How to Fill Out and Submit the NYC FHV Transfer Application

The NYC FHV transfer application is the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission form that licensees use to change the vehicle, license plates, or dispatching base tied to an existing for-hire vehicle license. Vehicle and plate transfers are filed through the TLC Up portal; base transfers use a printed form emailed to the TLC. Each transfer costs $25, with an added $75 inspection fee when the replacement vehicle has 500 or more miles on it.

Pick the Right Transfer First

The TLC treats each change as its own transaction, and choosing the wrong one slows everything down.

  • Vehicle transfer: changes the vehicle on your TLC license. Use this when the replacement is already registered with TLC plates at a New York State DMV office. If you haven’t visited the DMV yet, you don’t need this form.
  • Plate transfer: replaces TLC plates that were lost, stolen, mutilated, or confiscated, or gets new plates to take a license out of storage. Report lost or stolen plates to the NYS Police and DMV first, or return mutilated plates to the DMV.
  • Vehicle and plate transfer: a single transaction that changes both at once.
  • Base transfer: moves your FHV license from one dispatching base to another. The vehicle stays the same.

All four are processed electronically. No in-person appointment at a TLC licensing office is required to file.1Taxi & Limousine Commission. Vehicle, Plate and Base Transfers

What Has to Be True Before You File

Your FHV license must be active and in good standing. That means current insurance, current inspection, and no gap in base affiliation lasting 60 days or more. A license can be revoked for non-use if any of those lapses runs past 60 days.2NYC Rules. NYC Rules 59A-08 Licensing – Causes for Denial or Revocation

You also have to clear any outstanding fines or fees owed to the TLC, the NYC Department of Finance’s Parking Violations Bureau, the Red Light Camera Unit, and the NYS DMV Traffic Violations Bureau. This reaches past you personally: if you’re part of a corporate entity, unpaid fines owed by any related business entity or its principals will block the transfer too.3NYC Rules. NYC Rules 80-04 Licensing – Requirements

Corporate applicants should be able to show the business is in active status with the New York State Department of State and that the signer has authority to act for the company. A Certificate of Status can be requested from the Division of Corporations in Albany.4New York State Department of State. Certificate of Status

One boundary worth noting: the TLC’s electric vehicle mandate applies to new FHV license applications, not transfers. If you’re swapping the vehicle on an existing license, there’s no blanket rule that the replacement be electric, though you should confirm the requirements for your specific license type before buying.5Taxi & Limousine Commission. Get a For-Hire-Vehicle License

What to Gather Before You Start

Missing any of these will stall the application.

  • Vehicle Identification Number: the 17-character VIN of the vehicle going onto the license.
  • Current odometer reading: this determines whether the $75 inspection fee applies.
  • NYS DMV registration with TLC plates: required before a vehicle transfer. If you need new plates, file a plate transfer instead; the TLC will send you a digital plate letter to bring to the DMV.
  • FH-1 Insurance Certificate: proof of a current commercial liability policy meeting TLC and New York State minimums, issued in the owner’s name. Email the certificate and the declaration page to TLCinsurance@tlc.nyc.gov so TLC’s records are current before you apply. An expired or insufficient policy blocks any transfer.6Taxi & Limousine Commission. Vehicle Insurance
  • Government-issued photo ID: required for base transfers submitted by email, useful for all types.
  • TLC vehicle license number: printed on your decals; needed to log into TLC Up and LARS.

For a base transfer, you also need the printed Transfer Application form signed by the new base. Section 1 captures owner and vehicle information; Section 3 captures the new base’s details, including its Base License Number.7New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. For-Hire Vehicle Transfer Application

Submitting a Vehicle or Plate Transfer in TLC Up

Vehicle transfers, plate transfers, and combined vehicle-and-plate transfers all go through TLC Up rather than the paper form.

  1. Sign in to TLC Up at a156-nauf.nyc.gov/tlcup using your vehicle license number, your mailing zip code, and the last five digits of your SSN or company EIN.
  2. Open Menu and select Transfer. Confirm the email address on file; if it needs updating, the system will direct you to LARS to change it.
  3. Select the transfer type (vehicle, plate, or both).
  4. Enter the VIN and current mileage, and indicate whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible or a stretch vehicle.
  5. Submit.

If TLC accepts the request, you’ll get an email with payment instructions and either an inspection appointment (for a vehicle transfer) or a digital plate letter (for a plate transfer). With the digital plate letter, visit any NYS DMV office in the five boroughs to pick up your new registration and TLC plates, then report the new plate number through the Plate Notification form on TLC Up. The TLC won’t schedule your inspection until that plate information is updated.1Taxi & Limousine Commission. Vehicle, Plate and Base Transfers

Can’t sign in to TLC Up? The TLC allows a fallback: print the Transfer Application, complete the relevant sections, and email it with a photo ID to FHVTransfers@tlc.nyc.gov.

Submitting a Base Transfer by Email

Base transfers use the printed form, not TLC Up, and the payment window is short.

  1. Download and print the Transfer Application from nyc.gov/assets/tlc/downloads/pdf/veh_transfer_affil_app.pdf.
  2. Complete Section 1 (owner and vehicle) and Section 3 (new base). The new base must sign.
  3. Email the completed form and a copy of your government-issued photo ID to FHVTransfers@tlc.nyc.gov.
  4. Watch for the TLC’s approval email with payment instructions. You have 24 hours from receipt to pay, or the request won’t be processed.
  5. Log in to LARS at apps.nyc.gov/lars and pay the $25 base transfer fee.1Taxi & Limousine Commission. Vehicle, Plate and Base Transfers

Once payment clears, the base transfer is complete. No vehicle inspection is required.

Fees and How to Pay

All transfer fees are paid through LARS at apps.nyc.gov/lars. Click “Fees and Returned Payments – Existing TLC License,” then enter your TLC vehicle license number, mailing zip code, and the last five digits of your SSN or EIN.8NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission. License Applications, Renewals, and Summonses

  • Base transfer: $25
  • Plate transfer: $25
  • Vehicle transfer: $25
  • Inspection fee: $75, charged only when the vehicle has 500 miles or more on the odometer at inspection

All licensing fees are non-refundable. Payment is accepted by debit card, credit card, or money order. No cash.

The Woodside Inspection

After a vehicle transfer or combined vehicle-and-plate transfer is approved and paid, the TLC emails you an appointment at its Safety and Emissions facility at 24-55 B.Q.E. West, Woodside, NY 11377. You don’t schedule it; the TLC assigns the date and time.9Taxi & Limousine Commission. Vehicle Inspections

Woodside is a New York State licensed inspection station. Technicians test brakes, seatbelts, lights, suspension, and emissions, and check for all TLC-required equipment and markings, such as base markings on livery vehicles.10Taxi & Limousine Commission. Safety and Emissions Bring the vehicle itself; the TLC’s transfer page doesn’t list additional paperwork beyond what you’ve already submitted electronically.

If the vehicle passes, your license is activated within 48 hours. The TLC issues inspection decals (sometimes called diamond stickers) that go on the windshield and show the vehicle’s license number and the sticker’s expiration date. If you need replacement decals later, email FHVTransfers@tlc.nyc.gov to request a referral document, then visit Woodside Monday through Friday between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m.1Taxi & Limousine Commission. Vehicle, Plate and Base Transfers

If the vehicle fails, no separate appointment is needed for a reinspection; return once the issues are fixed. You have 60 days from the first scheduled appointment to complete all inspection requirements, and the TLC can deny the application if you miss that window.2NYC Rules. NYC Rules 59A-08 Licensing – Causes for Denial or Revocation

Mistakes That Stall Transfers

Most problems come down to sequencing or an overlooked prerequisite.

  • Filing a vehicle transfer before the DMV visit. TLC Up expects the new vehicle to be registered with TLC plates already. If it isn’t, you need a plate transfer or a combined transfer instead.
  • Expired or mismatched insurance. The FH-1 on file must be current and in the owner’s name. If your policy renewed or your carrier changed, email the updated FH-1 and declaration page to TLCinsurance@tlc.nyc.gov before submitting.
  • Unpaid fines anywhere in your network. The TLC checks your fines and those of any business entity you’re associated with. A parking ticket on another corporate vehicle can hold up your transfer.
  • Missing the 24-hour payment window for a base transfer. If you don’t pay in LARS within 24 hours of approval, the request expires.
  • Letting a new license application sit. For new applications (not transfers), the TLC denies any application where the applicant hasn’t finished all non-inspection requirements within 45 days of filing.2NYC Rules. NYC Rules 59A-08 Licensing – Causes for Denial or Revocation

For plate transfers, remember to submit the Plate Notification form on TLC Up once you’ve picked up your new plates at the DMV. The inspection won’t be scheduled until that notification lands in the TLC’s system.