HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

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

With a driver, the operator needs a PSV licence; self-drive has its own rules. Here is what to check.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a minibus operator in five steps

  1. Decide driver or self-driveWith a driver, check the PSV licence; self-drive, check your own licence.
  2. Give the planPassengers, luggage, pickups, timings.
  3. Agree hours and mileageDay or half-day, with the overtime rate.
  4. Get the quote in writingSeats, driver, hours, extras, VAT.
  5. Check on the daySeat belts, the booked minibus, the driver's details.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

PSV operator licence

An operator providing a vehicle that can carry nine or more passengers, with a driver, for hire or reward needs a PSV operator licence from the traffic commissioner in Great Britain; in Northern Ireland, a bus operator licence from the DVA.

Ask for the operator licence number when you book. gov.uk →

Bus operator licence (Northern Ireland)

In Northern Ireland the Driver and Vehicle Agency licenses bus operators, can refuse or withdraw a licence and publishes the list of licensed operators.

Look the minibus operator up on nidirect's list. nidirect.gov.uk →

Self-drive: your own licence

On gov.uk's rules, a car licence can cover a self-drive minibus of no more than 16 passenger seats only when nobody pays for the trip and you meet conditions, including being 21 or over. If passengers pay, the driver needs a PCV entitlement and the operator a PSV licence.

Read the conditions on gov.uk before booking a self-drive minibus. gov.uk →

VAT

A minibus with a driver and 10 or more seats, counting the driver's, is zero-rated (0%). Self-drive minibus hire, or a smaller vehicle, is standard-rated. Minibus operators with more than £90,000 of taxable turnover must register for VAT and show it apart from the hire price.

Ask whether the hire is with a driver and how many seats; a driven minibus with 10 or more seats is zero-rated. gov.uk →

“What is your PSV operator licence number for the minibus?”

A good answer: A number given at once.

“How many seats does the minibus have, with belts?”

A good answer: The actual number, with belts for all.

“Is the minibus driver's time included, and for how long?”

A good answer: Hours included and the overtime rate.

“For self-drive, can I legally drive this minibus?”

A good answer: An honest answer based on your licence and whether passengers pay.

“What is included in the minibus price?”

A good answer: Fuel, mileage, waiting, parking.

“What happens if the minibus breaks down?”

A good answer: A replacement plan.

“What is the cancellation policy?”

A good answer: In writing.

Getting the quote right

  • Seats, with or without driver
  • Hours and mileage
  • Waiting and overtime
  • The operator's VAT number, and the VAT rate it applies to the hire
  • Tolls, parking and cancellation terms
  • Who actually attends: the operator's own driver or a subcontracted one

Walk away if

  • No PSV operator licence for a minibus with a driver
  • A self-drive minibus offered to a paying group without checking
  • No written terms
  • Fewer belts than passengers
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£350
HIGH
£800

What a minibus operator costs: £150–£800 per day

Minibus hire is priced per day or part day — seats, hours and mileage — with or without a driver, and with tolls and parking listed separately. Minibus 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

Minibus 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. BookDriver or self-drive, seats, times and price in writing.
  2. ConfirmDriver, pickup points and times.
  3. DepartOn time, luggage stowed, belts on.
  4. The tripAgreed route and stops.
  5. ReturnOn time; invoice as agreed.

PSV operator licence
The licence for operating passenger vehicles for hire with nine or more seats.
Hire or reward
Payment, by or for the passengers.
PCV entitlement
The licence category for driving passenger vehicles for payment.
Self-drive
Hiring the minibus without a driver.
Passenger seats
The seats the minibus carries, not counting the driver; 16 is the car-licence limit.
Overtime
Time beyond the booking.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the invoiceHours, mileage and extras.
Keep the bookingFor any dispute.
Report problems quicklyWith times and photos.
Review it honestlyYour review helps the next customer choose. Under four stars, Locufy offers the operator the chance to put it right first — then the review is published.

STEP 1Tell the operator, in writingSay what went wrong with the minibus hire and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2Make-it-right, then reviewA rating below four stars for this minibus operator opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the operator hears about it first, we chase it, and the review follows.
STEP 3Escalate itFor a minibus operator there is no licensing body, so escalation runs through the consumer helplines, which refer cases to Trading Standards: 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 4The court, as a last stepFor a minibus operator dispute that will not settle, the small claims route covers up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland; the court fee depends on the amount claimed.

Hiring a minibus operator: questions people ask

Yes, if they supply the minibus with a driver for payment: a PSV operator licence in Great Britain, or a bus operator licence from the DVA in Northern Ireland.

Possibly, for no more than 16 passenger seats, when nobody pays for the trip and you meet the gov.uk conditions, including being 21 or over.

A written booking with seats, times, price and cancellation terms.

Usually £150–£800 per day, with £350 as a typical figure. See the minibus hire price guide for what pushes a price up or down, and search above for minibus operators in your area.

For a group, often; one booking, one driver and luggage space.

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

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in vehicles & transport

How to hire: Coach HireHow to hire: Airport TransferHow to hire: Chauffeur ServiceHow to hire: Limousine HireHow to hire: Wedding Car HireHow to hire: Van ServicingHow to hire: Vehicle Recovery & BreakdownHow to hire: Mobile MechanicAll 701 hiring guides →

Minibus operators near you

Minibus operators in LondonMinibus operators in ManchesterMinibus operators in BirminghamMinibus operators in GlasgowMinibus operators in BelfastAll minibus operators on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — PSV operator licences
  2. gov.uk — driving a minibus
  3. nidirect — bus operator licences and permits
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  6. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  7. nidirect — small claims process
  8. The VAT treatment of passenger transport (VAT Notice 744A) — 4.1 Circumstances where you can zero rate domestic passenger transport
  9. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register