TLC Summons & Points: don't lose your license
Got a TLC summons? A speeding ticket while driving your own car? Worried about losing your hack license? This guide explains the points system the way nobody else does — in plain English, with the 2026 numbers, and without trying to sell you a lawyer.
New to TLC? Start with our guide to getting your TLC license and our guide to passing TLC inspection first. This article is about tickets and points.
One ticket will not end your career. Six will.
The TLC uses a points system. If you get 6 or more points in 15 months — counting TLC tickets and regular driving tickets together — you can lose your hack license for up to 30 days. At 10 points, you can lose it for good.
The good news: you can fight most tickets online, for free, without taking a day off and without a lawyer. We show you how in Section 5.
- 1. What a TLC summons actually is
- 2. The points rule (the most important section)
- 3. The big 2026 change every old blog gets wrong
- 4. Common tickets and how many points they cost
- 5. Fight your ticket online for free (OATH)
- 6. When you actually need a lawyer
- 7. Free legal help that really exists
- 8. Your next move
What a TLC summons actually is.
A TLC summons is a yellow ticket the TLC gives you for breaking a TLC rule. It is not a criminal charge. It is not the same as a regular traffic ticket from the police. The TLC writes its own rules — about refusing a passenger, using the meter, your trip sheet, your rate card, and so on — and the TLC tickets you for breaking them.
Two kinds of tickets can hurt your TLC license. Both count toward the same total. Many drivers do not know this:
TLC summons. Issued by a TLC officer. You can spot them at airports, busy corners, or at random stops. The case is heard at OATH — the city office that hears tickets — not at a regular court.
Regular traffic ticket (NYS). Issued by the NYPD or any other police. Things like speeding, running a red light (officer, not camera), no seatbelt, cell phone. The case is heard at the state DMV's Traffic Violations Bureau.
Important: a speeding ticket on your weekend in Long Island, in your own car, off-duty — still hits your TLC license. The TLC sees every ticket the state DMV records, automatically, every day. There is no "off the clock" with the TLC.
The points rule. Read this section twice.
Every conviction comes with points. The TLC calls this the Persistent Violator Program. Plain English: the rule that counts your tickets.
The math is short. Memorize it:
6 to 9 points in 15 months → suspension. You can lose your TLC license for up to 30 days. No driving for anyone. No income.
10 or more points in 15 months → revocation. The rule (§ 80-27) says the TLC will revoke — not "may." It is not discretionary. You can apply again later, but it is a long, hard road back.
And the part most drivers miss:
TLC points and state DMV points are added together. A speeding ticket (state) plus a cell-phone ticket while driving a fare (TLC) plus another speeding ticket on a weekend — they all go into the same 15-month bucket. The TLC does not care which kind of ticket it was. Only the total.
Three things that work in your favor.
- One stop, one ticket counts. If a TLC officer writes you 3 tickets at the same stop, only the ticket with the highest points counts. Not the sum. So a stop with a cell-phone ticket (3 TLC points) plus a missing-rate-card ticket (0 points) is still 3 points, not more.
- TLC Point Reduction Course — minus 3 TLC points. A TLC-approved class. You can take it only once every five years. It cuts 3 TLC points from your record (counted against violations in the 15 months before you finish the course). If you are close to the 6-point cliff and you have not used your five-year window yet, this is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
- Defensive Driving Course (PIRP) — minus 3 from your TLC total. The state's Point and Insurance Reduction Program. Different class, different agency. Once every 18 months. It offsets up to 4 active DMV points on your state record (and the TLC counts 3 of those off your combined § 80-27 total). The conviction itself stays on your record — this is a point offset, not a delete. A smart driver near the cliff takes both courses — one trims TLC points, one trims state points.
Old programs nobody should be talking about anymore: some websites still mention the "Critical Driver Program." That program ended in 2023. If a blog or a lawyer is telling you about Critical Driver in 2026, they are reading old material. The only program that matters now is Persistent Violator.
The big 2026 change every old blog gets wrong.
On February 16, 2026, the state of New York changed the DMV point values for many tickets. This is the biggest change in years, and most TLC blogs still have the old numbers. We are using the new numbers everywhere in this guide.
Speeding points went up.
| How much over the limit | Old points | New points (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 10 mph over | 3 | 3 |
| 11 – 20 mph over | 4 | 4 |
| 21 – 30 mph over | 6 | 6 |
| 31 – 40 mph over | 8 | 8 |
| 41+ mph over | 11 | 11 |
| Speeding in a work or construction zone | 3 – 11 (tiered) | 8 (flat) |
The speeding tiers themselves did not change in 2026, but the work-zone rule is new: any speed over the limit in a posted work zone is now 8 points. One ticket. Just under the 10-point revocation line by itself.
State suspension rule also changed.
Separate from the TLC, the state DMV can suspend your regular driver's license if you collect too many DMV points. The new state rule for 2026:
- 4 to 6 points in 24 months → a warning letter from DMV.
- 7 to 10 points in 24 months → you must attend a Driver Improvement Clinic.
- 11+ points in 24 months (or 9+ speeding-only points) → formal hearing and likely state license suspension.
If your state license is suspended, you cannot drive at all — TLC license or no TLC license. Some lawyer pages still cite the old "11 points in 18 months" rule. The 2026 window is 24 months.
Common tickets and how many points they cost.
Three quick tables: traffic tickets (state), TLC tickets, and the ones that look scary but do not actually hit your record.
Traffic tickets — state DMV points
| Violation | DMV points |
|---|---|
| Cell phone / texting while driving | 5 |
| Reckless driving | 5 |
| Following too closely | 4 |
| Improper lane change / improper turn | 3 |
| Failure to yield right-of-way | 3 |
| Running a stop sign or red light (officer-issued) | 3 |
| Passing a stopped school bus | 8 |
| Leaving the scene of an injury crash | 5 |
| Alcohol or drug-related | 11 |
| Any other moving violation | 2 |
For speeding, see the table in Section 3.
TLC-specific tickets — the most common ones
TLC tickets work a little differently. Many of the rule-violation tickets (refusal, no rate card, no meter, idling, no trip sheet) carry large fines but zero TLC points. The points come from driving violations — the kind that put a passenger in danger.
| TLC violation | Fine if you plead | TLC points |
|---|---|---|
| Cell phone use while driving a TLC vehicle | $250 ($350 after hearing) | 3 (4 on 3rd in 15 mo) |
| Hazardous moving violation (speeding 40+, reckless, etc.) | $300 ($400 after hearing) | 3 (8 if 40+ over) |
| Non-hazardous moving violation | $200 ($300 after hearing) | 0 |
| Refusing a passenger / refusing a destination | $350 (1st), $700 (2nd in 24 mo) | 0 (separate track) |
| Overcharging | $350 – $1,000 + revocation track | 0 (separate track) |
| No rate card, no meter, no trip sheet, idling | Up to $1,000 (varies by rule) | 0 |
Watch out for refusal tickets. They are 0 points — but the TLC tracks them on a separate track. Two refusals in 24 months can suspend your hack license on their own, even with zero points. The third can revoke it. Refusal of service is the #1 way drivers get caught at airports by undercover TLC officers.
Tickets that look scary but do not hit your record.
- Red light camera tickets. Zero DMV points. Zero TLC points. The fine is sent to whoever owns the car, not to the driver. If you rent your car, the rental company gets the ticket, not you.
- School zone speed camera tickets. Same as above. Civil penalty. Vehicle owner. No driver points.
- Bus lane camera tickets. Vehicle owner only. No driver record impact.
If you rent a TLC car and the rental company tries to suspend you for camera tickets — ask them to point to the rule. There is no TLC rule that gives camera tickets to the driver. The owner pays the camera fine. Read your rental contract before you sign.
Fight your TLC ticket online for free.
This is the part lawyers do not want you to know. OATH (the city office that hears TLC tickets) lets you fight a ticket without showing up in person. You can do it from your phone. It costs nothing. You do not need a lawyer for it.
Three ways to handle a TLC ticket.
1. Plead and pay. You admit the ticket and pay the lower "plead" fine. Fastest. No hearing. But you take the points. Only do this if the points are very low (or zero) and you are sure you cannot win.
2. Fight it online. You file a written defense through OATH's Online Hearing Submission Form. A hearing officer reads it and decides. Free. No day off work. This is the best path for most drivers.
3. Phone hearing or in-person hearing. You speak to a hearing officer by phone (the default) or come in to 66 John Street in lower Manhattan. Free. Costs you time, not money.
How to file an online defense, step by step.
- Read your summons. Find the summons number and the hearing date. The hearing date will be at least 15 calendar days after the summons was served on you (handed to you on the street, or mailed).
- Go to nyc.gov/oath and click "Online Hearing Submission." (You can also find it by searching "OATH online hearing.")
- Enter your summons number. The form will tell you if your violation can be defended online. Most can. Some have to be by phone or in person.
- Write your defense. Plain English. Tell the hearing officer your side — what happened, why the ticket is wrong, what evidence you have. Short and clear beats long and confusing.
- Upload up to 3 files as evidence. Photos, dashcam video, your trip sheet, your meter receipt — whatever proves your story.
- Submit before your hearing date. That is it. You will get a decision by mail or email in a few weeks.
The one thing you must never do: ignore the ticket. If you miss your hearing and do not submit a defense, you lose automatically (called a "default"). The fine is higher than the regular fine, the conviction is treated as if you pleaded guilty, and you get all the points. There is a way to re-open a default, but it takes time and is not guaranteed. Always file something.
Tips that win cases.
- Be polite, short, and specific. Hearing officers read dozens of cases a day. They reward clear writing. "The officer said I refused a passenger. I did not. I picked up the passenger 3 minutes later, at 7:14 PM. My trip sheet (attached) shows it." That is a winning paragraph.
- Attach evidence even if you think it is small. A trip-sheet entry, a screenshot of your app, a photo of the scene — anything is better than nothing. Most drivers send in only words. Words plus evidence wins more often.
- If the officer's report has a mistake, point it out. Wrong time, wrong location, wrong vehicle plate — mistakes help your case. The officer has to prove the violation. A wrong fact is reasonable doubt.
- Ask for a phone hearing if you have a complicated story. Online is fastest, but if you need to explain something with back-and-forth — ask for a phone hearing. You must request it at least 3 business days but no more than 1 month before the hearing date.
When you actually need a lawyer.
Most TLC tickets do not need a lawyer. But some do. Here are the cases where paying $300 – $600 for a lawyer is the smart move.
- You already have points and this new ticket pushes you over the cliff. If you have 3 or more points already, and a new ticket would put you at 6 (suspension) or 10 (revocation), a lawyer can be worth their fee. Losing your hack license costs you weeks of income. $500 to a lawyer to save that is cheap.
- Multiple tickets from the same stop. Three or four tickets at once is a serious case. A lawyer can often get most of them dropped together.
- Criminal-side charges. DUI, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident — these are not just traffic tickets. They go to a regular court, not OATH. Always get a lawyer for these. Do not file anything yourself.
- You are facing revocation already. If the TLC has already told you they want to revoke your license, you need a lawyer at that hearing. The stakes are permanent. Do not go alone.
Typical lawyer cost in NYC for a single TLC summons: $250 to $600. More for complex cases (multiple tickets, criminal side, revocation hearings). Ask up front what the fee covers — some lawyers only handle the hearing, others handle appeals too.
Free legal help that really exists.
Many drivers do not know NYC has free legal services for TLC drivers. You do not have to pay a lawyer if you cannot afford one. Here are the real options:
IDG Legal (a project affiliated with the Independent Drivers Guild).
Free consultations and TLC-summons help for any TLC license holder — no IDG membership required. They are not a law firm themselves; they connect you to attorneys in their network who handle your case either for free or at deeply discounted rates, depending on the type of matter. Call them as soon as you get a ticket.
Website: idglegal.org
Mobilization for Justice — Drivers Protection Program.
Free legal help for low-income TLC drivers. They work with the OATH Help Center directly. Good for cases where you cannot afford a private lawyer.
Website: mobilizationforjustice.org
New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA).
Membership-based ($100+ a year). Members get legal services and representation. Good long-term insurance if you drive full-time.
OATH Help Center.
Free in-person help with the hearing process. Not legal advice — but if you do not understand a form, the rules, or what to do next, they will sit with you and explain it. At 66 John Street in lower Manhattan.
A good base also looks out for its drivers when summons land. See our guide to choosing a TLC base — one of the questions to ask before you sign is whether the base helps with summons and OATH paperwork.
Your next move.
One ticket is not the end of the world. Two or three close together is when you need to pay attention. The earlier you act — file online, take a Point Reduction Course, ask IDG for help — the cheaper it is.
Quick checklist for the next time you get a TLC summons:
- Read the summons. Note the hearing date.
- Decide: fight it online (most cases) or get help from IDG (close to the points cliff).
- File something before the hearing date. Never default.
- Save the decision letter. Keep a folder of your tickets.
- If you are at 3+ points, take the Point Reduction Course before the next ticket lands.
Driving in NYC is hard enough without a bad base making it harder. JobCabby is the free marketplace where NYC bases tell you up front what they cover — including how they help when drivers get summons. No fee from us, ever.
Find a base that has your back on summons.
Sign up free on JobCabby. Tell us your TLC license, the boroughs you drive, and the shifts you want. NYC bases reach out to you — and you can ask each one how they handle drivers' tickets before you sign anything.
Got a question we did not answer? Email company@ariglabs.io — we read every message and update this guide as TLC and DMV rules change.
We last checked all TLC and DMV rules in this article on May 19, 2026. The state DMV point overhaul (effective February 16, 2026) and the 2023 TLC consolidation of Critical Driver into Persistent Violator are both reflected here. Rules can change. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Primary sources used: TLC Rule § 80-27 (Persistent Violator Program), OATH Online Hearing Submission, and the NYS DMV point system page. For a free TLC ticket defense, see IDG Legal.