A New York City taxi driver’s license is called a “hacking license.” It is officially known as the New York City Taxi Operator’s License. The license allows the holder / driver to operate a yellow Medallion taxi in all five boroughs of New York City. Only one yellow medallion taxi is allowed to pick up passengers coming from the street in the city. The Hack license, issued through the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, is the only license to operate a yellow cab.
There are other licenses issued by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission for car and limousine service, but they cannot be used to operate the Yellow Cab. However, the Hack license can be used to operate a limousine or a car service vehicle. This fact makes the Hack License the most valuable of the operator licenses issued by NYC T&LC, as well as the most prestigious.
Currently, there are approximately 44,000 drivers who carry a hacking license in New York City.
HOW TO GET A HACK LICENSE IN NYC
The process and requirements
o All applicants for a New York City taxi hacking license must be no less than nineteen (19) years of age.
o Applicants must have a NY State Class A, B, C, or E driver’s license, or a New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania license of a similar class.
o Most licenses in New York State are Class D.
o To change a license from class D to class E, you must go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and pay an upgrade fee.
o There will be no test.
o The fee will be approximately fifty dollars.
One problem with how to obtain a piracy license is that the applicant must not have any pending parking or traffic citations. If money is owed to New York City for traffic or parking violations, it must be paid, or a documented resolution agreement must be filed with the appropriate NYC T&LC licensing agency.
All applicants for a New York City taxi hacking license must be citizens or legal residents of the United States.
Applicants must also attend a six-hour New York State-certified defensive driving course.
o This course must not be attended more than six months prior to the application filing date with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to obtain a hacking license.
o New York City’s number one provider of defensive driving courses for taxi drivers is Master Cabbie Taxi Academy. Classes are available six days a week. Pricing is $ 45 or $ 39 with online registration.
The medical requirement to obtain a hacking license is found on the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Taxi Driver Application Form B, which must be completed by a certified physician.
o The application for the New York City Hacking License must be submitted in person to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission at 32-02 Queens Blvd. Long Island City NY 11101 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to . M. At 4 p. M.
o There is a second filing location on Staten Island. Open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 1893 Richmond Terrace Staten Island NY 10302.
o Walk-ins are not permitted at the Staten Island location.
o To make an appointment call: 212-227-6324.
o At the time of application submission, the applicant will be required to pay an application fee of sixty dollars. The fee must be paid by money order payable to NYC TLC.
o At the time of application submission, applicant must pay $ 75.00 for fingerprinting fee. The fee must be paid by money order payable to NYSDCJS
All applicants for the hacking license must undergo illegal drug testing. The hacking license will not be issued to anyone who does not complete the test.
o The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission approved drug testing center for new applicants is located at 31-00 47th Ave. Long Island City NY 11101.
o The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
o Payment must be made by money order payable to Lab Corp. C ª.
o Individuals who apply for the hacking license and fail the drug test will be directed to a licensing standards hearing conducted by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. After the hearing, the hacking license application may be denied the license.
The slowest aspect of how to get a hacking license in New York is the mandatory pre-license training for all New York City hacking license holders. The training is on topics related to the taxi, carried out by approved training institutions. The minimum training requirement is a twenty-four hour program. The program consists of a three-day course, eight hours a day, with three basic components. Geography / Map Reading, Rules and Regulations / Defensive Driving and Customer Service.
There is also an eighty hour course available consisting of nine days of eight hours of classroom training and one day of exams. (THE NEW YORK CITY TAXI OPERATORS TEST). The Eighty Hour Program is the original taxi driver training program on which the New York City Taxi Driver Exam is based.
There are other programs available to obtain a hacking license that do not have time limitations. The most prominent program of its kind is run by Master Cabbie Taxi Academy. The programs are of unlimited duration, as long as the student maintains a regular school schedule and does not have to relearn what was previously taught.
Certain unlimited programs include all necessary fees for the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. This service allows people using credit to have Master Cabbie Taxi Academy make the fares available when the student is ready for each phase of the Hack licensing process. This eliminates the need to purchase money orders for which only cash can be used.
The taxi driver test on how to get a hacking license in New York City consists of two parts. It is run by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission each week at the Master Cabbie Taxi Academy.
o The hacking license applicant must successfully complete a proficiency in English as part of the exam. It is a low-level ESL exam for basic English proficiency, consisting of four parts. There are thirty questions, fifteen of which are to be completed and fifteen are multiple choice. An applicant must correctly score twenty-one to pass the exam. Applicants who do not pass the exam can take a second exam on another date. Applicants who fail the exam a second time must submit a new application to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission if they wish to continue the process of obtaining a New York City Hacking License.
o The final step in the How to Get a Hacking License in New York City process is the New York City Taxi Operators Exam. The taxi operators exam consists of two parts. One part is an open book and the other is a closed book. The first part consists of ten questions. The applicant may use an Atlas of New York City’s five (5) boroughs and an address locator during this part of the exam. Forty-five minutes are allowed for this part of the exam.
o The second part of the New York City Taxi Operators exam allows the applicant seventy-five minutes and consists of forty questions. About twelve questions will refer to defensive driving rules and regulations and questions. The remaining 28 questions will refer to geography, landmarks, roads, air, bus and train terminals, etc. Applicants must correctly answer thirty-five questions, with a score of seventy percent, or better, to pass the exam. Applicants who do not pass the exam can take a second exam on another date. Applicants who fail the exam a second time must submit a new application to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission if they wish to continue the process.
New York City taxi drivers earn up to $ 1,000 a week and more.
If you want to apply for a New York City hacking license, you must contact Master Cabbie Taxi Academy. At: 718-472-1699 or 1-800-955-TAXI.
© Terry Gelber October 2007
Terry Gelber has a NYC hacking license.