Four ways: raise your arm for a street hail wherever you spot a yellow cab with its roof light on, e-hail one through the TLC-licensed Curb app, walk to the official taxi stand at JFK or LaGuardia, or pre-book a car service for a fixed rate. Street hail is fastest in Manhattan; the app wins everywhere else.
The street hail: the original way to book a cab in NYC
This is the move that never needs an app. Stand at a corner or intersection — never in a bus lane — and raise your arm when you see a yellow cab with its rooftop light on. Lit means available; dark means taken. Yellow cabs are the only vehicles licensed to pick up street hails anywhere in NYC, per the TLC, and they run the standard meter on every street-hail trip.
Curb-side technique matters: make eye contact with the driver and step slightly into view — cabs scan the curb, not the sidewalk. Heading to an outer borough or across a bridge? State the destination before you get in; drivers are allowed to ask. In Manhattan the system works beautifully. In the outer boroughs, cabs thin out fast — that is when you want the next option.
Book a cab in NYC with an app
The TLC licenses e-hail apps that let you hail a real yellow cab from your phone — Curb is the best-known, with Arro and Myle also licensed. You get the same regulated metered fare or an upfront binding quote, and you pay in the app. It is the easiest way to book a cab in NYC outside Manhattan, where street hails get scarce, and the meter never runs while you wait for the car to reach you.
Do not confuse these with Uber and Lyft. Those dispatch for-hire vehicles, not yellow cabs — different cars, different pricing, and they surge. If you specifically want a yellow cab at the TLC-regulated fare, use a TLC-licensed e-hail app. Fares match the meter either way, so the price is identical to a street hail.
Airport taxi stands: the no-app-needed backup
At JFK and LaGuardia, follow the ground-transportation signs to the official taxi stand — a dispatcher usually manages the line. The meter starts when you pull away, and set fares apply where they exist ($70 to Manhattan from JFK). One rule: anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride is not a licensed cab. Walk past them to the stand.
Green cabs — the apple-green ones — serve northern Manhattan and the outer boroughs for street hails, plus prearranged trips. If you need to book a cab in NYC late at night in Queens or Brooklyn, a green cab is a legitimate, metered option.
When a pre-booked car beats the cab line
Skip the line when you want a guaranteed pickup time, a nicer car, flight tracking on a delayed arrival, or a driver waiting at arrivals with your name on a sign. A pre-booked car service quotes one fixed rate up front — no meter, no surcharge math, no surge. For airport runs especially, compare the taxi math in our JFK to Manhattan taxi guide against our NYC airport car service flat rates and pick your winner.
Visiting? Start at JetBlack Transportation for fixed-rate options, or browse the NYC travel FAQ for everything else about getting around the city. The ride is yours either way — the only wrong move is getting into an unlicensed car.
What app do I use to book a yellow cab in NYC?
Curb is the best-known TLC-licensed e-hail app for booking a yellow cab in NYC; Arro and Myle are also licensed. These apps hail real yellow (or green) cabs at the regulated metered fare or with an upfront binding quote, and you pay in the app. Uber and Lyft are different u2014 they dispatch for-hire vehicles with their own surge pricing, not yellow cabs.
