By MinicabTransfer editorial team · Updated
To check a TfL private hire licence, use TfL’s free online licence checker. It has separate searches for private hire operators, drivers and vehicles, and tells you whether each licence is currently valid. Get the operator’s licence number before you book, and compare the driver’s photo ID badge and the car’s registration with your booking confirmation when it arrives.
This guide is for anyone booking a minicab, executive car or chauffeur in London who wants to be sure the firm, the driver and the vehicle are all properly licensed. It explains the three licences, how to check each one, what the badge and windscreen discs look like, and the red flags that should stop you getting in.
Why there are three licences to check
In London, private hire is licensed in three separate parts by Transport for London. Each one can be valid or not on its own, so one valid licence doesn’t prove the others are.
| Licence | Who holds it | What it means | Where you’ll find the number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private hire operator | The company that takes your booking (a minicab firm, chauffeur company or app) | It is allowed to accept private hire bookings in London and must keep records of each one | Ask the operator, or look on its website and booking confirmation |
| Private hire driver | The person driving | They have passed TfL’s checks, including an enhanced criminal records check | On the driver’s photo ID badge and in your booking confirmation |
| Private hire vehicle | The car itself | It has passed a licensing inspection and must have hire-or-reward insurance | On the TfL licence discs on the windscreens; the registration is on the number plate |
TfL’s own driver handbook advises asking an operator for its licence number and checking it with the online tool if there’s any doubt. The same advice works for passengers.
How to check a licence with TfL’s licence checker
- Get the details before you travel. Ask the operator for its TfL operator licence number when you book. When the booking confirmation arrives, note the driver’s licence number and the vehicle registration.
- Open TfL’s licence checker. It’s at tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licence-checker. Use the official TfL site, not a third-party “PCO check” page.
- Choose the right search. There are separate checkers for private hire operator, driver and vehicle licences. Pick the one that matches what you’re checking.
- Enter the details. Have the licence number to hand, and for a car, its registration. Follow the on-screen steps.
- Read the result carefully. Check that the name or vehicle in the result matches what the operator told you, and that the licence is shown as current.
- Re-check if time has passed. The result reflects the licence status on the day you search. If you checked an operator months ago, check again before an important journey.
Booking through MinicabTransfer? Each partner operator’s TfL operator licence number is shown next to its fare and on our partner operators page. You can run it through TfL’s checker before you request a quote.
What a booking confirmation should contain
TfL requires London private hire operators to provide a booking confirmation before the journey starts, by email, text or phone. At a minimum, it must contain:
- the vehicle registration
- the driver’s first name
- the driver’s private hire licence number, as shown on the ID they are wearing
- a photo of the driver, where you can receive one
If you booked by landline or in person, you can ask for the confirmation by text or email to get the photo. These four details are what you match against the car and driver who turn up.
What the driver’s ID badge shows
Every London private hire driver is issued a photo ID badge by TfL and must wear it, visibly, whenever they are working. That includes waiting for a booking or driving to collect a passenger. The badge shows:
- the driver’s name
- their photograph
- their licence number
- the date the licence expires
It also carries Braille, so a vision-impaired passenger can tell the driver is licensed. If you ask for the licence number, TfL’s guidance tells drivers to let you see the badge so you can write it down. A small number of drivers have a TfL exemption from wearing the badge and must carry an exemption notice instead.
What the vehicle licence discs look like
A licensed private hire vehicle has TfL licence discs fixed to both the front and rear windscreens. They have built-in security features, so they are permanently damaged if someone tries to peel them off. A vehicle can’t legally be used for private hire if its discs are missing or badly damaged, unless TfL has given it an exemption, which happens only in exceptional circumstances.
Vehicle licences last one year, and the car must pass another inspection before it is relicensed.
One important caution: a TfL disc on the windscreen does not make an unbooked car safe. TfL’s Safer Travel at Night campaign lists “it has a TfL licence sticker in the window” as a myth. A licensed car that picks you up without a booking is still operating illegally and isn’t insured to carry you.
Red flags: when not to get in
- The car or driver doesn’t match your booking confirmation. Different registration, a different face from the photo, or no badge. TfL’s advice is not to get in.
- The driver approaches you at a station, airport, club or on the street offering a ride. Licensed private hire drivers may not pick up anyone who hasn’t booked through an operator.
- A doorman or stranger walks you to a car that you didn’t book yourself.
- No booking confirmation at all, or an operator who won’t give a licence number.
- No windscreen discs on a car presented as a minicab.
- The checker shows no current licence for the operator, driver or vehicle.
If something isn’t right, stay where you are and call the operator using the number you booked with, not a number the driver gives you. Our guide to booking a safe minicab in London covers what to do next and how to report it.
Black cabs are licensed differently
London black cabs hold taxi licences rather than private hire licences, and they can be hailed without a booking. A licensed cab has its orange “TAXI” sign and a meter, and the driver must wear their taxi driver’s badge where you can see it. If you’re unsure which to use, our comparison of minicabs vs black cabs vs ride-hailing apps sets out the differences.
Planning an airport or business journey?
Checking licences takes two minutes and matters most for journeys booked well ahead: airport transfers, early-morning departures and executive travel for business. MinicabTransfer compares fares from TfL-licensed operators and forwards your quote request to the one you choose. The operator then confirms the price and terms with you directly and carries out the journey. Compare fares and check the operator’s licence number before you travel.
If you have a complaint about a licensed London driver or operator, TfL takes comments and complaints online at tfl.gov.uk/tph-comments or on 0343 222 4000.