The training you need to renew your TLC driver license
TLC drivers now need to complete specific training to renew and keep their license.
Here’s what you need to know about the new rules, the places approved to offer the training and where you can get more information.
There’s a lot more to being a rideshare driver than knowing your local area. Drivers need to be on top of many things: public safety rules, using online services, and good customer service.
That’s why ongoing training and learning is essential. It’s also a requirement since January 1, 2022 for all NYC TLC drivers.
The requirements
From January 1, 2022, all TLC drivers have to complete a mandatory course for their license to be renewed.
The course is six hours long and has to be completed 90 days before your TLC driver license expires. TLC drivers have to complete the course every three years before their license runs out.
The good news is you don’t need to sit an exam at the end of it.
What does the course involve?
The TLC driver license renewal course provides professional and practical hands-on training to support professional drivers and to enhance public safety.
It covers a wide range of subjects, including:
- How to use TLC online services such as LARS (License Applications, Renewals and Summonses) and the TLC Upload Portal.
- What to do if you get a ticket.
- Rules and policies in areas such as driver pay.
- Customer service advice and tips.
- Helping customers with disabilities.
- Practicing wheelchair accessible vehicle operations.
Who has to take it?
You are required to take the TLC driver license renewal course if you’re a TLC-licensed driver and your license has expired on or after January 1, 2022.
Your TLC driver license will not be renewed if you don’t complete the course before it expires. The course is now considered part of the renewal application requirements and is a condition of a driver’s license being renewed.
If you’re a paratransit or commuter van operator, you are not required to take this course as there are a different set of rules for those drivers.
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How much does it cost and who pays for it?
All TLC-approved education providers charge $150, which drivers have to pay the training center directly.
There’s an extra $25 fee if you take the course during the 180-day late renewal period and not the 90 days required.
However, there is a financial benefit to completing the course, and not just because it allows you to keep working as a TLC-licensed driver.
Being up-to-date with your licensing also means there’s no break in your TLC insurance, and so there is no risk of being fully liable for anything that happens when you’re not covered.
Where can I take the course?
A number of training centers in New York City are approved to provide the renewal course. Some can provide the course in languages other than English, including Spanish, Urdu, Bengali and Chinese.
Providers may also offer discounts if you buy the renewal course alongside another class, such as Defensive Driving.
Your training provider will let the TLC know when you’ve completed the course so that your record can be updated. The list of training providers is below:
- AA Driving Training Center: 6402 8th Avenue, Suite 105, Brooklyn, NY 11220, (718) 886-6249
- AAJ Desi Black Yellow Green Professional Driver Academy: 89-36 Sutphin Blvd, 3rd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11435, (347) 256-2790
- CUNY Kingsborough Community College: 2001 Oriental Boulevard, Room T4122, Brooklyn, NY 11235, (718) 368-5189
- Jamaica One Trainers School: 87-12 175th Street, Suite #C1 Jamaica, NY 11432, (718) 206-9200
- Millennium Drivers Academy: 60-19 Roosevelt Ave 2nd FL Suite 205 Woodside, NY 11377 & 1954 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10453, (718) 733-1220
- NYC Drivers Institute: 31-00 47th Avenue, 1st Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101 & 33-24 Northern Boulevard 4 th Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101, (718) 255-9500
For more information on the TLC-approved training centers, click here.
Where can I find out more?
There’s an official Frequently Asked Questions page here and information on the full range of TLC requirements here.
Uber also has details of the broader requirements for getting a driver’s license from the TLC, and how it can help drivers through the application process.
At INSHUR, our TLC coverage is trusted and recommended by thousands of drivers in NYC. To get great value coverage in three minutes, click here.
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