A NY hack license is the term used that describes the license needed to drive a New York City taxi. Officially, the NY hack license is called a New York City taxi operators license and it is issued by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. This license is good for all five boroughs and having it allows the driver to operate a yellow medallion taxi cab.
In New York City, only a yellow medallion taxi cab is allowed to pick up passengers on the street. To operate a taxi cab, you must possess a taxi drivers license. You must apply for this license through the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
The licenses issued through this agency for car service or limousines do not cover the operation of a yellow taxi cab. On the other hand, having the hack license allows the holder to operate a car service or limousine. Because of this, the NY hack license is the most prestigious and valuable of all the operator licenses issued by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Those who are interested in getting this taxi drivers license often want to know what the requirements are. The requirements are that you must be at least nineteen years old and possess a New York State drivers license that is either a Class A, B, C or E. Your drivers license will be accepted if you have a comparable drivers license from Connecticut, Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
The majority of licenses in the State of New York are Class D. If you wish to upgrade from a Class D to a Class E, you need to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and pay the required upgrade fee. There are no tests involved but you must be prepared to pay about fifty dollars for the fee.
If you are interested in getting a NY hack license, make sure you have no unpaid parking tickets or traffic summons. If you owe the city fees for parking or traffic violations, you must either have paid them or you must have a documented settlement agreement with whatever department is responsible. This proof must be submitted to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission with your application.
Another requirement is that you must be a citizen or a legal resident of the United States.
All applicants for the NY hack license need to attend a state certified six-hour defensive driving course. The course must have been completed no longer than six months before the date on your application.
Besides the training and status requirements, you must meet a medical requirement. The medical form is titled Form B and is part of the taxi drivers application. This form must be completed by a licensed physician.
You must submit your application for a NY hack license in person at the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which is located at 32-02 Queens Blvd, Long Island City. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.
They also have a location on Staten Island where you can turn in your application. This location is open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday only. The address is 1893 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island. You must make an appointment at this location to have your application accepted. Call for an appointment at 212-227-6324.
There is an application fee of sixty dollars which must be paid at the time of submission. You must pay with a money order made payable to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
When you apply, you must also pay a fee for fingerprinting which costs seventy-five dollars. Again, this fee must be paid by money order made out to the N.Y.S.D.C.J.S.
NY hack license applicants must pass a test for illicit drugs. If you do not complete or pass this test, you will not get your license. The approved drug testing location for taxi driving applicants is found at 31-00 47th Avenue, Long Island City.
This drug testing center is open for business Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. You will pay for the test at the time it is performed with a money order payable to Lab Corp, Inc. Anyone applying for the NY hack license that fails the drug test will be sent to a licensing standards hearing run by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Another of the requirements is that you will need to complete mandatory classroom training in subjects related to driving a yellow cab in the city. There are city-approved training facilities that hold these classes. You will learn about the important city landmarks, tunnels, bridges and highways that you need to know well to be able to drive a yellow cab with success.
Having the license to drive a yellow cab can provide an interesting and financially rewarding job to persons who are not afraid of long hours of challenging work.
Learn more about how to get the NY hack license including the six-hour defensive driving course, class schedules and necessary forms. David Lee Buster has this taxi license and is a writer for the Master Cabbie Taxi Academy in New York City.
