How to Become a Licensed Private Hire Driver in the UK – Step-by-Step Guide

Stage 1: Get Licensed Before You Take Bookings

Airport transfers are not an informal driving side hustle. If you carry paying passengers in a private hire vehicle, the driver, vehicle and operator must be properly licensed. A private hire vehicle can only take pre-booked journeys—it cannot be hailed in the street or wait on a taxi rank.

Important: Rules, fees and tests vary by licensing authority. This guide gives you the usual process, but you must check the current requirements of the council or authority where you plan to work.

1. Understand the three licences

• Driver licence: permits you to drive a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle.
• Vehicle licence: covers the specific car used for paid passenger work.
• Operator licence: is required by the business that accepts and allocates private hire bookings.

If you work for an existing licensed operator, you usually do not need your own operator licence. If you accept bookings directly from customers, you normally do.

2. Choose the correct licensing authority

Outside London, apply to the local council whose private hire system you will work under. In London, apply through Transport for London. GOV.UK says that the driver, vehicle and private hire operator must be licensed by the same authority.