Published November 2026.
Ex-taxis and ex-private hire cars are common on the used market, and there’s nothing wrong with buying one if the price reflects how hard it has worked. The problem is buying one without knowing. A five-year-old private hire car can easily have covered well over 100,000 miles, much of it in stop-start town driving. This guide explains how to spot an ex-taxi, why the logbook won’t tell you, and how to check.
The short answer
- The V5C and the DVLA’s records don’t show taxi use. Taxis and private hire vehicles are licensed by local councils (and by Transport for London), not the DVLA.
- Look for the physical signs: marks from roof signs and licence plates, holes in the dashboard, heavy wear on the driver’s seat and controls, and very high mileage for the car’s age.
- Check the records: an ex-taxi check searches council licensing data. It’s part of our Gold check.
Taxi or private hire: what’s the difference?
A taxi (hackney carriage) can be hailed in the street or picked up at a rank. A private hire vehicle (PHV), such as a minicab or ride-hailing car, must be booked in advance. Both need a vehicle licence from the local council; in London, Transport for London licenses them. England alone had about 342,000 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in April 2026, so plenty reach the used market when their licences end.
Signs a car was a taxi or private hire vehicle
- Roof marks: holes, filled holes, or a patch of brighter or darker paint where a roof sign was fixed.
- Licence plate fixings: screw holes or brackets near the number plates or on the rear bumper, where the council licence plate was mounted.
- Window residue: glue or marks on the windscreen and rear window from licence discs or roundels, which London private hire cars must display.
- Dashboard holes: filled holes or adhesive where a meter, radio, card reader or phone mount sat.
- Livery: traces of stickers or magnetic signs on the doors, or a respray or wrap on an otherwise unremarkable car.
- Wear: a shiny steering wheel, worn gear knob and pedals, and rear seats and rear door trims more worn than the front, out of proportion to the mileage shown.
- Mileage: far above the roughly 7,000 miles a year a typical private car covers.
- The model: the Toyota Prius and Corolla, Skoda Octavia and Superb, Hyundai i40, Mercedes E-Class and LEVC TX are all popular taxi and private hire choices. Being one of these proves nothing, but it’s a reason to look harder.
Clues in the MOT history
Licensed taxis and private hire cars can be exempt from the MOT where the council runs its own annual vehicle test instead. An ex-taxi may therefore show gaps in its MOT history, followed by a surprisingly high mileage when it next appears. Our MOT history check shows every test with the mileage recorded, and a big jump between tests is worth asking about.
Why the logbook won’t tell you
The V5C records the keeper, not how the car was used. A car might have been registered to a taxi company, a leasing firm or a driver personally. The DVLA’s free vehicle enquiry service doesn’t show licensing either; our guide to what a DVLA check shows explains what it does and doesn’t cover.
Some councils publish their licensed vehicle registers, and Transport for London has an online licence checker for private hire vehicles, but there are around 260 licensing authorities in England alone, and each keeps its own records in its own way.
How to check if a car was a taxi
- Run an ex-taxi check: it’s included in our Gold check (£9.99, or 3 for £14.99), which searches licensing records for the registration.
- Ask the seller directly, and ask to see the service history: invoices from a taxi or fleet company are a giveaway.
- Check the MOT history check for gaps and mileage jumps.
- Look at the car in daylight, roof and dashboard included.
Is an ex-taxi a bad buy?
Not necessarily. Taxis are often serviced on schedule because the driver’s income depends on them, and many spend their lives on motorways rather than in town. But high mileage means more wear on the engine, gearbox, suspension and interior, and ex-taxis are usually worth noticeably less than an equivalent private car. Know what you’re buying, have it inspected, and pay accordingly.
A dealer shouldn’t hide a car’s history if it would affect your decision: consumer protection law bans misleading omissions of information an average buyer needs. If you find out after buying from a dealer that a car was a taxi and you asked and were told otherwise, get advice from Citizens Advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does the V5C show if a car was a taxi?
No. Taxis and private hire vehicles are licensed by councils, not the DVLA, so the logbook and the DVLA’s records don’t show it. A history check that searches licensing records does.
How many miles does a taxi do a year?
Far more than a private car. Private cars average around 7,000 miles a year; taxis and private hire cars commonly do several times that, so 100,000 miles in four or five years isn’t unusual.
Do taxis have MOTs?
Not always. Where a council runs its own annual test for licensed vehicles, the car can be exempt from the MOT, which can leave gaps in its MOT history.
Are ex-taxis cheaper?
Usually. High mileage and wear mean an ex-taxi is normally worth less than the same model with a private history, so make sure the price reflects it.
Sources
- DfT: Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics, England: 2026 (13 August 2026)
- Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981, regulation 6 (exemptions)
- Transport for London: taxi and private hire licensing
- Business Companion (trading standards): used car sales
- GOV.UK: check MOT history
Find out if a car was a taxi or private hire vehicle with our ex-taxi check, part of every Gold check.
