Unlicensed operators and the licence checker

Your licence only lets you work for operators that are themselves licensed in London. Take a booking from one that is not, and you step outside the rules even if the passenger is real and the car is yours. The handbook says what to do: ask for the operator's licence number and check it on TfL's public register. This guide explains the rule and a simple routine.

The rule

Section 3 of the handbook says that as a London PHV driver you can only carry out bookings that you have received from a licensed London PHV operator. You must carry them out in a London licensed PHV that has licence discs on display, unless exempt. It states plainly that you should never accept a booking from an unlicensed operator.

The public register

The handbook explains that TfL's website has a licence checker tool containing the details of all licensed private hire drivers, vehicles and operators. It is a public register that you and anyone else can use. The handbook does not describe what each result looks like or which details are shown, so look at the tool itself rather than rely on a description from us.

When to check

The handbook's wording is: if you are in any doubt, ask the operator for their operator licence number and check their details using the online tool. Doubt can come from simple things:

• A new company or app you have not worked for before.
• A booking arriving through a friend, a message group or social media.
• An operator that is reluctant to give a licence number.
• Anything about the booking process that does not match what you were told.

A genuine operator should have no trouble giving the number. If you cannot get it, treat that as a reason to stop. Our guide to choosing an operator has more questions to ask before you sign up.

Why it matters beyond your own licence

The booking is what separates private hire from picking up people off the street. A licensed operator records the booking details, agrees or estimates the fare, and has to keep records of complaints and lost property. See booking details operators must record. Passengers also rely on the system: the handbook says the operator must give passengers your name, photograph and vehicle details, so they can check them against your badge. An unlicensed operator breaks that chain. Note that the handbook does not state penalties for working for an unlicensed operator. Treat it as a serious risk to your own licence and ask TfL if you need detail.

A five-step routine

1. Ask for the operator's licence number before you accept work.
2. Check it on the TfL licence checker.
3. Check that the details match what the operator told you.
4. Give the operator a copy of your licence, as the handbook says, and ask them for confirmation that they keep copies.
5. Write down the number and date you checked. See record keeping for drivers.

Checking others

The same register lets passengers check drivers and vehicles. A passenger who asks for your licence number should be allowed to see your badge so they can write the number down, which the handbook says is the right response. See badge and licence rules.

Checking your own standing

Before you start work with any operator, confirm your own licence and vehicle are in order, so your paperwork matches what the operator holds. Our first-week checklist includes this. For the cost side of being licensed, see the fees overview.

What this guide cannot tell you

We do not describe the checker's layout, the register's update times or what to do if a licensed operator's details look wrong. Use the tool and contact TfL. You can test the section 3 material in SERU practice.

Where this comes from

Handbook section 1 (Your PHV driver's licence; Your PHV driver's badge) and section 3 (Bookings). Checked on 2 October 2026.