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About the exam
NYC TLC Driver License Exam
To drive a yellow or green taxi, an Uber, Lyft, black car, livery or other for-hire vehicle in New York City you need a TLC Driver License from the Taxi and Limousine Commission. After the 24-hour driver education course, defensive driving, the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle course, drug test and medical exam, you must pass the TLC Driver License exam, given by PSI at testing centers around the city. All requirements, including the exam, must be finished within 90 days of your application or it is denied.
The exam is 80 multiple-choice questions in two hours and you need 70 percent, or 56 correct. It is not a driving test. The TLC study guide lists ten topics: government, licensing, vehicle requirements, passenger solicitation, customer service and service refusal, accessible dispatch rules, proper conduct, Vision Zero and safety, penalties and special driver penalty programs, and New York City geography, for which a street atlas is provided in the exam room.
This bank is written from the TLC Rules themselves (35 RCNY chapters 53, 58 and 80, updated 2025 and 2026) for rules, fares, penalties and accessibility, and from the TLC study guide for geography and Vision Zero. Fare and surcharge figures are marked as of 2026 and the outdated 2019 guide numbers appear only as wrong options.
Exam format
NYC TLC Driver License Exam: questions, time and pass mark
| Item | Official exam | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 multiple choice | Verified Oct 2026 (PSI bulletin; TLC study guide; nyc.gov/tlc) |
| Time limit | 2 hours | Verified Oct 2026 (PSI bulletin; study guide) |
| Pass mark | 70 percent (56 of 80) | Verified Oct 2026 (study guide; TLC page) |
| Attempts | Unlimited within the 90-day application window, once every 24 hours, new fee each time | Verified Oct 2026 (PSI bulletin) |
| Exam fee | $49 per attempt (reported by course providers) | Not confirmed on an official 2026 page |
| Application window | All requirements, including the exam, within 90 days of applying | Verified Oct 2026 (35 RCNY 80-08(d)(1)) |
| Geography aid | Printed five-borough street atlas and Manhattan address key supplied in the exam room | Verified Oct 2026 (study guide p. 32; PSI) |
| Provider | PSI testing centers in all five boroughs | Verified Oct 2026 (nyc.gov/tlc) |
The practice test above draws 80 questions with a 120-minute timer and a 70% pass mark. Practice mode lets you work one topic at a time with explanations after every answer, and the cheat sheet view lists every question and answer for review.
Cost and booking
Fees, where to take it and retakes
Start your TLC Driver License application online and pay the TLC application fee (check the TLC fees page for the current amount). Complete the 24-hour driver education course at a TLC-approved school (schools set their own prices, commonly $200 to $300 and often including exam prep), the 6-hour defensive driving course, the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle course, the drug test and the medical exam. Then schedule the exam with PSI online; course providers report a fee of $49 per attempt as of 2025-2026.
You may retake as often as needed during the 90-day window, but only once every 24 hours and with a new fee each time. If the 90 days run out, the application is denied and you start over. PSI gives results on the spot, and TLC issues the license once every requirement is met.
What’s covered
310+ practice questions, by topic
Written from TLC Rules (35 RCNY ch. 53, 58, 80, 2025-2026) and the TLC Driver Education Study Guide. Every explanation cites its section.
- TLC Driver Rules and Penalties95
- NYC Geography99
- Accessibility and Wheelchair-Accessible Service30
- Customer Service and Service Refusal41
- Driver Safety and Vision Zero45
Why people fail
The mistakes that cost people the NYC TLC Driver License Exam
- Studying from the 2019 guide's numbers. Fares, surcharges, airport flat rates and terminal names have changed; the exam is written from the current rules, and the old figures are classic wrong answers.
- Underestimating geography. Roughly a quarter of the exam is streets, highways, bridges, tunnels, landmarks and airports across all five boroughs, with the atlas available but no time to search for every answer.
- Not knowing the service refusal rules: a driver may refuse only in listed situations, must take passengers anywhere in the five boroughs, Westchester, Nassau and the airports, and may not refuse a service animal.
- Guessing at accessible dispatch obligations (logging on and off, accepting dispatches, securing a wheelchair) which carry fines and are tested directly.
- Ignoring the penalty points and the special driver penalty programs; the exam asks how many points trigger suspension and revocation.
A study plan that works
- Download the TLC Driver Education Course and Exam Study Guide from nyc.gov/tlc for the topic list and the geography section, then read TLC Rules chapter 80 (drivers) in full.
- Practice here by category: TLC Driver Rules and Penalties first, then NYC Geography. Those two make up over 60 percent of this bank and of the exam.
- Build your own fare sheet from Rule 58-26: initial charge, per-unit charge, surcharges, airport flat rates and tolls, with the date you checked them.
- Learn the geography with a map open: major avenues and their direction, the FDR and West Side Highway exits, each borough's main expressways and bridges, and the airport terminals.
- Take an 80-question timed test in two hours, review every explanation, then re-run starred questions. Repeat until you pass with margin, since each real attempt costs a fee.
Try a few
Sample NYC TLC Driver License Exam practice questions
Six questions pulled straight from the bank, with the answer shown. For the timed, no-peeking version, use the quiz above.
Why: OATH, through its Taxi and Limousine Tribunal, handles driver violation hearings. The DMV bureau handles state traffic tickets.
Source: TLC Driver Education Course & Exam Study Guide (May 2019), 1. Government, p. 2; 35 RCNY §80-02(e) (TLC Rules, Ch. 80, updated June 6, 2025)
Why: Coney Island, including the Stillwell Avenue transit hub, is in southern Brooklyn.
Source: TLC Driver Education Course & Exam Study Guide (May 2019), 10. Geography, Brooklyn Common Points of Interest, p. 23
Why: Rule 53-06(c) requires logging on at the beginning of each shift and logging off at the end, with a $250 fine.
Source: 35 RCNY §53-06(c) (TLC Rules, Ch. 53, updated April 15, 2025)
Why: The guide defines Vision Zero as laws and rules that encourage safer driving with the goal of no traffic crashes.
Source: TLC Driver Education Course & Exam Study Guide (May 2019), 8. Vision Zero & Safety, p. 12
Why: Rule 80-19(e)(3) bars Short Haul ticket holders from taking Long Haul passengers, and the reverse, when cabs are available in both lines.
Source: 35 RCNY §80-19(e)(3) (TLC Rules, Ch. 80, updated June 6, 2025)
Why: The George Washington Bridge crosses the Hudson River at West 178th Street. The Alexander Hamilton Bridge carries the Cross Bronx Expressway over the Harlem River.
Source: TLC Driver Education Course & Exam Study Guide (May 2019), Manhattan Major Highways, Exit 14, p. 17
FAQ
NYC TLC Driver License Exam questions, answered
How many questions are on the TLC driver exam?
80 multiple-choice questions in two hours. You need 56 correct (70 percent) to pass. The exam is taken on a computer at a PSI testing center.
Is the TLC exam a driving test?
No. It is a written test of TLC rules, licensing, customer service and service refusal, accessibility, conduct, Vision Zero, penalties and New York City geography. Your state driver license covers driving skills.
How many times can I take the TLC exam?
As many times as needed during the 90-day application period, once every 24 hours, paying the exam fee each time. If you do not pass within the 90 days the application is denied.
How much does the TLC exam cost?
Course providers report $49 per attempt as of 2025 and 2026. We could not confirm that figure on an official TLC or PSI page, so check your PSI account before scheduling. The TLC application fee and the driver education course are separate.
Do I get a map for the geography questions?
Yes. PSI provides a printed five-borough street atlas and a Manhattan address key in the exam room. There is not enough time to look up every answer, so learn the major routes first.
What are the current NYC taxi fares?
As of the TLC rules updated in 2026: $3.00 initial charge plus a $1.00 improvement surcharge, $0.70 per additional unit, a $70 flat rate between JFK and Manhattan, a $20 surcharge to Newark, plus state and MTA surcharges and congestion zone charges. Figures change; this bank marks them as of 2026.
Is this the official TLC exam?
No. These are original practice questions written from the TLC Rules and the TLC study guide, cited on every explanation. Only PSI, on behalf of TLC, gives the licensing exam.