Private Hire Insurance UK — Compare Quotes

Why You Need It

Risks Specific to Private Hire Drivers

Every trade faces unique risks. Here's what could go wrong and why the right cover matters.

🚗 This is not motor insurance: This page covers business insurance — public liability, employers' liability, goods in transit and similar covers. It does not insure your vehicle. For that, see our Commercial Motor Insurance hub, or for a single van our Single Van Insurance page.

A client claims your work caused property damage — you need public liability to cover legal costs
Goods or equipment you're carrying are lost, stolen or damaged in transit — without goods in transit cover you're personally liable for the replacement cost
An employee is injured on site — employers' liability is legally required and covers compensation claims
A job runs over budget or a dispute arises with a client over your work — legal expenses cover helps
A member of the public is injured near your work area — public liability covers the claim
You accept a fare that wasn't pre-booked through your licensed private hire operator — this invalidates your private hire insurance and breaches private hire licensing rules
Passengers dispute fares, routes or conduct during a journey — private hire drivers face a higher volume of passenger-related complaints than most other trades
You drive for a platform such as Uber that restricts you to its own approved insurer panel — a policy from outside that panel may not be accepted even if it meets the legal minimum

💡 Most private hire drivers need at minimum: Private hire (PHV) insurance covering pre-booked fares through a licensed operator — and, if you drive for an app-based platform, an insurer from that platform's approved panel.

Trade-Specific Risk

Risks Private Hire Drivers Should Plan Cover Around

Private hire work is shaped by pre-booking rules, licensing, and — increasingly — the specific requirements of the app platforms drivers work for. Here's what to plan cover around.

📱

Platform-Approved Insurer Panels

Uber and some other platforms only accept private hire insurance from a small panel of approved insurers, verified in real time through document-checking systems. Check your chosen platform's current approved list before buying a policy, as cover outside the panel may not be accepted even if it's otherwise valid.

📋

PHV Licensing (Council or TfL)

You need a Private Hire Vehicle licence from your local council (or TfL in London), plus a driver licence and operator booking through a licensed private hire operator. Insurers will ask to see these before confirming cover.

🚫

Pre-Booking Only

Private hire insurance only covers pre-booked fares received through a licensed operator. Picking up a passenger who hails you on the street isn't covered, and is also a licensing offence.

👤

Passenger Conduct & Complaints

Disputes over fares, routes, or passenger behaviour are common in private hire work — legal expenses cover can help meet the cost of defending complaints or disputes that escalate.

⚠️ Check your platform's approved insurer list before buying: If you drive for Uber or a similar app, your insurer may need to be on that platform's approved panel for your documents to be accepted — this is separate from whether the policy meets the general legal minimum. Always confirm with the platform directly, as approved panels change.

Cover Types

What Does Private Hire Insurance Cover?

A strong policy covers the specific risks of your trade — from site accidents to equipment theft and client disputes.

🚗

Hire & Reward

Covers you for carrying goods or passengers belonging to someone else for payment. Standard business use does not cover this — essential for couriers and taxi drivers.

📦

Goods in Transit

Covers goods you're carrying against loss, theft or damage in transit. Limits and exclusions vary — check the policy carefully for fragile or high-value loads.

🤝

Public Liability

Covers injury or property damage to third parties arising from your business operations — separate from motor insurance.

🛡️

Breakdown Cover

UK and European roadside assistance. For sole traders relying on one vehicle, a breakdown without cover can mean a full day's lost income.

👷

Employers' Liability

Required by law if you employ drivers. Covers employee injury claims arising from their work.

⚖️

Legal Expenses

Covers legal costs for motoring prosecutions, contract disputes and debt recovery.

Choosing Cover

What to Look for When Comparing Private Hire Insurance

A few things worth checking before you buy, whichever UK insurer or broker you compare.

📐

Indemnity limit

Check the limit matches what your contracts, landlord or clients require — common tiers are £1m, £2m, £5m and £10m depending on trade and risk.

📄

Claims basis

Professional and liability covers are often "claims-made" — cover depends on holding a live policy when a claim is made, not just when the work happened.

🔍

Exclusions

Read what's excluded, not just what's covered. Sub-contractor work, specific activities, or work carried out overseas are common gaps.

✅

FCA authorisation

Before buying, confirm any insurer or broker is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority — check the register at register.fca.org.uk.

🤝 We're finalising partnerships with FCA-authorised UK insurers so you can compare real quotes here soon. Check back shortly, or get in touch if you'd like to be notified when comparisons go live.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

While not all business insurance is legally required, public liability insurance is expected by most clients, venues and contractors before work begins. If you employ anyone, employers' liability is a legal requirement. Operating without appropriate cover leaves you personally liable for any claims against your business.

Premiums vary based on your turnover, number of employees, claims history and the level of cover you choose. Most sole trader private hires pay between £100 and £600 per year for basic public liability cover. Combined policies with goods in transit or legal expenses cover cost more but provide broader protection.

Yes — most insurers offer monthly payment options. You'll typically pay slightly more than the annual premium in total, but it helps with cash flow. Some digital insurers offer fully flexible monthly policies with no minimum term.

You need employers' liability insurance if you employ anyone — including part-time workers, temporary staff, apprentices and in some cases, subcontractors you supervise on site. As a sole trader with no employees, it's not required. The legal minimum is £5 million cover.

Not necessarily. Uber and some other ride-hailing platforms restrict drivers to a panel of approved insurers integrated with their real-time document verification systems. A policy that meets the general legal requirement for private hire insurance may still be rejected by the platform if the insurer isn't on its approved list — always check the current list on the platform's own site before buying.

Private hire insurance only covers pre-booked journeys arranged through a licensed operator — you can't be hailed on the street or wait at a taxi rank. Taxi (hackney carriage) insurance covers street hailing and rank work as well as pre-booked journeys, and is generally priced higher given the greater exposure.

It's not covered. Private hire insurance only responds to pre-booked fares received through your licensed operator — accepting a passenger off the street is both an insurance and a licensing breach, and any incident during that journey is unlikely to be covered.

Related Cover

Other Transport & Logistics Insurance

Compare insurance for similar trades and businesses.

Private Hire Insurance — Cover Built for Your Trade

Get a Quick Quote