What types of FHV are there in New York City?
Black cars (dispatched by central dispatch facilities, mostly non-cash work), livery cars (pre-arranged trips at flat, time, mileage or zone rates, fewer than six passengers), luxury limousines, and high-volume for-hire services, a license category created in 2018 for bases dispatching more than 10,000 trips a day.[1][2][3][4]
How is an FHV different from a yellow cab?
A yellow cab carries a medallion and can be hailed in the street. An FHV may only carry pre-arranged trips dispatched by its TLC-licensed base, and its driver uses the same TLC driver license as cab drivers.[5][1]
What does an FHV base need to run?
A TLC base license, a $5,000 surety bond, at least 10 affiliated vehicles (5 if one is wheelchair accessible), and dispatch that only sends pre-arranged trips to TLC-licensed drivers and vehicles. A livery base license costs $1,500 for 3 years.[1][6]
Full steps: how to open a TLC base.
Frequently asked questions
Is Uber an FHV?
In New York City app services run through TLC-licensed for-hire bases, and a base dispatching more than 10,000 trips a day also needs TLC's High-Volume For-Hire Service license on top of its base license.
Do FHV drivers need a TLC license?
Yes. The TLC issues one driver license for all taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers, $252 for 3 years.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] NYC TLC: Black car bases (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [2] NYC TLC: Livery bases (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [3] NYC TLC: Luxury limousine bases (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [4] NYC TLC: High-Volume For-Hire Services (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [5] NYC Business: TLC driver license (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [6] NYC Business: Livery car base license (read 2 Nov 2026)