Key facts
What is a taxi medallion?
A medallion is the city-issued permit, shown as a metal plate on the cab, that lets a taxi pick up passengers who hail it in the street. The number is limited, so medallions are bought and sold, and their price follows how much a cab can earn.[1]
What did NYC medallions sell for in 2026, month by month?
The table is built from TLC's monthly sales charts: asset sales of unrestricted medallions with a price, divided by the number of medallions in each sale. Transfers at $0, such as name changes and estates, are left out.[1]
| Month | Priced sales | Of which foreclosures | Median per medallion | Range per medallion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29 | 22 | $200,000 | $100,000-$200,000 |
| February | 20 | 11 | $115,000 | $100,000-$180,000 |
| March | 41 | 23 | $120,000 | $50,000-$200,000 |
| April | 49 | 33 | $175,000 | $50,500-$200,000 |
| May | 41 | 29 | $120,000 | $105,000-$200,000 |
| June | 66 | 52 | $200,000 | $100,000-$200,000 |
| July | 80 | 62 | $200,000 | $80,000-$200,000 |
| August | 50 | 32 | $117,500 | $100,000-$200,000 |
| September | 47 | 30 | $130,000 | $100,000-$200,000 |
Why are most medallion sales foreclosures?
In every month from January to September 2026, most priced sales in TLC's charts were marked as foreclosures: sales of medallions that lenders had taken from owners who could not keep up their loan payments.[1]
Do you need a medallion to run a taxi business?
Only for street-hail cabs in cities that use medallions, such as New York's yellow cabs. Pre-arranged work in New York runs from a TLC-licensed base without a medallion, and in most of the UK there are no medallions at all: councils license vehicles one by one.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an NYC taxi medallion now?
In TLC's sales charts for January to September 2026, priced sales of unrestricted medallions mostly ran $100,000 to $200,000 per medallion; September 2026 had 47 priced sales with a median of $130,000.
Is a taxi medallion worth buying?
That depends on what a cab earns after costs and loan payments, so compare the price with realistic net earnings. Note that most priced sales in 2026 were foreclosures.
Can I lease a medallion instead of buying one?
In New York, TLC licenses medallion agents and lists them on its website; check TLC's medallion owner and agent rules before agreeing any lease terms.
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: Medallion transfers, monthly medallion sales charts January-September 2026 (read 2 Nov 2026)