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Looks like those pink mustaches won’t be growing in Brooklyn anytime soon.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission declared Lyft, a car-summoning start-up, an “unauthorized service” in New York City on Wednesday, two days before its planned debut.

Lyft, which enlists regular motorists to give on-demand rides to strangers via the company’s smartphone app, had intended to start service in the boroughs outside Manhattan, namely Brooklyn and Queens, this Friday. The company had enrolled more than 500 drivers — who identify their cars with fuzzy pink mustaches — for the debut, the largest city introduction in the company’s seven-year history. Lyft already services more than 60 cities nationwide.

The start-up, however, did not come to an operation agreement with New York City regulators beforehand, prompting the commission’s action on Wednesday evening.

“Lyft has not complied with T.L.C.’s safety requirements and other licensing criteria to verify the integrity and qualifications of the drivers or vehicles used in their service, and Lyft does not hold a license to dispatch cars to pick up passengers,” the commission said in a statement.

“Unsuspecting drivers who sign up with Lyft are at risk of losing their vehicles to T.L.C. enforcement action, as well as being subject to fines of up to $2,000 upon conviction for unlicensed activity,” the commission said.

The commission’s main contention is that Lyft’s motorists have not completed the proper drug, criminal and traffic-related background checks required by licensed T.L.C. drivers. Also, since Lyft drivers use their own cars for the service, the T.L.C. pointed out that the vehicles have not gone through the mandatory safety and emissions inspections.

In an interview earlier this week, John Zimmer, a Lyft co-founder, stressed the rigorous process of vetting and approving new drivers.

“We have safety standards that are more strict than what New York City taxi cabs or hired vehicles go through,” Mr. Zimmer said.

This is not the first time car-sharing services have clashed with the T.L.C. Uber, another popular hail-a-ride service, came up against questions of its legality when the service started in Manhattan in 2012. It has since found some footing in New York, an important battleground in which Lyft wishes to compete.

Erin Simpson, a Lyft spokeswoman, confirmed that the company still planned to begin in New York on Friday.

“It’s important to clarify that our differences of opinion are not about safety standards, and that’s because we put safety first,” Ms. Simpson said in a statement. “Where we differ with the T.L.C. is that we do not believe its licensing and base station rules apply to the Lyft ride-sharing model.”

“We’ll continue to work with all stakeholders to create a path forward,” Ms. Simpson said.