Lost or stolen badge or licence: what to do

Losing your badge is stressful, because the handbook is clear that without it you cannot work. This guide explains what to do and what the handbook says about badges generally, so you can act quickly and avoid making things worse.

The steps

1. Stop working. The handbook says you must wear your badge at all times when you are working, and that without it you cannot continue working as a PHV driver. The rule includes waiting for a booking and travelling to pick up.
2. Report it to TfL immediately. This applies whether you have lost it or someone has stolen it. The handbook gives no phone number or form, so use the contact details on TfL's website.
3. If stolen, tell the police. Report the theft and ask for a crime reference number. The handbook's glossary describes this as a number the police give you when you report a crime. Keep it and give it to TfL if asked. The handbook gives 101 as the police number for non-emergencies in other sections, but it does not say how to report a theft, so follow the police's own guidance.
4. Tell your operator(s). The handbook does not say this in so many words, but your operator needs to know you cannot take bookings. See our guide to first week habits.
5. Ask TfL about the replacement. TfL says it will replace a lost or stolen badge or licence. Details such as cost and timing are not in the handbook, so ask.
6. If you find the original, you must return it to TfL.

Why this matters

The handbook explains why the badge matters to passengers. It displays your name, photograph, licence number and licence end date. Your operator must give passengers your name, photograph and vehicle details so they can check them against your badge. The badge also includes text in Braille so a vision-impaired person can know you are licensed. If a passenger asks for your licence number, you show your badge so they can write it down. A badge in the wrong hands undermines all of that.

That is why the handbook says: the badge is for you to use only, and you must not allow any other person to use it to carry out bookings. If you do, the consequences could be serious, and our complaints guide explains why TfL takes licensing action seriously.

Wearing the badge properly

While you are sorting a replacement, it is a good time to re-read the badge rules. You must wear the badge whenever you are working, including when waiting for a booking or travelling to collect a passenger, and it must be clearly visible to other people. The only exception is an exemption granted by TfL, in which case you receive an exemption notice that you must carry with you at all times when working.

The handbook also says to keep your licence at home in a safe place, not in the car, and to give a copy to each licensed operator you work with. If a police officer or TfL Authorised Officer asks to see your licence, you must show it there and then or within a maximum of seven days. Keeping it at home means it is less likely to be lost or stolen with the vehicle.

Property of TfL

The handbook says your badge and licence are TfL's property at all times, including after their expiry date. That is why you return items you find after a replacement, and why you return them when they expire or when you stop being licensed. If your licence is revoked, you must return it within seven days.

Keep a record

Write down the date and time you noticed the loss, where you last saw the badge, when you reported it to TfL, who you spoke to, and your crime reference number if there is one. Our record keeping guide has a simple template idea. A clear record helps if anything is questioned later.

Preventing it next time

• Use a secure lanyard or holder that does not catch on things.
• Check you have it every time you leave the vehicle and when you arrive home.
• Never lend it to anyone, even for a short time.
• Know your licence number and expiry date so you can quote them if asked.

Those are our own suggestions, not handbook rules.

What the handbook does not say

It does not give a replacement fee, a timeframe or a form. It does not say whether you may work with a temporary document. Do not assume you can. Ask TfL before working.

General information, not legal advice. TfL's pages are the authority.