a. (1) A taxi-cab, coach, wheelchair accessible van, commuter van or for-hire vehicle shall operate within the city of New York only if the owner shall first have obtained from the commission a taxicab, coach, wheelchair accessible van, commuter van or for-hire vehicle license for such vehicle and only while such license is in full force and effect. Vehicle licenses shall be issued for a term of not less than one nor more than two years and shall expire on the date set forth on the license unless sooner suspended or revoked by the commission. No motor vehicle other than a duly licensed taxicab shall be permitted to accept hails from passengers in the street. No commuter van shall be operated within the city of New York unless it is operated as part of a current, valid authorization to operate a commuter van service duly issued by the commission pursuant to section 19-504.2 of this chapter.
(2) No commuter van license shall be issued unless the following conditions are satisfied:
(i) such commuter van is to be operated as part of a current, valid authorization to operate a commuter van service issued pursuant to section 19-504.2 of this chapter;
(ii) the commission determines that the applicant is fit, willing and able to operate a commuter van;
(iii) the applicant is in compliance with the provisions of section 19-504.3 of this chapter, and the applicant has not engaged in any conduct that would be a basis for suspension or revocation of such license pursuant to rules promulgated by the commission; and
(iv) the applicant has satisfied such other criteria as the commission deems to be in the interest of the safety and convenience of the public and necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
b. The license fee for each taxi-cab and coach shall be five hundred fifty dollars annually. The license fee for each wheelchair accessible van and each for-hire vehicle shall be two hundred seventy-five dollars annually. If a license is granted for a period other than one year, the fee shall be prorated accordingly. There shall be an additional fee of twenty-five dollars for late filing of a wheelchair accessible van or for-hire vehicle license renewal application where such filing is permitted by the commission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the license fee authorized by this subdivision shall be waived for any for-hire vehicle license that shall be used with a wheelchair accessible vehicle, as defined in subdivision w of section 19-502, or a taxi-cab license used with an accessible vehicle, as defined in section 53-03 of title 35 of the rules of the city of New York, as of the date such license fee is due and payable.
c. In the event of the loss, mutilation or destruction of any medallion or vehicle license issued hereunder, the owner may file such statement and proof of the facts as the commission may require, with a fee of twenty-five dollars, at the office of the commission and the commission shall issue a duplicate or substitute medallion or license.
d. Applications for vehicle licenses shall be filed with the commission upon forms which shall be provided by the commission. The date and time of the receipt of each application shall be noted by the commission.
d-1. An application for a taxicab license and for the renewal thereof shall be filed with the commission and shall be in such form as the commission shall prescribe. Each application and renewal application for such license shall be submitted on behalf of a sole proprietorship by the proprietor; on behalf of a partnership by a general partner thereof; on behalf of a corporation by an officer or director thereof; or by any other type of business entity by the chief executive officer thereof, irrespective of organizational title. The application shall contain a sworn and notarized statement by such individual that the statements therein are true under the penalties of perjury.
1. In addition to any other information required by the commission, each applicant and renewal applicant shall provide:
(a) Fingerprints unless the applicant has previously submitted fingerprints to the commission;
(b) Proof of payment of all penalties, fines, fees, taxes and surcharges, including any tax or surcharge required to be paid pursuant to section 1281 of the tax law or article 29-C of the tax law, and proof of compliance with subdivision q of this section; and
(c) The applicant's current mailing address, business address where applicable, and an email address for the applicant and for each officer if the applicant is a partnership or corporation; and
(d) The applicant's social security number.
2. In addition to other information required by this section, each applicant that is a business entity shall also provide proof of active status with the department of state and the following information:
(a) An applicant that is a sole proprietorship shall provide a copy of the certificate required to be filed with the clerk of the county in which such sole proprietor conducts or transacts business pursuant to section 130 of the general business law.
(b) An applicant that is a partnership shall provide a copy of the certificate required to be filed with the clerk of the county in which such partnership conducts or transacts business pursuant to section 130 of the general business.
(c) An applicant that is a corporation shall provide a certified copy of its certificate of incorporation, a list of all officers and shareholders and a certified copy of the minutes of the meeting at which the current officers were elected.
(d) An applicant that is a limited liability company shall provide a copy of its articles of organization and a list containing the name of each member and the percentage of such company owned by each member.
3. Before issuing a taxicab license or the renewal thereof, the commission shall investigate and make an assessment of the good character, honesty, and integrity of each applicant. The commission may refuse to issue or renew such a license upon finding that an applicant lacks good character, honesty, and integrity. As part of such assessment, the commission shall consider:
(a) Failure by such applicant to provide truthful information in connection with the application;
(b) A conviction of such applicant or any officer thereof for a crime which, considering the factors set forth in section 753 of the correction law, would provide a basis for the refusal or revocation of such license;
(c) A finding of liability in a civil or administrative action that bears a direct relationship to the fitness of the applicant or an officer thereof to conduct the business for which such license is sought;
(d) Whether the applicant or an officer thereof is or has been a principal or officer of a business entity conducting business as a licensed taxicab business where the commission would be authorized to deny a license to such business entity pursuant to this paragraph;
(e) Failure to pay any tax, fine, penalty or fee related to the applicant's business for which judgment has been entered by a court or administrative tribunal of competent jurisdiction; and
(f) Any other relevant information.
4. A taxicab license shall be valid for a period of 2 years, upon the expiration of which a taxicab licensee may submit an application for renewal. Where a renewal application has been submitted prior to the expiration date, a license shall remain in full force and effect until a determination to approve or deny such renewal application has been made.
5. In addition, the commission may also deny or revoke a taxicab license where the licensee or applicant has:
(a) Made a material misstatement or misrepresentation on an application for a taxicab license or the renewal thereof; or
(b) Made a material misrepresentation or committed a fraudulent, deceitful or unlawful act or omission while engaged in the business or occupation of or holding such licensee or applicant out or acting temporarily or otherwise as a taxicab licensee.
e. Any owner operating a vehicle under a license issued by the commission, or by the New York city police department prior to the effective date of this chapter, shall be entitled to renew such license as a matter of right upon compliance with all the other provisions of this section and sections 11-808 and 11-809.2 of the code relating to the licensee's vehicle.
f. All taxicabs now or hereafter licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be inspected at an inspection facility operated by the commission at least once every four months, in accordance with a procedure to be established by the commission. All other vehicles now or hereafter licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter other than commuter vans shall be inspected at official inspection stations licensed by the commissioner of motor vehicles pursuant to section three hundred three of the vehicle and traffic law at least once every four months in accordance with the regulations of the commissioner of motor vehicles, codified in part seventy-nine of title fifteen of the official compilation of codes, rules and regulations of the state of New York (15 N.Y.C.R.R. part 79). All commuter vans now or hereafter licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be inspected and shall meet safety standards as provided in paragraph two of subdivision a of section 19-504.3 of this chapter. If any taxicab fails to pass its inspection for any reason relating to the requirements established by the New York state department of motor vehicles, it shall be reinspected. The fee payable to the commission for each inspection and each reinspection required for the issuance of a certificate of inspection for a taxicab, inclusive of the issuance of such certificate, shall not exceed ninety dollars for the first inspection and fifty dollars for each reinspection. The fees payable to the official inspection station for the inspection and the issuance of a certificate of inspection for all other licensed vehicles other than commuter vans shall be the fees charged and collected pursuant to section three hundred five of the vehicle and traffic law. The commission or any other agency authorized by law may conduct on-street inspections of vehicles licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. The date of the inspection of a taxicab and the signature of the persons making the inspection shall be recorded upon the rate card in the space provided therefor. An owner shall be ordered by the commission to repair or replace his or her licensed vehicle where it appears that it no longer meets the reasonable standards for safe operation prescribed by the commission. Upon failure of such owner to have his or her vehicle inspected or to comply with any such order within ten days after service thereof, the license shall be suspended; upon failure of such owner to comply with any such order within one hundred twenty days after service thereof, the license may, at the discretion of the commission, be deemed to have been abandoned by nonuser.
g. The commission may revoke any license for nonuse in the event it shall determine that the vehicle has not been operated for sixty consecutive days, provided that such failure to operate shall not have been caused by strike, riot, war or other public catastrophe or other act beyond the control of the owner; or in the event the owner has sold his or her vehicle and has failed to replace the vehicle within one hundred and twenty days from the date of sale. However, in the event that it is shown to the commission by competent proof that an owner-driver has been disabled through illness, his or her license shall not be revoked because of such nonuse as provided in this subdivision.
h. A medallion or license may be transferred from one vehicle to another, subject to the approval of the commission and upon payment of such fee as the commission shall require, but not to exceed fifty dollars. A vehicle licensee may change the base communications system with which it is affiliated, subject to the approval of the commission and upon payment of such fee as the commission shall require, but not to exceed fifty dollars.
i. [Repealed.]
j. The commission shall replace the medallion for every taxicab license which is renewed pursuant to this section once every two years, or more frequently at the discretion of the commission. The commission may charge a fee not to exceed ten dollars for each replacement medallion.
k. The commission may charge a fee not to exceed twenty-five dollars per vehicle for the replacement of license plates issued by the New York state department of motor vehicles.
l. Prior to the issuance of a commuter van license, the applicant shall be fingerprinted for the purpose of securing criminal history records from the state division of criminal justice services. The applicant shall pay any processing fee required by the state division of criminal justice services. Fingerprints shall be taken of the individual owner if the applicant is a sole proprietorship; the general partners if the applicant is a partnership; the officers, principals, and stockholders owning more than ten percent of the outstanding stock of the corporation if the applicant is a corporation.
m. The commission shall approve or disapprove an application for a commuter van license within one hundred and eighty days after the completed application is filed. The failure to approve or disapprove such completed application within such time shall be deemed a disapproval of such application.
n. Every commuter van license shall be issued on the condition that the applicant is in compliance with the registration and insurance requirements set forth in section 19-504.3 of this chapter and any rules promulgated pursuant thereto during the time that such license is in effect. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the failure to comply with either such registration or insurance requirements shall render the commuter van license suspended on and after the date of such noncompliance and during the period of such noncompliance, and any person using such commuter van in the course of operations of a commuter van service during such period of noncompliance shall be deemed to be operating without a license required by this section.
o. The annual license fee for each commuter van license shall be two hundred seventy-five dollars. Commencing two years after the date of enactment of the local law that added this subdivision, the annual license fee for each commuter van shall be an amount equal to the license fee for a for-hire vehicle set forth in subdivision b of this section, as it may be amended. The license fee shall be prorated to the term of the license.
p. A commuter van license shall not be transferable or assignable.
q. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, the commission shall not issue or renew a taxicab license unless the applicant or holder, as the case may be, avows under penalty of perjury that such person has fully paid all and any tax imposed on such person by article twenty-nine-A of the tax law. The commission may ask the commissioner of taxation and finance for confirmation that such person has paid such tax. Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent a person to whom a taxicab license has been issued from moving the medallion which evidences the license to a standby vehicle if the TLC's regulations permit such person to do so.
r. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, there shall be no more than 735 licenses for commuter vans. The commission shall not accept new applications for such licenses and shall not issue any such license if such issuance would result in the total number of such licenses exceeding 735; provided, however, that the number of licenses for commuter vans may exceed 735, and the commission may accept applications for and issue licenses for commuter vans in a number exceeding 735, if the commission determines, pursuant to item 12 of section 19-529.7, that there is a need for commuter vans in a number exceeding 735.
(Am. L.L. 2017/007, 2/15/2017, eff. 2/15/2017; Am. L.L. 2017/059, 3/21/2017, eff. 3/21/2017; Am. L.L. 2018/148, 8/14/2018, eff. 8/14/2018; Am. L.L. 2020/110, 11/15/2020, eff. 5/14/2021; Am. L.L. 2023/164, 12/3/2023, eff. 12/3/2023)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 1986/076, L.L. 1988/048, L.L. 1989/050, L.L. 1989/083, L.L. 1993/115, L.L. 2012/035 and L.L. 2020/110.