car is ever replaced, the replacement must also be wheelchair accessible.2NYC.gov. Get a For-Hire Vehicle License The restriction follows the license, not the vehicle.
These limits don’t apply to renewals. If you already hold an FHV license, you can renew regardless of vehicle type.
Renewals and the Late Fee
The TLC recommends applying for renewal at least 30 days before expiration. Miss the expiration date and you have a 60-day window to complete the renewal, but the license is expired during that window and the vehicle cannot legally operate for hire until the renewal is approved. A $25 late fee applies on top of the standard renewal cost.
Renewal inspections happen at the TLC’s Safety and Emissions facility, with the type of inspection depending on the license being renewed.8NYC.gov. Renew a Vehicle License Frequently Asked Questions If a renewal is denied, no refund is issued. The non-refundable policy applies to every TLC transaction.
What It Costs to Operate Without a License
Operating or offering to operate a for-hire vehicle without the required TLC license is a criminal violation. Conviction carries a fine of $400 to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both.9Justia Law. New York City Administrative Code 19-506 – Regulations and Enforcement As an alternative, the city can pursue a civil penalty of $200 to $1,500 per violation.
The faster consequence is seizure. A TLC enforcement officer or police officer with probable cause to believe a vehicle is operating without a proper license can seize it on the spot, and the vehicle isn’t released until towing fees, storage fees, and the fine or civil penalty are paid or a bond is posted.9Justia Law. New York City Administrative Code 19-506 – Regulations and Enforcement Three or more violations within 36 months can trigger forfeiture, meaning the city takes permanent ownership of the vehicle.
Drivers face their own exposure. A driver who knowingly operates a vehicle without a valid TLC vehicle license faces a $350 fine and a 5-to-30-day suspension of their TLC driver license.10NYC.gov. TLC Rule Book – Chapter 80, Section 80-11 Letting someone without a TLC driver license operate your licensed vehicle carries a $250 fine with the same suspension range.
These Fees Are Deductible
If you operate as a self-employed for-hire driver, every fee covered above is a deductible business expense: the vehicle license, the CMVT, insurance premiums, and inspection costs. The $252 driver license fee is deductible too.
For vehicle operating costs, you choose between two methods. The IRS standard mileage rate for 2026 is 72.5 cents per mile driven for business use.11IRS. IRS Sets 2026 Business Standard Mileage Rate at 72.5 Cents Per Mile The alternative is tracking actual expenses, gas, oil changes, tires, repairs, and deducting those. If you choose the standard mileage rate for a leased vehicle, you’re locked into that method for the life of the lease. Keep receipts for every TLC payment from day one; the fees are spread across different agencies and portals, and the records are easier to assemble as you go than at tax time.