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Taxi Insurance: Licence, Cover And Quotes
Taxi insurance is motor insurance for a licensed taxi or private hire car that covers you while you carry paying passengers. Which policy you need follows your licence and how you get your fares, and you can compare taxi insurance quotes for any of them with the one form above. New to the trade? Start with what cover taxi and private hire drivers need.
- Who licenses you TfL Or Your Council Apply where you plan to work: TfL in London, your local council elsewhere in England and Wales.
- Your insurance must Cover Taxi Hire GOV.UK says it must cover public or private taxi hire and name you as the driver.
- Two kinds of licence Taxi Or Private Hire A taxi can use a rank or be hailed in the street. A private hire car can only be pre-booked.
- Renewing your licence HMRC Tax Check Needed to renew a taxi or private hire licence in England and Wales since 4 April 2022.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have a different licensing process.
What Is Taxi Insurance?
Taxi insurance is cover for working with paying passengers, not just for driving. To license a taxi or private hire car, GOV.UK says you need insurance that covers you for public or private taxi hire and names you as the driver. Our guide covers what councils and TfL need to see before they license the car.
Which policy you need follows your licence. A licensed taxi (a black cab in London) can use a rank or be hailed in the street, and can take pre-booked work too. A private hire car, or minicab, can only take pre-booked jobs.
Your council, or Transport for London (TfL) in London, issues your licence, and your insurance needs to match it.
Other Types Of Taxi Insurance
Pick the cover that matches your licence and the way you get your fares.
Who Can Get Taxi Insurance?
Anyone with a taxi or private hire driver licence can compare taxi insurance, whether driving is your main job or not, and whether you run one car or several.
Match The Policy To Your Licence
A taxi licence lets you work from ranks and take street hails, so the policy has to cover that. A private hire licence is for pre-booked jobs only, including app work, so a private hire policy is written around bookings.
Tell The Insurer Everything
Name everyone who'll drive the car and list every operator and app you take work from. Licensing authorities can attach their own conditions to vehicle licences, so tell the insurer which one licensed you.
What Cover Can You Get With Taxi Insurance?
Taxi policies come in the same three levels as car insurance. The level you pick decides what happens when your own cab is damaged or stolen.
| Feature | Comprehensive | Third Party, Fire & Theft | Third Party Only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injury to other people and damage to their property | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fire damage to your cab | Yes | Yes | No |
| Theft of your cab | Yes | Yes | No |
| Accident damage to your own cab, even if it's your fault | Yes | No | No |
| Personal trips (social, domestic and pleasure) | Check policy | Check policy | Check policy |
Policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.
Extras Worth Asking About
Breakdown Cover
Roadside help and recovery, so a breakdown doesn't end your shift.
Replacement Licensed Car
Some insurers offer a licensed replacement while your cab is repaired, subject to availability.
Legal Expenses Cover
Help with legal costs, for example to recover losses after an accident that wasn't your fault.
Cover Tip: Check what's already included before you add an extra, as some policies bundle breakdown or legal cover.
What Taxi Policies Usually Exclude
These are the common limits to check in any taxi policy. Your policy wording has the full list, and our guide covers the most common taxi insurance exclusions.
- Work Your Licence Doesn't Allow - Such as street pickups on a private hire licence. A private hire car can only be pre-booked; ranks and street hails are for licensed taxis.
- Drivers Not On The Policy - Only the drivers named on the policy are covered, so tell the insurer about everyone who'll drive the cab.
- Undeclared Claims, Convictions Or Changes - Tell the insurer about past claims, convictions and any change to how you work, as anything left out may affect a claim.
- Breakdowns And Wear And Tear - Routine repairs and mechanical faults aren't covered unless you've added breakdown cover.
- Personal Trips If Not Included - Some policies leave out social, domestic and pleasure use. Check before you drive off duty.
What Affects The Price Of Taxi Insurance?
There's no set price. Taxi cover usually costs more than a personal car policy, because of the working miles and the paying passengers, and each insurer prices your details differently. These are the factors that matter most.
| Key factor | Impact on your price |
|---|---|
| Licence type | Rank and street work and pre-booked private hire work may be priced differently. |
| Where you work | Busy city areas may cost more to insure than quieter towns. |
| Your record | Claims, points and convictions may raise the price or narrow the choice. |
| The vehicle | Higher-value or adapted cars may cost more to repair or replace. |
| Drivers on the policy | Every named driver is rated, so take off anyone who no longer drives the car. |
| Cover level and excess | Comprehensive cover with a low excess usually costs more. |
Price Insight: Cheap taxi insurance is only cheap if it covers the work you do, so compare quotes like for like, with the same cover level, excess and named drivers. For a closer look at the price, read what taxi insurance costs and why.
Our Expert On Taxi Insurance
One taxi policy doesn't cover every kind of taxi work, and that catches drivers out. A private hire policy is written for pre-booked jobs, and a public hire policy for ranks and street hails, because that's what each licence allows.
Match the policy to the badge you hold and the council or TfL area that licensed you, and tell the insurer about every operator and app you take work from.
Before you hand your certificate to the licensing office, read it: GOV.UK says the insurance has to cover public or private taxi hire and name you as the driver. Get those two things right and comparing on price, excess and extras is the easy part.
About this page
This page was written by Ian Beevis, Co-Founder and Insurance Expert, and reviewed by Susan Difford, Co-Founder and Personal Lines Expert. Updated 20 October 2026.
Taxi Insurance Questions
Is Taxi Insurance A Legal Requirement?
Yes. To license a taxi or private hire car, GOV.UK says you need insurance that covers you for public or private taxi hire and names you as the driver. In London, TfL says a private hire vehicle needs hire or reward insurance when it's licensed and whenever it's working.
Can I Use My Normal Car Insurance For Taxi Work?
Not usually. Your certificate has to cover the way you use the car, and to license a taxi or private hire car the insurance must cover public or private taxi hire. Check your policy before you take a fare.
Which Taxi Insurance Do I Need?
It follows your licence. With a taxi licence you can work from ranks and take street hails, so you need a public hire policy. With a private hire licence every job has to be pre-booked, including app work, so you need a private hire policy. Each type is in the Other Types Of Taxi Insurance table near the top of this page.
Does Taxi Insurance Cover My Passengers If They're Hurt?
By law, motor insurance has to cover death or injury to any person caused by using the vehicle on a road. If a passenger is hurt in an accident, their claim is made against the motor insurance of the driver at fault, which could be yours. Cover for their belongings depends on the policy, so check the wording.
Can I Get Taxi Insurance With Points Or Convictions?
Often, yes, though prices may be higher and the choice narrower. Your council also checks convictions before it grants a licence. In England, the Department for Transport's standards say no licence for drink or drug driving until at least 7 years after the sentence or ban ends. More in taxi insurance with a conviction, and on how insurers treat convictions in general in how convictions affect car insurance.
Can I Insure More Than One Taxi On One Policy?
Yes. Several cabs or private hire cars can go on one fleet policy, and TfL expects drivers of fleet-insured cars to carry the right documents. Each driver's record may still feed into the price. Taxi fleet insurance is in the Other Types Of Taxi Insurance table near the top of this page.
Do I Need An HMRC Tax Check To Renew My Taxi Licence?
Yes. In England and Wales, you've had to complete a tax check to renew a taxi driver, private hire driver or private hire operator licence since 4 April 2022. Scotland and Northern Ireland followed on 2 October 2023. It doesn't change your insurance, but your licensing authority can't process the renewal without your tax check code.
What Happens After I Submit My Details?
Your details go to a panel of insurers and brokers, who come back with the quotes they can offer. You compare them and decide whether to go ahead.
What To Have Ready Before You Compare Quotes
Have these to hand before you get quotes.
- Your taxi or private hire driver licence and the council or TfL area that issued it
- The car's registration, make, model, value, seats and any adaptations, such as a wheelchair ramp
- How you work: ranks and street hails, pre-booked jobs or both, plus every operator and app
- Each driver's licence, claims and convictions
- The cover level, an excess you could afford, and any extras you want priced
Compare Taxi Insurance Quotes
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Sources For Taxi Insurance Facts
- GOV.UK - Vehicle Licences For Taxis Or Private Hire Vehicles - The insurance a taxi or private hire car needs to be licensed, and the conditions licensing authorities can attach (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Taxi And Private Hire Driver Licence - Who licenses you, in London or with your local council, and the different process in Scotland and Northern Ireland (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Private Hire Vehicle Operator Licence - Why a private hire car can only be pre-booked while a taxi can also use ranks and street hails (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- TfL - Taxi Driver Handbook (PDF) - London's licensed taxis are also called black cabs (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- TfL - Private Hire Driver Handbook (PDF) - The hire or reward insurance a London private hire vehicle needs (checked 17 Oct 2026).
- TfL - Private Hire Operator Handbook (PDF) - Documents for drivers of cars on a fleet insurance policy (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 145 - What compulsory motor insurance has to cover, including injury to any person (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Statutory Taxi And Private Hire Vehicle Standards - The 7-year wait after a drink or drug driving conviction in England (checked 17 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Tax Checks For Taxi And Private Hire Licences - When the HMRC tax check started in England and Wales, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland (checked 18 Oct 2026).