HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

How to hire a chauffeur in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Chauffeur work is private hire, so the driver and car must be licensed. Here is how to check and what to agree.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a chauffeur in five steps

  1. Check the chauffeur is licensedDriver, car and operator licensed by the same council, or Transport for London.
  2. Give the planPickup, stops, timings, passengers and luggage, in one message.
  3. Agree the hourly termsMinimum hours, waiting, overtime rate, and what counts as the start and end.
  4. Ask about extrasParking, congestion and clean air charges, tolls, fuel, refreshments.
  5. Check on the dayThe chauffeur's badge, the car's licence plate or disc and the booked car.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Private hire licence

Pre-booked hire with a driver in a car of up to eight passenger seats is private hire. In England and Wales the chauffeur, the car and the booking business are each licensed by one authority — the local council, or Transport for London inside London — and taking bookings or driving for hire without a licence is an offence.

Ask which authority licensed them and the operator licence number; in London, check it on Transport for London's licence checker. gov.uk →

Fit and proper driver

The licensing authority must be satisfied the driver is a fit and proper person; background and character are checked, and an enhanced DBS check may be required. A driver licence usually runs for three years.

Look for the driver's licence badge, and the car's licence plate or disc, on the day. gov.uk →

Limousines and larger vehicles

A limousine with up to eight passenger seats needs a private hire operator licence; one with nine or more is a public service vehicle and needs a PSV operator licence. Hiring out the car and the driver separately to avoid licensing is against the law.

If anything larger than a saloon is coming, ask which licence covers it. gov.uk →

VAT

A chauffeur-driven car is standard-rated at 20%. The journey would be zero-rated only in a vehicle with 10 or more seats. Chauffeurs whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it as its own line on the quote and invoice.

Ask for the chauffeur firm's VAT number and the seats in the car; a car under 10 seats carries 20%. gov.uk →

“Which council licenses you as a chauffeur, and who is the operator?”

A good answer: The authority and the operator licence number, without hesitation.

“What is the minimum booking, and how is overtime charged?”

A good answer: Clear figures: minimum hours and the rate after them, in quarter or half hours.

“Does the chauffeur's time start at the pickup or when you leave base?”

A good answer: A clear answer in writing.

“Which car will you bring, and is it licensed for hire?”

A good answer: The model and its licence; a replacement of the same standard if it changes.

“Are parking, tolls and congestion charges included?”

A good answer: Included or listed on top.

“What happens if we run late?”

A good answer: Overtime at the agreed rate, and whether the chauffeur has another job after.

“What is your cancellation policy?”

A good answer: In writing, with any fee.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly rate, minimum hours and overtime rate
  • The car to be used
  • Waiting time, parking, tolls and congestion or clean air charges
  • The firm's VAT number, with VAT under the hourly rate and waiting time
  • Start and end points of the charged time, and the cancellation terms
  • Who actually attends: the firm's own chauffeur or a subcontracted one, and the private hire licence they hold

Walk away if

  • No licence badge or vehicle plate
  • A car and a driver offered as separate hires
  • No written hourly terms
  • Cash only, with no booking confirmation
LOW
£50
TYPICAL
£90
HIGH
£150

What a chauffeur costs: £50–£150 per hour

A chauffeur is booked by the hour, usually with a minimum number of hours, with waiting, overtime and any parking or congestion charges set out. Chauffeur Service price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Chauffeurs near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. BookItinerary, car and hourly terms confirmed in writing.
  2. ConfirmThe chauffeur's name and phone, and the car, sent the day before.
  3. CollectThe chauffeur arrives early in the licensed car.
  4. The journeyAgreed route and stops, safe driving, waiting where planned.
  5. FinishDropped off, time noted, the bill matching the terms.

Private hire
Pre-booked hire with a driver; it cannot be hailed in the street.
Operator licence
The licence held by the business that takes the booking.
Minimum hire
The fewest hours you can book.
Overtime
Time beyond the booking, charged at a set rate.
PSV
A vehicle carrying nine or more passengers for hire.
Licence plate or disc
The sign on a car that it is licensed for hire.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the bill against the bookingHours, overtime and extras as agreed.
Keep the confirmationThe evidence if charges differ.
Raise problems the same dayLate arrival, a different car or unsafe driving, with times.
Review and make-it-rightLocufy's reviews are tied to real bookings. Rate it under four stars and the chauffeur is invited to fix the problem before your review goes up.

STEP 1Tell the operator, in writingSay what went wrong — a late chauffeur, a different car, extra charges — and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2The Locufy make-it-right stepBelow four stars, you decide whether the complaint about the chauffeur goes to the chauffeur first. We follow it through, and then you review.
STEP 3The licensing authority, or the helplineUnsafe driving, an unlicensed car or a driver who is not who was booked goes to the licensing authority — the council, Transport for London in London, or the DVA in Northern Ireland — which can refuse licences to anyone it does not judge fit and proper. A dispute over the fare for the chauffeur goes to the consumer helpline: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claimsIf the chauffeur still is not settled, the limits are £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland (small claims court). Keep every message and invoice as evidence.

Hiring a chauffeur: questions people ask

Yes. In England and Wales a chauffeur doing pre-booked hire needs a private hire driver licence, the car a vehicle licence and the booking business an operator licence, from the same council or from Transport for London. Scotland's councils and Northern Ireland's DVA run their own licensing.

Ask for the operator licence number and the issuing authority. In London, Transport for London's licence checker covers drivers, vehicles and operators.

A limousine with up to eight passenger seats needs a private hire operator licence; nine or more needs a PSV operator licence.

Usually £50–£150 per hour, with £90 as a typical figure. See the chauffeur service price guide for what pushes a price up or down, and search above for chauffeurs in your area.

Overtime is charged at the rate in your booking. Agree it in writing before the day.

Tell the operator in writing at once. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the service to be provided with reasonable care and skill; ask for a refund and the cost of replacement travel.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in vehicles & transport

How to hire: Airport TransferHow to hire: Limousine HireHow to hire: Wedding Car HireHow to hire: Minibus HireHow to hire: Coach HireHow to hire: Vehicle Recovery & BreakdownHow to hire: Car ValetingHow to hire: Car DetailingAll 701 hiring guides →

Chauffeurs near you

Chauffeurs in LondonChauffeurs in ManchesterChauffeurs in BirminghamChauffeurs in GlasgowChauffeurs in BelfastAll chauffeurs on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — operator licences for private hire vehicles
  2. gov.uk — driver licences for taxis and private hire vehicles
  3. gov.uk — vehicle licences for taxis or private hire vehicles
  4. gov.uk — limousine licensing
  5. Transport for London — licence checker
  6. gov.uk — private hire vehicle or minicab licence (Scotland)
  7. nidirect — apply for a taxi operator licence
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  11. nidirect — small claims process
  12. The VAT treatment of passenger transport (VAT Notice 744A) — 4.7 Transport in taxis, limousines and hire cars
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register