Now that the Taxi and Limousine Commission no longer has the power to seize vehicles on the spot, it is throwing the book at for-hire drivers who violate the law.

The TLC is now issuing criminal summonses rather than traffic tickets to hacks who operate without a license or outside the scope of their licenses. Drivers who break the law are now facing up to 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine instead of just the fine.

Commissioner Meera Joshi said the new tactics are needed to put fear into drivers, since a federal court ruled that the TLC’s tactic of seizing cars on the spot was unconstitutional.

“We are going to work with the DAs’ offices to make sure criminal proceedings go forward,” said Joshi. “We hope to send a strong signal.”

Last month, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled that the TLC was violating drivers’ 14th and Fourth A​mendment rights to due process ​and freedom from unreasonable seizure by grabbing their cars before they had been convicted of crimes.

In the three weeks since the TLC had to stop seizing cars, it has issued about 150 criminal summonses.

District attorneys in the city say they are open to helping the TLC.

“We have had ongoing discussions with TLC to come up with viable alternatives in light of the federal court ruling and continue to do so,” said Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for Queens County DA Richard Brown.