Taxi & Limousine Commission311Search all NYC.gov websites
Driver Pay for Drivers
TLC’s driver pay rules apply to any driver working for a High-Volume For-Hire Service (Uber, Lyft). For more information visit High-Volume For-Hire Service. These rules establish a minimum per-trip payment to drivers; they do not establish a minimum wage or set the exact driver payment or passenger fare.
The rules also add protections for drivers who lease a For-Hire Vehicle. These rules require that:
- Leases be written in plain language and specify all costs to drivers;
- Where the owner of the vehicle is a different person than the driver of the vehicle, the rules require that the owners pay drivers’ earnings quickly; and
- Owners provide drivers with receipts itemizing all payments, deductions and charges.
The rules also benefit yellow and green taxi drivers with lower credit card surcharges, greater financial transparency, and increased payments for owning and driving accessible vehicles.
The approved rules can be found in Driver Income Rules 04-Dec-2018 (PDF). For more information email driverpay@tlc.nyc.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
For-Hire Vehicle Drivers
Which drivers will earn more based on these rules?
More than 80,000 drivers working for a High-Volume For-Hire Service (Uber, Lyft, Juno) will see significant increases in earnings due to the minimum payment standard.
Is this a minimum hourly wage?
No, the rules do not establish an hourly wage. Instead, they set a minimum per-trip payment standard for all trips by drivers working for a High-Volume For-Hire Service.
How much will affected drivers make and how do I know if I’m being paid correctly?
Drivers can use TLC’s calculator in Driver Pay Calculator to determine their minimum per-trip earnings. The calculator provides the minimum amount you must be paid; you can still be paid more than this amount.
What are the per-mile and per-minute rates?
All current rates can be seen on our Driver Pay Rates page.
What is the utilization rate?
Utilization refers to the percentage of a driver’s on-duty time that is spent with a passenger in their vehicle. The per-minute and per-mile rates in the formula are adjusted based on how frequently companies send trips to drivers while they are available to work.
Is the pay higher for out-of-town trips?
Yes. The minimum payment formula is adjusted for trips that end outside of the city to compensate drivers for time spent returning to the city without a passenger. The out of town rates can be viewed on our Driver Pay Ratespage.
How will the TLC enforce this policy?
High-Volume For-Hire Services are required to provide drivers with detailed pay and deduction information. Drivers can also use the calculator in Driver Pay Calculator to determine whether or not they were paid at least the minimum amount required by the rule. The TLC will investigate and prosecute driver complaints and audit trip records on a regular basis. Drivers can also email DriverProtection@tlc.nyc.gov if they believe they are not receiving the correct payments. For more information visit Driver Protection Unit.
Yellow & Green Drivers
What is the new maximum credit card surcharge?
The maximum credit surcharge that fleets can charge is $7 per shift and $49 per week.
How will this impact driver payments from the Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF)?
The new rules allow the TLC to increase payments to drivers of wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) and expand the pool of WAVs eligible to receive TIF payments. For more information visit Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF).
How does this change the Accessible Street Hail Livery Grant Program?
Street Hail Livery vehicle owners under the Accessible Street Hail Livery Grant program will now receive in-service grant payments as long as the wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) remains in service and active. For more information visit Street Hail Liveries or Green Cab.
What are the new leasing benefits and protections?
When taxis are unavailable through no fault of the driver, drivers must be offered pro-rated leases for shifts under 12 hours. The new rules also mandate that taxi drivers must be paid back for expenses caused by the vehicle owner failing to meet terms of the lease.
If you leased a taxi and the owner or agent has failed to meet the terms of the lease agreement email driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov.
How do the new rules protect drivers in Conditional Purchase Agreements?
The rules require that agreements specify the purchase price of the vehicle and the total itemized cost, including interest and fees payable to the owner or agent. In addition to the existing penalty, owners must now pay drivers what they are owed when drivers are charged a security deposit in excess of the amount permitted by TLC rules.
Email driverprotection@tlc.nyc.gov to report a rule violation.