Report unlicensed taxis, minicabs or private hire vehicles
Taxis and private hire vehicles (also called minicabs) must have a licence from the local council or Transport for London (TfL).
Report a vehicle, driver or operator that鈥檚 unlicensed by either:
- contacting the local council where you saw them
- if you saw them in London
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
There is a different process for .
Check if a vehicle is licensed correctly
A private hire vehicle (PHV) can only be pre-booked. Taxis can also be hailed in the street or hired at a rank in the area they鈥檙e licensed by.
Taxis
Taxis have a plate on the back showing their taxi licence number and the area they鈥檙e licensed by.
They usually have a 鈥楾AXI鈥� roof sign.
Taxis can only be hailed in the area they鈥檙e licensed by, but they can be pre-booked from anywhere.
PHVs (minicabs)
To show they鈥檙e licensed, most PHVs must display either a:
- special licence plate on the front or rear of the vehicle
- special disc on the windscreen or rear window
Some PHVs are exempt, such as executive hire vehicles.