What is a taxi plate?
The visible sign of a vehicle licence: a plate fixed to the car showing the council, the licence number and often the seating capacity and expiry. Councils charge for plates and replacements; Oxford, for example, lists an external vehicle plate fee of £29.[1][4]
What is a taxi badge?
The driver's licence ID, issued with a taxi or private hire driver licence and displayed or worn while working. Replacement badges cost a few pounds to a few tens of pounds: £14 in Wirral and £19 in Rochdale on their fee pages.[2][5][6]
What must an operator check before dispatching?
That the driver's licence and the vehicle's licence are valid and from the same authority as the operator licence, and that neither has expired. Recording every licence with its expiry date lets the office chase renewals before a document lapses.[2]
TaxiDex's permits page records each licence with its reference and expiry date and counts what has expired or is about to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a taxi plate and a badge?
The plate licenses the vehicle; the badge identifies the licensed driver. A driver needs a badge to drive for hire, and the car needs a plate.
Can I rent a taxi plate?
Some fleets rent licensed vehicles to drivers; the vehicle's licence stays with the owner, and the driver still needs their own badge from the same authority.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] GOV.UK: Vehicle licences for taxis or private hire vehicles (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [2] GOV.UK: Driver licences for taxis and private hire vehicles (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [3] Department for Transport: Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics, England: 2026 (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [4] Oxford City Council: Taxi vehicle licence fees and charges (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [5] Wirral Council: Private hire and hackney carriage licence fees (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [6] Rochdale Borough Council: taxi and private hire fees (read 2 Nov 2026)