Become a Licensed NYC Tour Guide!

If you’re looking to become a New York City tour guide, then one of the first steps will be obtaining your tour guide license, which permits you to do this job legally, with a base of logistical, historical, and cultural knowledge. If you’re interested in guiding in another city, then you should start by reading our article on how to become a tour guide.

Similar to several other cities around the U.S., New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs requires a business license to:

“guide or direct people to any place or point of public interest or to describe, explain, or lecture about any place or point of public interest to any person in connection with any sightseeing trip or tour within the city.”

What does this mean, practically? It’s a pretty straightforward process, although it does require you to

1. Submit your application to the DCA online.
2. Study, study, study. (We’ll cover that below.)
3. When you’re ready, schedule your test.
4. Show up at the NYC testing center to take the in-person exam. You’ll pay $50 for the exam fee + a license fee that varies depending on when you apply.

Test Scheduling: Important 2021 Changes!

In late 2021 the DCA is now using a third-party testing center called Exam Builder. This is different than the previous process.

To schedule your test, you can do it online or by phone.

• Online: schedule by clicking here. Enter the Record ID you received upon payment (in the above application).
• By phone: call (646) 974-8244, from 9:30am-5:30pm 7 days a week.

New test center locations:

• Manhattan: 545 8th Avenue #1210, New York, NY 10018
• Queens: 36-60 Main Street, 4th floor, Flushing, NY 11354

Getting the documents and paying the fees

You can pay the fees when you arrive at the testing site. Make sure you have all the required documents as listed here:

DCA Sightseeing Guide License Checklist

A few pointers:

• You can fill out the application in advance online (follow the link above) or do it in-person. It’s not a big deal to do it in person.
• Have a photo ID ready, and a credit card or some way to pay the fees.
• There is an additional license fee, separate from the exam fee. The license cost depends on when you’re taking the exam, since the fee is prorated for all licenses to expire at the same time.

The Exam: How to Study for and Pass it!

The test is taken on a computer, and administered by the testing sites mentioned above. It’s a multiple-choice test, with a passing score of 97/150. The test covers knowledge of New York City, ranging from subway stops and motor coach restrictions to the history, architecture, food and culture of all five boroughs. You have two attempts to pass the test within 10 days. That means should you fail it the first time, you can go back and pass it again without having to pay any more money.

There are a few ways to study for the test:

• The hardest way: The DCA gives you its own list of materials to study for the test. You can read it here. Doing this requires you to read a lot, but will give you a greater depth of knowledge.
• An easier way: Below are two online links to flashcards that can help you study for the exam. Learning these questions and answers will largely cover what you need to know to pass the test. Flashcard Set #1 (Quizlet) and Flashcard Set #2 (Cram) The flashcard sets aren’t perfect, but they’ll get you there.
• The easiest way: Get our NYC tour guide license study guide! Author Bob Brennan has spent years of his life preparing guides for the test, and has written a guide to studying, complete with questions, historical information, and lots of other help. We also offer in-person tour director and guide trainings in NYC.

Some things to remember when preparing for the exam:

• You don’t need to be perfect. You just need a score of 97 out of 150 questions. That means you basically need to know 2 out of every 3 questions, which is hopefully easier than you think.
• The test is on a computer, and multiple choice. Often you can count on the answer choices helping you out.
• The questions are mainly historical, but a good percentage focus on subway routes, NYC through streets, and tour bus driving restrictions. Study your subway map in addition to the question sets, and remember that in general, tour buses need to avoid the Hudson Parkway and most of Park Avenue. That simple tip will help you narrow down your choices.
• The questions are accompanied by long paragraphs of historical detail. Skip to the end of these to focus on the actual question; reading everything will make the test taking experience very fatiguing!
• Don’t sweat it! Honestly, you’ll pass if you just do your homework and don’t freak out. Even if it’s been a long time since you’ve taken a test, take some deep breaths and go for it. Skip the questions you don’t know, and get through the whole test answering what you’re certain of. Then return to the others, until you’re fairly sure you’ve answered at least 2 out of 3 questions correctly!
• Don’t forget to study the NYC subway map and transit restrictions on motor coaches. This is actually useful information that you’ll use in your career as a guide, since you’ll often be working with a motor coach driver who can only stage and pickup at certainly locations. Questions pertaining to bus restrictions require you to think about routes through the city; the key hint is to simply rule out some answers because you see a restricted road, like Park Avenue or the Hudson Parkway.