Quick answer
The best limo service in NYC for 2026 is TrueNorth VIP, for executive sedans, SUVs and Sprinters with published, all-in prices from $110 an hour. It has no stretch limousines, so for a stretch look at Dial 7 or Carmel. Artisan Limo is the pick for Sprinters and coaches, and Black Car NYC for S-Class and 7 Series sedans with written confirmation.
Our top 3 at a glance
- 1TrueNorth VIP
Best for executive limo service with published prices
Hourly from $110/hr · JFK to Times Square from $176, all-in
- 2Artisan Limo
Best for limo-style group transport in Sprinters and coaches
Price shown before booking · Sprinters and coaches quoted
- 3Black Car NYC
Best for S-Class and 7 Series sedans for a special night
Sedan $110/hr, 3-hour minimum · Airport fares quoted
Prices are what each company published on its own website when we checked in November 2026. They change, and taxes, tolls and gratuity are handled differently by each company, so confirm the total in writing before you book.
Book a limo in New York now and the car that arrives is more likely to be a black SUV or sedan than a stretch. Many companies kept “limo” in their names as their fleets moved to executive sedans, SUVs and Sprinter vans. The TLC still licenses luxury limousine bases, which dispatch pre-arranged trips in vehicles seating 20 or fewer passengers.
That makes the word confusing to shop for. A company called a limo service may not list a stretch at all, while some large dispatch operators still offer stretches and party buses. Prices are harder still to line up, because few publish rates and each one treats gratuity, tolls and fees differently.
So we ranked seven companies on what a limo rider needs to know: the vehicles each lists, stretches included, whether prices are published and complete, group capacity, and stated policies and ratings, all from each company’s own website in November 2026.
Our top pick for 2026
1. TrueNorth VIP — Best for executive limo service with published prices
Hourly from $110/hr · JFK to Times Square from $176, all-in
If “limo” means a chauffeured black car booked in advance, TrueNorth VIP is the strongest choice in New York, because you can see the price before you call. Its fleet runs from the Executive Sedan through Luxury Sedans and SUVs to Executive and Jet Sprinters, and hourly rates start at $110 with a 3-hour minimum, taxes, tolls and fees included and gratuity optional.
For the nights people used to book a limo for, that clarity helps. An anniversary dinner or a night at the theater in a Luxury Sedan is $180 an hour, so four hours comes to $720. A Luxury SUV for up to six is $150 an hour, or $600 for four hours, which suits a small birthday group. JFK to Times Square is $238 in the same SUV.
The rules are in writing. Regular pickups have a 15-minute grace period, flights are tracked with 60 minutes of waiting after domestic landings and 90 after international ones, and dispatch answers 24/7. Coverage reaches Long Island, Westchester, the Hamptons, New Jersey and Connecticut, and the company is rated 5.0 on Google from 49 reviews.
Key facts
- Executive and Luxury Sedans and SUVs; Executive and Jet Sprinters
- Luxury Sedan $180/hr; Luxury SUV $150/hr; 3-hour minimum
- Taxes, tolls and fees included; gratuity optional
- No stretch limousines or party buses
- 5.0 on Google from 49 reviews (November 2026)
TrueNorth VIP hourly rates
Published hourly rates, 3-hour minimum. Taxes, tolls and fees included; gratuity optional. Sprinters quoted on request.
| Vehicle class | Per hour | 3 hours | 4 hours | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Sedan | $110 | $330 | $440 | $880 |
| Executive SUV | $130 | $390 | $520 | $1,040 |
| Luxury SUV | $150 | $450 | $600 | $1,200 |
| Luxury Sedan | $180 | $540 | $720 | $1,440 |
TrueNorth VIP airport prices
Example all-in fares to Times Square from TrueNorth VIP’s booking engine (November 2026). Taxes, tolls and fees included; gratuity optional. Your exact price appears before booking.
| Airport | Executive Sedan | Executive SUV | Luxury SUV | Luxury Sedan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK | $176 | $204 | $238 | $309 |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | $153 | $177 | $208 | $267 |
| Newark (EWR) | $172 | $200 | $234 | $302 |
| Teterboro (TEB) | $162 | $188 | $221 | $284 |
| Westchester (HPN) | $216 | $252 | $290 | $380 |
| MacArthur (ISP) | $287 | $328 | $377 | $487 |
Meet and greet $25 · Dedicated greeter $150 · Child seat $25 (SUVs and Sprinters) · Sprinters quoted on request
Source: truenorthvip.com, airport and hourly pages, updated November 8, 2026.
The downside
TrueNorth VIP has no stretch limousines and no party buses. If the point of the night is a stretch at the curb, book Dial 7 or Carmel, which both list limousines. Sprinter prices for larger groups are quoted rather than published.
Best for: Executive limo service with published prices.
2. Artisan Limo — Best for limo-style group transport in Sprinters and coaches
Price shown before booking · Sprinters and coaches quoted
Artisan Limo keeps the word in its name but runs a modern fleet: Executive and Luxury Sedans, a Suburban, an Escalade ESV, Executive and Jet Sprinters, a 24-passenger mini coach and a 56-passenger motorcoach. For a group that once would have filled two stretches, a Jet Sprinter for 8 to 10 keeps everyone in one vehicle.
The vehicles it lists stop short of a stretch limousine, so ask directly if you want one. Prices appear before booking with required charges included and gratuity optional, and Sprinters and coaches are quoted in writing. Artisan also handles corporate accounts and runs in seven U.S. markets from one point of contact.
Key facts
- Jet Sprinter for 8 to 10; Executive Sprinter for about 13
- Mini coach (24) and motorcoach (56)
- Sprinters and coaches quoted in writing
- Price shown before booking; gratuity optional
- 5.0 on Google (November 2026)
Best for: Limo-style group transport in Sprinters and coaches.
3. Black Car NYC — Best for S-Class and 7 Series sedans for a special night
Sedan $110/hr, 3-hour minimum · Airport fares quoted
Black Car NYC is a good fit when the limo you have in mind is really a flagship sedan. Its First Class cars are an S-Class or a 7 Series, its Executive cars are E-Class, and Escalade or Yukon SUVs carry up to six. A 14-passenger Executive Sprinter covers a small party.
Rates beyond the $110 hourly Executive Sedan are built from your itinerary and confirmed in writing. Cancel 24 hours ahead for a full refund; for groups and events the window is 48 hours, which is worth noting for weddings and parties. Ask whether tolls and gratuity are inside the quote.
Key facts
- First Class: S-Class or 7 Series
- 14-passenger Executive Sprinter
- Executive Sedan $110/hr, 3-hour minimum
- 48-hour refund window for groups and events
Best for: S-Class and 7 Series sedans for a special night.
4. Dial 7 — Best for stretch limousines and party buses
Dial 7 still lists limousines and party buses, alongside sedans, Select VIP cars, minivans, Sprinters, minibuses and wheelchair-accessible vehicles, more than 600 in all. It has run TLC base B00887 since 1977. Ask for a full quote first: its published airport rates leave out tolls, gratuity and fees.
Best for: Stretch limousines and party buses.
5. Carmel — Best for booking a stretch through an app
Carmel lists stretch limousines among the 800-plus sedans, minivans, SUVs and large vans in its affiliated fleet, and bookings run through an app that pays referral credits and loyalty points. It has operated since 1978. Quotes vary by time and tolls are not always included, so check the total for a long evening.
Best for: Booking a stretch through an app.
6. EmpireCLS — Best for limousines and motor coaches in one system
EmpireCLS lists limousines next to late-model sedans and SUVs such as the S550 and Escalade, with motor coaches for larger groups. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, it states 40 years in chauffeured transportation, and its chauffeurs arrive 15 minutes early. Trips are priced in its reservation system.
Best for: Limousines and motor coaches in one system.
7. Blacklane — Best for executive transfers in other cities
Blacklane is a platform rather than a fleet, sending recent-model chauffeured vehicles through local partners in 500-plus cities. It shows the price at booking, includes an hour of complimentary airport wait and sells hourly hire from 2 to 24 hours. It describes chauffeured cars, not stretches, so treat it as an executive option.
Best for: Executive transfers in other cities.
Limo services in NYC compared
| Company | Stretch limousines | Largest vehicle | Published pricing | Price includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrueNorth VIP | No | Sprinter (13) | Yes, from $110/hr | Taxes, tolls, fees; tip optional |
| Artisan Limo | Not listed | Motorcoach (56) | Shown before booking | Required charges; tip optional |
| Black Car NYC | Not listed | Sprinter (14) | Sedan $110/hr | Not stated |
| Dial 7 | Yes (limousines) | Minibus, party bus | Airport base fares | Excludes tolls, fees, tip |
| Carmel | Yes | Large van | App quotes | Tolls sometimes excluded |
| EmpireCLS | Yes (limousines) | Motor coach | No | Not stated |
| Blacklane | Not listed | Varies by partner | Shown at booking | Shown at booking |
Check the license first. For trips that start in New York City, the dispatching base, the vehicle and the driver should all hold NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission licenses. You can look up license status on the NYC TLC website.
How we ranked limo services in NYC
We read each company’s own website in November 2026 and scored it on the criteria below. We only used facts a rider can check: published prices, stated policies, listed vehicles and service areas, and review ratings shown publicly. No company paid for placement, and Corporate Travel USA doesn’t rank itself.
| Criterion | Weight | What we looked for |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle range | 30% | Sedans, SUVs, Sprinters and stretches, and whether the company lists each one. |
| Published prices | 25% | Rates a rider can read before asking for a quote. |
| Total cost clarity | 20% | Whether tolls, fees and gratuity are inside the price. |
| Group capacity | 15% | The largest vehicle and how group trips are quoted. |
| Policies and ratings | 10% | Cancellation and wait rules, and public review scores. |
The bottom line
An anniversary dinner for two
TrueNorth VIP
A Luxury Sedan at $180 an hour, all-in; four hours is $720.
A bachelor party of 10
Artisan Limo
A Jet Sprinter for 8 to 10, quoted in writing.
A stretch limo for prom
Dial 7
It lists limousines and party buses; ask for the all-in total.
Limo service in NYC: FAQs
Do NYC limo services still use stretch limousines?
Some do. Dial 7, Carmel and EmpireCLS list limousines in their fleets. Many companies with “limo” in the name run sedans, SUVs and Sprinters instead, and TrueNorth VIP, our top pick, has no stretches. If you want a stretch, get the exact vehicle confirmed in writing.
How much does a limo service cost per hour in NYC?
For an executive limo, TrueNorth VIP publishes $110 an hour for an Executive Sedan, $150 for a Luxury SUV and $180 for a Luxury Sedan, each with a 3-hour minimum and with taxes, tolls and fees included. Black Car NYC lists $110 an hour for its sedan. None of the seven publish stretch rates.
What is the difference between a limo and a black car?
Today it is mostly the vehicle. A black car is a booked sedan or SUV; a limousine traditionally means a stretched car with a lounge-style cabin. The TLC licenses black car and luxury limousine bases separately, but both dispatch only pre-arranged trips.
What vehicle should I book for a group of 10?
A Sprinter. TrueNorth VIP’s Jet Sprinter seats 10 and its Executive Sprinter 13, both quoted on request. Artisan Limo’s Jet Sprinter takes 8 to 10, and Black Car NYC runs a 14-passenger Sprinter. Group vehicles are quoted, so ask for the full total in writing.
Is gratuity included in limo prices?
It varies. TrueNorth VIP and Artisan Limo leave gratuity optional, and TrueNorth includes taxes, tolls and fees. Dial 7’s published rates leave out gratuity, tolls and airport and congestion fees. For a party or wedding, ask whether a set gratuity will be added before you sign.
Can I cancel a limo booking?
Check the terms before you pay. Black Car NYC refunds in full when you cancel 24 hours ahead, or 48 hours ahead for groups and events. The other companies here do not publish cancellation terms on the pages we reviewed, so ask for them in writing.
Is a limo the same as a party bus?
No. A party bus is a larger vehicle, closer to a coach, fitted out for a group to ride together. Dial 7 lists party buses; TrueNorth VIP does not offer them, and Artisan Limo’s largest options are a 24-passenger mini coach and a 56-passenger motorcoach.