Chauffeur Insurance: Licence, Cover And Bookings
Chauffeur insurance covers an executive car you drive for paying clients on pre-booked work, such as corporate accounts, airport runs and weddings. Most chauffeur work counts as private hire, so your policy has to cover carrying passengers for hire or reward. New to the trade? Start with what cover taxi and private hire drivers need.
- Licensed asPrivate HireGOV.UK guidance says most chauffeur and executive work falls under private hire licensing. TfL counts chauffeur cars as private hire in London.
- Cover must includeHire And RewardIn London, when the car is licensed and whenever it's used as a private hire vehicle.
- BookingsPre-Booked OnlyThrough a licensed operator, never picked up in the street.
- Car sizeFewer Than Nine PassengersThe private hire rules cover cars built to seat fewer than nine passengers.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have a different licensing process.
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What Is Chauffeur Insurance?
Chauffeur insurance is motor insurance for a higher-standard car you drive for paying passengers who've booked in advance. GOV.UK's private hire licensing guidance says most chauffeur and executive operations are likely to fall within private hire licensing, and that chauffeur vehicles fall within the private hire category. In London, TfL counts chauffeur and executive cars as private hire vehicles.
So the usual private hire rules apply. The driver, the car and the operator taking the booking each need a private hire licence, and outside London they must all come from the same council. To license the car, GOV.UK's vehicle licence rules say you need insurance that covers private hire and names you as a driver.
In London, TfL needs hire or reward cover when the car is licensed and whenever it's used as a private hire vehicle. A smarter car or a corporate client doesn't change that.
Other Types Of Taxi Insurance
Who Can Get Chauffeur Insurance?
Anyone licensed to drive private hire can get it, whether you drive for a chauffeur firm or run your own car. Outside London, a council can't grant a private hire driver licence until you've been allowed to drive a car for at least 12 months.
Executive And Airport Work
This is private hire work, so every job has to be pre-booked and your policy needs hire and reward cover for private hire. Corporate, airport, wedding and event work can all sit in the same week, and quotes may change with the mix, so name all of it.
Weddings And Funerals
Outside London, the licensing rules don't apply to a car while it's being used for a wedding (the 1976 Act exemptions). In London, a car used only for weddings or funerals is outside the private hire law (the London Act exemption). Your insurance still has to cover how you use the car, so tell your insurer about wedding work.
What Cover Can You Get With Chauffeur Insurance?
Chauffeur policies come in the usual three levels. On a high-value car, the level decides whether your own car is paid for after a claim.
| Feature | Comprehensive | Third Party, Fire & Theft | Third Party Only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injury to other people and damage to their property | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paying passengers on pre-booked work | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fire and theft of your car | Yes | Yes | No |
| Accidental damage to your car | Yes | No | No |
| Windscreen and glass | Often included | Optional | No |
| Replacement car after a claim | Often add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
Policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.
Extras Worth Asking About
Replacement Car Of A Similar Standard
A like-for-like car while yours is repaired, so you can keep client bookings. Check what standard of car the insurer means.
Agreed Value
The car's value is agreed when you buy the policy, rather than worked out after a claim. Insurers may ask for an invoice or valuation.
Breakdown Cover
Recovery and onward travel if the car stops mid-job. Check it covers a car used for private hire.
Cover Tip: On an executive car, check how the insurer settles a total loss, and whether a replacement car is a similar standard. Both matter more when the car is how you earn.
What Chauffeur Policies Usually Exclude
These are the gaps chauffeurs most often hit. Your policy wording has the full list.
- Street Hails And Rank Work - A chauffeur policy is for pre-booked work. Government guidance warns passengers that a private hire vehicle that hasn't been pre-booked won't be insured. Rank and street work needs a licensed taxi.
- Work You Didn't Mention - If your quote was for corporate work only, an insurer may decline a claim from a wedding or event job. Name every type of work you do.
- Drivers Who Aren't Named - Only the drivers on your policy are covered. Tell your insurer before a relief driver uses the car.
- Personal Trips If Not Included - Some chauffeur policies include personal use and some don't. Check yours if the car is also your everyday car.
- Larger Vehicles - Cars built for nine or more passengers aren't private hire vehicles under the law, so a chauffeur policy for a saloon or SUV isn't built for them.
What Affects The Price Of Chauffeur Insurance?
There's no set price for chauffeur insurance. Insurers price it on the driver, the car and the work, and each weighs these differently.
| Key factor | Impact on your price |
|---|---|
| Value of the car | A more valuable car usually costs more to repair or replace, so the price may be higher. |
| Make and model | Prestige saloons and SUVs can have higher parts and repair costs. |
| Your experience and record | Years driving, claims and convictions all count. |
| Where the car is kept | Your postcode and overnight parking may change the price. |
| Mix of work and mileage | Corporate, airport, wedding and event work may each be priced differently. |
| Cover level and extras | Comprehensive and add-ons cost more than a basic policy. |
Price Insight: A part-time wedding driver and a full-time corporate chauffeur can get very different quotes for the same car, so describe your work accurately.
Our Expert On Chauffeur Insurance
Chauffeurs often see themselves as a step apart from private hire, and in service terms they are. In law, though, most executive and airport work is private hire, and GOV.UK's guidance says so. That means the car needs a private hire licence and a policy that covers paying passengers, however smart the car or the client.
The detail that changes a chauffeur quote is the mix of work. Weddings are a good example: the licensing rules have a wedding exemption, but your insurer still needs to know you do them.
If you start running more than one car or employ drivers, your cover needs change again, so say so when you quote.
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.
Chauffeur Insurance Questions
Is Chauffeur Insurance Different From Private Hire Insurance?
Not in law. Chauffeur work is usually private hire, so the cover has to include paying passengers in the same way. The difference is in the detail: higher car values, corporate clients and wedding or event work, which insurers may price differently.
Do I Need A Private Hire Licence To Work As A Chauffeur?
Usually, yes. GOV.UK's guidance says most chauffeur and executive operations are likely to fall under private hire licensing, and TfL counts chauffeur and executive cars as private hire vehicles in London.
Do Executive Cars Have To Show Private Hire Plates?
Ask your council. GOV.UK's guidance points out that councils can change the rules on showing plates and wearing badges, and some do this for executive cars. The car still needs its private hire licence and the right insurance.
Do I Need A Licence For Wedding Car Work?
Not always. Outside London, the private hire rules don't apply to a car while it's being used for a wedding. In London, a car used only for weddings or funerals is outside the private hire law. You still need insurance that covers the work, so tell your insurer.
Which Cars Can I License For Chauffeur Work In London?
Cars licensed by TfL as private hire vehicles for the first time must be zero emission capable and meet Euro 6, and cars already licensed must be no older than 10 years when they're re-licensed. Outside London, your council can attach its own conditions to vehicle licences.
Do I Need Public Liability Insurance As A Chauffeur?
Not by law for every driver. GOV.UK guidance says councils can check that private hire operators have it, and in London an operator whose operating centre is open to the public must have at least £5 million of cover. Corporate clients may ask for it too.
I Run A Chauffeur Business. What Else Do I Need?
If you take bookings, you need a private hire operator licence. If you employ drivers, you must have employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million from the day you become an employer. For several cars, see chauffeur and limousine fleet insurance.
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 driving licence, private hire driver licence and the council or TfL that issued it
- The car's registration, make, model, value and whether it's on finance
- The car's private hire vehicle licence number and expiry date
- Your mix of corporate, airport, wedding and event work, and your mileage
- Where the car is kept, whether you use it for personal trips, and each driver's claims and convictions
Compare Chauffeur Insurance Quotes
Sources For Chauffeur Insurance Facts
- GOV.UK - Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Guidance Note - Chauffeur and executive work as private hire, and council rules on plates and badges (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- TfL - What To Expect From Your Journey - Chauffeur and executive cars as private hire vehicles in London, pre-booked through a licensed operator (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Vehicle Licences For Taxis Or Private Hire Vehicles - The insurance a licensed car needs, and council licence conditions (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- TfL - Notice 06/17 On Private Hire Insurance (PDF) - When a London private hire vehicle needs hire or reward cover (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Private Hire Vehicle Operator Licence - Pre-booking, operator licences and the same licensing authority (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Statutory Taxi And Private Hire Vehicle Standards - The warning that an unbooked private hire vehicle won't be insured (checked 17 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Taxi And Private Hire Driver Licence - The different licensing process in Scotland and Northern Ireland (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Section 80 - What counts as a private hire vehicle, including fewer than nine passengers (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Section 51 - The 12-month driving licence rule for private hire drivers (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Section 75 - The wedding and funeral exemptions outside London (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, Section 29 - The wedding and funeral exemption in London (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- TfL - Emissions Standards For PHVs - Rules for cars licensed in London for the first time and at re-licensing (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Taxi And Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance - Councils checking operators' public liability insurance (checked 17 Oct 2026).
- TfL - Private Hire Operator Handbook (PDF) - The £5 million public liability minimum for London operators with premises open to the public (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK - Employers' Liability Insurance - The £5 million minimum when you employ drivers (checked 18 Oct 2026).
- Bedford Borough Council - Taxi And Private Hire Policy (PDF) - An example of a council minimum cover period (checked 19 Oct 2026).
