What's happening
The bill requires ride-hailing vehicles and drivers to display identification and machine-readable codes to improve passenger safety and trip verification.
Why it matters
Mandates that ride-hailing vehicles display a machine-readable code (like a QR code) on the outside of the vehicle. , which passengers can scan to verify the vehicle and trip before entering—helping to reduce the risk of getting into the wrong car.
Requires ride-hailing companies to provide drivers with standardized identification cards. , including the driver’s name, photo, and vehicle license plate, which must be visibly posted for all passengers—aiming to improve transparency and make it easier for passengers to identify their driver.
Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to create and enforce regulations about how vehicles and drivers are marked and identified. , ensuring consistency across all ride-hailing companies and potentially making enforcement and compliance checks easier.
Connects trip verification directly to payment release in the app. , meaning that passengers must confirm the correct vehicle using the code before they can complete payment—creating a strong incentive for both drivers and passengers to use the safety features and potentially deterring fraudulent or unauthorized rides.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Transportation network companies
The bill would require companies to issue driver identification cards, provide machine-readable vehicle codes or images and enable passengers to scan them through their digital networks to confirm their assigned vehicles.
Transportation network company drivers
Their vehicles would need illuminated company signs, exterior machine-readable codes or images and driver identification cards visible to passengers in all seating positions.
Ride-hailing passengers
They would be able to scan a vehicle’s code or image before entering and before payment is released to confirm it is authorized for their trip.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
The department would have to adopt regulations for illuminated company signs and exterior machine-readable codes or images, while the commissioner would prescribe and approve the driver identification card format.
Headline styles
ID Rules for Ride-Share Drivers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.262
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.504
- Rules report cal.504
- Reported
Show 8 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Print number 7219c
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- Print number 7219b
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- Print number 7219a
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
ID Rules for Ridehail Drivers
In Senate Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Neil D. Breslin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7219--C
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 12, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY, EPSTEIN, PAULIN, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the identification of transportation network company drivers and vehicles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 1692 of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section 2 of part AAA of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
5. A TNC's digital network shall display a picture of the TNC driver, and provide the make, model, color and license plate number of the TNC vehicle utilized for providing the TNC prearranged trip before the passenger enters the TNC vehicle. The digital network shall also enable the passenger to scan, with the passenger's mobile device, the TNC vehicle's machine-readable code or image required by section sixteen hundred ninety-six of this article, prior to entering the TNC vehicle and prior to the release of payment, in order to confirm that the TNC vehicle is the one authorized for the passenger's TNC prearranged trip.
§ 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 and subdivision 5 of section 1696 of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section 2 of part AAA of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, are amended and a new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:
(c) Upon review of all information received and retained by the TNC and upon verifying that the individual is not disqualified pursuant to this section from receiving a TNC driver permit, a TNC may issue a TNC driver permit to the applicant. The TNC shall review all information
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11064-06-9
A. 7219--C 2
received relating to such applicant and hold such information for six years along with a certification that such applicant qualifies to receive a TNC driver permit. A TNC shall issue a TNC driver identification card, in a form prescribed and approved by the commissioner, to each individual who qualifies to receive a TNC driver permit pursuant to this article. Such TNC driver identification card shall, at a minimum, include the name and photograph of the TNC driver and the license plate number of the TNC vehicle utilized for providing the TNC prearranged trip by such TNC driver, and shall be posted within such TNC vehicle in a manner that is legible, clear and conspicuous to passengers in all seating positions of such TNC vehicles.
5. The department shall promulgate regulations to ensure that each TNC vehicle is easily identified as such and that the TNC for which the TNC driver is providing the TNC service or TNC prearranged trip is distinguishable. Such marking shall be in such form as is approved by the commissioner, which shall at a minimum include an illuminated sign indicating the TNC for which the TNC driver is providing the TNC service or TNC prearranged trip, and shall be attached, affixed or displayed in such manner as he or she may prescribe by regulation.
6. The department shall promulgate regulations to require each TNC to provide each TNC driver with a machine-readable code or image, and to require such machine-readable code or image to be displayed on the outside of each TNC vehicle. Such machine-readable code or image shall be designed to allow the passenger to confirm, prior to entering a TNC vehicle, that such TNC vehicle is the authorized TNC vehicle for the passenger's TNC prearranged trip, using the TNC's digital network as provided by subdivision five of section sixteen hundred ninety-two of this article.
§ 3. Section 1691 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. "Machine-readable code or image" means an optical label containing information in a form legible and comprehensible through the use of mechanical or computing devices, including portable electronic devices and mobile telephones with built-in cameras and computing capability.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.