NYC TLC $140 Million Settlement, Taxi, Uber and Lyft Drivers Can Claim by December 28, 2026

If New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) suspended your driver’s license after a criminal arrest between June 28, 2003, and February 18, 2020, you may be able to claim money from a $140 million federal class action settlement. The claim deadline is December 28, 2026.

The listed payment tiers run from $700 to $36,000 before deductions. What a driver actually receives depends on how long the license stayed suspended, whether the driver earlier asked for an individual damages hearing, and how many valid claims come in. Roughly 19,500 drivers are potentially covered.

Federal Judge Richard J. Sullivan granted final approval on June 30, 2026. Nobody is paid automatically, though. Drivers have to file a claim and return a City of New York Substitute Form W-9. The claims administrator, Simpluris, has not announced a payment date.

Official settlement website: TLCSuspensionClaims.com

NYC TLC Suspension Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Settlement amount	$140,000,000
Lawsuit	Nnebe v. Daus, No. 1:06-cv-04991-RJS
Related case	Stallworth v. Joshi, No. 1:17-cv-07119
Court	U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Judge	Richard J. Sullivan
Defendants	City of New York and TLC officials
Drivers potentially covered	About 19,500
Covered suspensions	License suspended after an arrest, June 28, 2003 – February 18, 2020
Listed initial payment tiers	$700 – $36,000, before deductions
Reduced tier	37.5% of the listed amount for drivers who never requested a damages hearing
Final approval	June 30, 2026 (Docket 769)
Claim deadline	December 28, 2026
Claims administrator	Simpluris
Claim form required	Yes
Tax form required	City of New York Substitute Form W-9
Payment date	Not announced

The listed amounts come from a court-approved distribution schedule. They are not guaranteed checks. Final payments can shift with the number of valid claims, attorneys’ fees, administration costs and legally required deductions.

Who Qualifies for the NYC TLC Suspension Settlement?

The class covers taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers whose TLC licenses were suspended because of a criminal arrest between June 28, 2003, and February 18, 2020. That can include yellow and green taxi drivers, livery and black-car drivers, and Uber and Lyft drivers who held a TLC license.

The qualifying event is the TLC suspension itself, tied to an arrest.

Can Uber and Lyft drivers claim money from the TLC settlement?

Yes, if the driver held an NYC TLC license and the TLC suspended it after a qualifying arrest during the covered period. Being deactivated by the Uber or Lyft app does not count. That is a private company’s decision, not a City suspension of a TLC license.

Does a dismissed charge disqualify you?

No. The lawsuit is about the process the TLC used to suspend licenses and the hearings that followed, not about whether the driver was eventually convicted. A dismissed case or an acquittal does not automatically take someone out of the class. The claim form does ask for a good-faith statement, covered below.

Do former NYC TLC drivers still qualify?

Yes. You do not need a current TLC license, a current driving job or a New York City address, as long as you were suspended in the covered period.

How Much Can NYC TLC Drivers Get From the $140 Million Settlement?

Two things drive the amount: how many days the TLC license was suspended, and whether the driver previously requested an individual damages hearing in the case.

For drivers who did request a damages hearing, the listed initial amounts are:

Days the TLC license was suspended	Listed initial amount (before deductions)
25 days or fewer	$700
26–31 days	$750
32–60 days	$21,000
61–90 days	$24,000
91–120 days	$27,000
121–210 days	$30,000
211–390 days	$33,000
391 days or more	$36,000
No recorded suspension end date	$17,000

According to the court-approved settlement notice, payments are a pro rata share based on the length of suspension in TLC records and whether the driver earlier asked for a damages hearing. The $36,000 figure is the top of the schedule, not what a typical driver should expect.

Why is a 32-day TLC suspension worth so much more than a 31-day one?

It looks like a typo, but it isn’t. A 31-day suspension falls in the $750 tier and a 32-day suspension falls in the $21,000 tier. The final approval order explains the reasoning: the parties proceeded on the understanding that a delay of less than 31 days between suspension and reinstatement would likely not entitle a driver to more than minimal damages. The tiers also follow the way damages were awarded to the drivers who went to trial.

The schedule is a negotiated settlement term. It is not a rule that every suspended driver is owed $21,000 after 32 days.

What if you never requested a damages hearing?

You can still claim. The settlement lets drivers who never requested a damages hearing recover 37.5% of the amount in their suspension category. The court had earlier ruled that drivers in that position would otherwise be limited to nominal damages of one dollar, so the settlement gives them far more than they would have had without it.

Suspension length	Listed amount	37.5% amount
25 days or fewer	$700	$262.50
32–60 days	$21,000	$7,875
61–90 days	$24,000	$9,000
121–210 days	$30,000	$11,250
391 days or more	$36,000	$13,500

These illustrations come before any fees, costs or deductions.

A previous request for a damages hearing was part of the earlier litigation. It is a different thing from the statement every claimant now makes on the claim form.

What if the TLC suspended your license more than once?

Under the allocation rules, qualifying suspension periods are generally added together to find your category. A suspension shorter than 32 days does not count toward that combined total. Two separate 40-day suspensions can be treated as 80 days. Two separate 20-day suspensions do not combine into a 40-day category, though a single short suspension can still qualify for its own tier. The administrator works from TLC records, so the dates it finds control.

What Does the NYC TLC Settlement Claim Form Require?

This is the part drivers most need to read before signing. The court-approved settlement notice says that to receive payment you must affirm that, had constitutionally adequate post-suspension hearings been available, you:

1. would have requested a hearing to challenge your post-arrest suspension, and
2. believe in good faith that you would have succeeded and your TLC license suspension would have been lifted.

Those are sworn-style statements, and nobody should sign them just to get paid. A driver who is unsure whether they can truthfully say both things should call class counsel or talk to a lawyer before filing.

The standard process does not ask drivers to upload years of pay records. The administrator works mainly from TLC suspension records and the signed claim form, and it can ask follow-up questions if its records are incomplete.

How to File an NYC TLC Suspension Settlement Claim

The deadline is December 28, 2026. Claims can be filed online, by mail, by email or by fax.

File online

1. Go to TLCSuspensionClaims.com.
2. Choose the option to submit a claim.
3. Enter the Claim Login ID and PIN printed on your settlement notice.
4. Check your personal and TLC license information.
5. Read the declarations and sign or certify the claim as instructed.
6. Submit before December 28, 2026, and save your confirmation.
7. Send the City of New York Substitute Form W-9 using the administrator’s instructions.

File by mail, email or fax

Use the paper claim form that came with your notice, or get one from the administrator.

Mail: TLC Driver Suspension Case Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799

Email: [email protected]

Fax: (714) 824-8591

The public instructions do not clearly say whether a mailed claim counts by postmark or by arrival date. Mail early and ask Simpluris which rule applies. The claim includes identifying details, so confirm the recipient before sending anything sensitive.

Why the Substitute Form W-9 matters

The City needs a Substitute Form W-9 to issue payment. Send it only through the administrator’s verified channels. Do not give your Social Security number to a social media account, an unrelated website or anyone offering to speed up a settlement check for a fee.

What if you lost your Claim Login ID or never got a notice?

Contact Simpluris at 1-833-296-0847 or [email protected]. Give your full name and current mailing address, and expect identity checks. If no notice ever reached you, say your TLC license was suspended after an arrest in the class period and ask the administrator to check your eligibility. A paper claim may be possible without the online login.

Has the NYC TLC $140 Million Settlement Been Approved?

Yes. Judge Sullivan granted final approval on June 30, 2026 (Docket 769). The order notes that no class member filed a written objection and that only two expressed interest in opting out. Eight class members spoke at the August 2025 fairness hearing. The opt-out and objection period has ended, so the date that still matters is December 28, 2026.

The court also approved attorneys’ fees equal to 25% of the total amount claimed from the settlement fund, plus litigation costs, and allowed Simpluris to deduct its quoted administration costs from the fund. Those amounts come out before money reaches class members.

When Will NYC TLC Settlement Payments Be Sent?

No payment date has been published. Claims were still being processed in the fall, and individual amounts depend partly on how many valid claims are filed. Drivers who have moved should update their address with Simpluris.

Could there be a second payment?

Possibly. If enough money is left unclaimed after the first round, the agreement allows 60% of the unclaimed funds, subject to a cap in the agreement, to go to timely claimants. Any extra payment is limited to 35% of a person’s original award. It is not guaranteed.

Can child support or parking judgments reduce a TLC settlement check?

Yes. The agreement provides for legally required deductions. These can include overdue child support and certain docketed New York City parking judgments, along with other amounts the law requires. How much comes out depends on the individual.

Why Did New York City Agree to Pay $140 Million to TLC Drivers?

Drivers sued in 2006, arguing that the TLC could suspend a professional license after an arrest without giving a fair chance to contest it. In 2019, the Second Circuit ruled in Nnebe v. Daus, 931 F.3d 66, that the City’s notices did not explain the reinstatement hearings and that the hearings gave drivers no meaningful way to contest a suspension.

In March 2022 the district court certified a class covering suspensions from June 2003 through February 2020, and it ruled that every class member was entitled to at least $1 in nominal damages. A bellwether trial followed in November 2023 with 20 randomly selected drivers. Ten appeared and won damages awards. The other ten did not appear and received nominal damages. That outcome shaped the negotiations that led to the $140 million settlement.

The claims arise under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The rulings concerned the old notice and hearing procedures. They do not mean every arrest-based suspension was unjustified, or that every driver would have won reinstatement.

Is the NYC TLC Settlement the Same as the Uber and Lyft Wage Settlements?

No. The New York attorney general’s 2023 Uber and Lyft settlements, which totaled $328 million, dealt with wages and working conditions for app drivers. The TLC case is about the City’s suspension of professional licenses after arrests. A driver can be eligible for one and not the other. Details on the wage deal are on the New York Attorney General’s Uber and Lyft settlement page.

New York City has other civil-rights settlements open right now, each with its own court case, class definition and claim process. They include the NYC Central Booking Settlement Increased to $35.475M, Claim Up to $475 Per Detention by January 7, 2027 and the City of New York Strip Search Settlement, Check If You Qualify Lewis, et al. v. City of New York, et al., No. 23 Civ 2600 (CM).

NYC TLC Settlement FAQ

Is the NYC TLC $140 million settlement real?

Yes. It is a federal class action settlement in Nnebe v. Daus, No. 1:06-cv-04991-RJS, and the court granted final approval on June 30, 2026.

Who can get money from the NYC TLC suspension settlement?

Taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers whose TLC licenses were suspended after criminal arrests between June 28, 2003, and February 18, 2020, subject to the settlement terms.

Can Uber and Lyft drivers claim from the NYC TLC settlement?

Yes, if they had a qualifying TLC license suspension. An ordinary app deactivation is not enough.

How much does the NYC TLC settlement pay?

Listed initial amounts run from $700 to $36,000 before deductions. Drivers who never requested a damages hearing generally get 37.5% of their category amount.

Can I claim if my criminal charges were dismissed?

Potentially, yes. The result of the criminal case does not by itself decide class membership.

What is the NYC TLC settlement claim deadline?

December 28, 2026.

Do I need to send a W-9 to get my TLC settlement payment?

Yes. The City of New York Substitute Form W-9 is required before payment.

Have NYC TLC settlement checks been mailed?

No payment date had been announced as of November 13, 2026.

What if I never received a TLC settlement notice?

Call Simpluris at 1-833-296-0847 or email [email protected] and ask it to check whether you are in the class.

What happens if I do nothing?

You will not be paid. If you stay in the class, you are generally bound by the settlement’s release of the covered claims.

Bottom Line on the NYC TLC $140 Million Settlement

New York City’s TLC settlement compensates drivers whose licenses were suspended after arrests between 2003 and 2020. It has final court approval, and claims stay open through December 28, 2026.

Do not count on $36,000. Your tier, your history with the damages hearing process, the number of valid claims and deductions all affect the check. File a signed claim through the official administrator, and send the Substitute Form W-9 the way the administrator tells you to.

Official Sources and Court Records

• TLC Driver Suspension Case: Official Settlement Website
• Nnebe v. Daus: Final Approval Order, June 30, 2026, Docket 769 (PDF)
• Preliminary Approval Order and Distribution Schedule, May 2025 (PDF)
• March 2022 Class Certification Decision
• NYC TLC Class Action Notice, 2022 (PDF)
• Federal Docket: Nnebe v. Daus, No. 1:06-cv-04991
• New York Attorney General: Uber and Lyft Settlement

Update log

• November 13, 2026: Initial publication. Final approval confirmed, December 28, 2026 claim deadline, no payment date announced. This page will be updated when Simpluris announces payments or changes the claim process.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the June 30, 2026 final approval order (Docket 769), the court-approved settlement notice and the 2022 class notice, as of November 13, 2026. Last Updated: November 13, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.