TfL licence requirements, explained for operators.
Three licences, one records obligation, and the parts of it your software has to get right.
Short answer: to take private hire bookings anywhere in Greater London you need a TfL private hire operator licence, and every driver and vehicle you use needs its own TfL licence. The obligation people underestimate is the records one: bookings must be recorded before the journey begins and produced on request. That is a software problem as much as a paperwork one.
This is general guidance for operators, not legal advice. Requirements and fees change — always confirm the current position with Transport for London before you apply.
Key takeaways
- Operator licence — for the business and its operating centre
- Driver licence — for every driver, with DBS, medical, English and SERU
- Vehicle licence — for every PHV, with insurance and inspection
- Booking records — captured before the journey, retained and exportable
- Pre-booked only — no ranks, no hails, no plying for hire
1. The private hire operator licence
This licenses the business to accept and invite private hire bookings. It is issued for one or five years and is attached to the operating centre address you declare. If you move or add premises, TfL needs to know.
Applications cover the fitness of the operator, the premises, complaint handling, insurance, and how bookings will be recorded. Planning permission for the operating centre is a common stumbling block for new applicants — check it before you sign a lease.
2. The PHV driver licence
Every driver working for you needs their own TfL PHV driver licence. That means:
- An enhanced DBS check through TfL's process.
- A medical examination to the required standard.
- Meeting TfL's English language requirement.
- Passing the SERU assessment — safeguarding, equality and private hire regulation.
- Holding a suitable DVLA (or equivalent) driving licence for the required period.
Practically, licences expire on different dates across your fleet. Tracking those renewal dates centrally is the difference between a routine reminder and an uninsured, unlicensed driver on a job. Fleet and compliance tracking exists for exactly this.
3. The PHV vehicle licence
Each vehicle needs a TfL private hire vehicle licence, with the appropriate hire and reward insurance, an inspection regime, and the licence discs displayed as required. London emissions rules also apply — most of Greater London sits inside the ULEZ, and licensed PHVs are not automatically exempt from the central London Congestion Charge.
4. The records obligation — where operators get caught
TfL requires that a booking is recorded before the journey starts, capturing the passenger, the driver, the vehicle and the journey, and that those records are kept and produced when asked.
A WhatsApp thread and a driver's memory do not satisfy this. What does: a system where every booking is created and timestamped at the point of acceptance, assigned to a named licensed driver and licensed vehicle, and exportable in full. If an inspector asks for last March, you should be producing a file in under a minute.
5. Pre-booked only, and what that means day to day
PHVs cannot accept street hails, use taxi ranks or wait for passengers in a way that looks like plying for hire. Enforcement at the London airports is particularly active. Every job should exist in your system before the passenger gets in — which, conveniently, is also what the records obligation demands.
A pre-application checklist
- Operating centre secured, with the right planning use.
- Hire and reward insurance quotes in hand.
- A booking and records system chosen and demonstrable.
- A written complaints and lost property procedure.
- Driver pipeline aware of SERU, English and DBS timelines.
- Vehicles that meet current age and emissions policy.
Frequently asked questions
What licences do I need to run a private hire business in London?+
Three separate TfL licences: a private hire operator licence for the business, a PHV driver licence for every driver, and a PHV licence for every vehicle. All three must be in place before you accept a booking.
How long is a TfL private hire operator licence valid?+
Operator licences are granted for either one year or five years, and are tied to the operating centre address you nominate on the application.
What is the SERU assessment?+
SERU stands for Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding. It is an assessment TfL requires PHV driver applicants to pass, covering safeguarding, equality duties and private hire regulation, alongside an English language requirement.
What booking records does TfL require an operator to keep?+
Every booking must be recorded before the journey starts, with the passenger, driver, vehicle and journey details, and those records must be retained and produced to TfL on request. Dispatch software that timestamps and exports this satisfies the practical side of the requirement.
Can a private hire vehicle pick up a street hail in London?+
No. Private hire vehicles must be pre-booked through a licensed operator. Only licensed taxis (black cabs) may ply for hire, use ranks or accept street hails.