HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

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

A limousine needs a licensed operator, and a stretched one needs vehicle approval. Here is what to check.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a limousine operator in five steps

  1. Ask for the operator licencePrivate hire for up to eight passenger seats, PSV for nine or more.
  2. Ask about vehicle approvalA stretched limousine needs Individual Vehicle Approval or, if older, a Certificate of Initial Fitness.
  3. Agree the booking in writingHours, route, stops, passengers, extras and the deposit.
  4. Check the rules on drinksWhat the operator allows on board, and for under-18s.
  5. Check on the dayLicence plate or disc, the driver's badge and the booked vehicle.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Limousine operator licence

gov.uk is clear: a limousine hired out with a driver must be run by a licensed operator. Up to eight passenger seats means a private hire operator licence; nine or more means a PSV operator licence. Hiring the limousine and the driver out separately to dodge licensing is against the law.

Ask for the operator licence number and which authority or traffic commissioner issued it. gov.uk →

Vehicle approval for stretched limousines

A stretched limousine must have Individual Vehicle Approval to be registered and licensed; one built before 29 July 2011 may have a Certificate of Initial Fitness instead.

Ask which approval the vehicle holds. gov.uk →

Nine or more passengers: PSV rules

A vehicle carrying nine or more passengers for hire is a public service vehicle, so a party limousine or limo bus needs a PSV operator licence from the traffic commissioner.

For a large group, ask for the PSV operator licence. gov.uk →

VAT

Limousine hire with a driver is standard-rated at 20%. It is zero-rated only where the vehicle physically has 10 or more seats. Limousine operators over the £90,000 registration threshold have to charge VAT and list it separately from the price.

Ask for the limousine firm's VAT number and the seat count; below 10 seats the booking carries 20%. gov.uk →

“Which licence covers this limousine?”

A good answer: Private hire operator licence for up to eight passenger seats; PSV operator licence for nine or more.

“Does the limousine have Individual Vehicle Approval?”

A good answer: Yes, or a Certificate of Initial Fitness for an older stretched vehicle.

“Is the driver licensed and supplied by you?”

A good answer: Yes — the car and driver come together from the licensed operator.

“How many passengers can the limousine legally carry?”

A good answer: The licensed number of seats, not "we can squeeze in a few more".

“What is included in the limousine booking?”

A good answer: Hours, route, drinks policy, decorations, waiting.

“What is the deposit and cancellation policy?”

A good answer: In writing, with dates.

“What happens if the vehicle breaks down?”

A good answer: A replacement of the same standard, or a refund.

Getting the quote right

  • Vehicle, seats and licence type
  • Hours, route and stops
  • Extras: drinks, decorations, red carpet
  • The limousine firm's VAT number, and the total with and without VAT
  • Deposit, balance and cancellation terms
  • Who actually attends: the firm's own chauffeur or a subcontracted one, and whose limousine is sent

Walk away if

  • The car and the driver offered as separate hires
  • No operator licence number
  • More passengers than seats
  • No written terms for the deposit
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£350
HIGH
£700

What a limousine operator costs: £200–£700 per booking

Limousine hire is priced per booking — the vehicle, the hours, the date and any extras — with waiting and extra mileage set out. Limousine Hire 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

Limousine operators 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.

  1. BookVehicle, licence, hours and route in writing; deposit paid.
  2. ConfirmDriver, timings and pickup confirmed the week before.
  3. ArriveThe limousine arrives with its licence plate and a licensed driver.
  4. The hireAgreed route and stops, passenger numbers kept to the licence.
  5. FinishDrop-off on time; any overtime charged as agreed.

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)
The approval a stretched limousine needs to be registered.
Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF)
An older approval accepted for limousines built before 29 July 2011.
PHV operator licence
For limousines with up to eight passenger seats.
PSV operator licence
For vehicles carrying nine or more passengers for hire.
Stretched limousine
A car lengthened after manufacture.
Deposit
The amount paid to secure the date.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the billHours and extras as agreed.
Keep the confirmationDeposit receipt and terms.
Raise problems quicklyWith times and photos.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, so yours counts. If something was not right, the make-it-right step goes first and the operator can fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Tell the operator, in writingSay what went wrong with the limousine booking and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyScore the limousine operator under four stars and you are asked whether the operator should see it first; we follow it through, then your review goes up.
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 limousine operator 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 4Take it to small claimsWhere money is owed back for the limousine operator, you can claim without a solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under Scotland's simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a limousine operator: questions people ask

Yes, unless the limousine is hired out without a driver. Up to eight passenger seats needs a private hire operator licence; nine or more needs a PSV operator licence.

gov.uk says limousines with up to eight passenger seats do not need a licence for weddings and funerals. Larger ones still do.

Individual Vehicle Approval, or a Certificate of Initial Fitness if it was built before 29 July 2011.

£200–£700 per booking, typically around £350. The limousine hire price guide explains what moves the figure; enter your postcode above for prices from limousine operators near you.

gov.uk says unlicensed or improperly insured limousines can be confiscated or destroyed, and operators can be prosecuted and fined.

Tell the operator in writing. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can claim the money back or a reduction.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in vehicles & transport

How to hire: Wedding Car HireHow to hire: Chauffeur ServiceHow to hire: Minibus HireHow to hire: Coach HireHow to hire: Airport TransferHow to hire: Car ValetingHow to hire: Car DetailingHow to hire: Vehicle Recovery & BreakdownAll 701 hiring guides →

Limousine operators near you

Limousine operators in LondonLimousine operators in ManchesterLimousine operators in BirminghamLimousine operators in GlasgowLimousine operators in BelfastAll limousine operators on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

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