Licensing & Safety

Every vehicle we arrange is supplied by a licensed, insured operator that we have vetted ourselves. This page explains which licences apply to which vehicles, what we check, and how you can see the proof for your own booking.

The short version

  • We vet every operator before they carry one of our customers, and we review them every year.
  • Every operator signs an agreement with us confirming they hold the licences and insurance needed for every booking.
  • Every vehicle is run under the operator’s licence the law requires for its size.
  • Every chauffeur who drives for our customers is DBS checked.
  • Every operator is insured, and so are we.
  • Once you have a booking, you can ask to see the operator’s licence and insurance for your hire.

Two layers of checking

In the UK a chauffeur-driven limousine must be run by a licensed operator. The licensing authority checks an operator before granting that licence. We then carry out our own checks before we send that operator a single booking. You get both.

The operator
Holds the operator’s licence, runs and maintains the vehicle, provides your licensed chauffeur and insures the hire.
Limo Hire in London
We choose and vet the operator, take your booking, confirm it in writing and stay your point of contact before, during and after the hire. About us explains who we are and how we work.

Which licence covers your vehicle

The licence depends on how many passengers the vehicle carries. GOV.UK sets out the rules for limousines.

Size of vehicle Licence the operator holds Issued by
Up to 8 passengersLincoln Town Car, Chrysler Baby Bentley, Hummer H3 Private hire vehicle (PHV) operator’s licence The local council, or Transport for London in London
9 or more passengersHummer H2, Ford Excursion, Lincoln Navigator, party buses Public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence The Traffic Commissioner

Stretched limousines also need their own vehicle approval before they can be licensed. For vehicles with 9 or more passenger seats, we see the vehicle’s certificate as part of our checks.

How we vet an operator

  1. We check their documents before the first booking

    We see the operator’s insurance certificate, their operator’s licence and their drivers’ licences, and we confirm that their drivers are DBS checked. For vehicles with 9 or more passenger seats we also see the vehicle’s certificate of initial fitness (COIF).

  2. They sign an agreement with us

    Every operator signs an agreement confirming that they hold all the licences and insurance needed to carry out every booking we give them.

  3. We review them every year

    Licences and insurance policies are renewed, so one check is not enough. We go back to our operators each year.

  4. We judge them on how they treat our customers

    Paperwork is the minimum. We have stopped using operators for poor customer service and for unethical practices, and we have worked with some of our operators since we started in 2007.

Your chauffeur

Every chauffeur who drives for our customers is DBS checked, whatever the size of the vehicle, and holds the driving licence that vehicle requires.

Private hire drivers are licensed by their local council, or by Transport for London in London, and GOV.UK explains what that licence involves. The government’s statutory standards call for an enhanced DBS check, including the children’s and adults’ barred lists, for every private hire driver’s licence, repeated every six months.

Drivers of vehicles with 9 or more passenger seats hold the bus and coach driving licence the law requires. The law does not require a DBS check for those drivers. We require one anyway.

We see drivers’ licences as part of our checks, and we give you your driver’s name before the day.

Insurance

Every operator we use holds motor insurance and public liability insurance. A & R Shah Ltd, the company behind Limo Hire in London, holds its own public liability insurance as the booking company.

For a wedding or another one-off event, we still recommend your own event insurance, as you would for any supplier on the day.

See the proof for your booking

We do not publish our operators’ licence numbers, because licence details have been copied and used fraudulently. Keeping them off the internet protects you as well as them.

Once you have a booking with us, ask and we will show you the operator’s licence and insurance for your hire.

Safety on the day

Passenger numbers
The passenger limit on your booking is the vehicle’s legal limit, and every child counts towards it, whatever their age. Our passenger capacity guide explains how the limits work.
A vehicle that is not fit to go out
If the vehicle you booked is not fit to carry out your hire, it is replaced with an equivalent or better one. Your safety comes before the booking.
Children and young people
Bookings for proms and children’s parties must be made or approved by a responsible adult, and alcohol is never provided to passengers under 18. Every chauffeur is DBS checked. Our accessibility page covers child car seats.
Lights and sound
Strobes, flashing lights and music can be turned down or switched off. We have arranged this for passengers with epilepsy, autism and sensitive hearing.
Behaviour on board
The operator can end a hire if anyone commits an offence or behaves in a threatening way. Our rules for passengers set out what is allowed.
Someone to call
If anything worries you during the hire, call us on 020 3907 8702. Outside phone hours, message us on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

Every payment is made by card or bank transfer through a secure payment link, so there is a record of who you paid, how much and when. We never ask for cash. How booking works explains each payment and what you get in writing before you make it.

Five questions to ask any limo company

These are worth asking whoever you book with, and we are happy to be asked all five.

  • Who holds the operator’s licence for this vehicle, and can I see it?
  • Is the vehicle insured to carry paying passengers, and can I see the certificate?
  • How many passengers is this vehicle licensed to carry?
  • Will my booking be confirmed in writing?
  • Can I pay by card or bank transfer?

Our guide to safety and booking checks goes through what to verify before you pay.

If something goes wrong

Tell us. Your complaint comes to us, and we mediate with the operator until it is settled. If your vehicle does not arrive, we refund your deposit. Our complaints procedure and cancellations and refunds pages set out exactly what happens.

Whose page this is
Limo Hire in London, the trading name of A & R Shah Ltd. Registered in England and Wales, company number 06125188.
Written and reviewed by
Amar Shah, Director
Last reviewed
Sources
GOV.UK: limousine licensing and driver licences for taxis and private hire vehicles and the statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards.
Related pages
About us, how booking works, the fleet, customer reviews and FAQs.