Taxi Sales: The UK Guide to Buying & Selling Taxis

Buying or selling a taxi is not like buying or selling an ordinary car. A licensed vehicle has to satisfy a local council, carry the right plates, pass extra inspections and, in many cases, earn its keep from the first week you own it. Taxi Sales is an independent, plain-English resource for the people who do exactly that: owner-drivers, small private-hire operators, and anyone weighing up their first cab.

For years the phrase "taxi sales" meant one thing to the UK trade — the forecourt on the web where black cabs, Hackney carriages, minibuses and MPVs changed hands. This site keeps that spirit but focuses on the knowledge rather than the marketplace: what the vehicles are, how the licensing works, what to check before you hand over money, and how to sell sensibly when it is your turn.

Start Here

Whether you are coming into the trade or moving your fifth vehicle on, the two guides below cover the core of it. They are written for real buying and selling decisions, not for the showroom.

• How to buy a used taxi — where the value and the pitfalls are, and how to walk away from the wrong one.
• Selling your taxi or minibus — preparing, pricing and presenting a licensed vehicle so it sells.

Know the Vehicles

The UK taxi trade runs on a surprisingly small family of vehicles, from purpose-built cabs designed around the wheelchair-accessible rules to converted MPVs and minibuses used for private hire. Understanding which is which — and which suits your licence and your work — is the first real decision. Our guide to types of licensed taxi breaks down black cabs, Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles without the jargon.

Get the Licensing Right

A taxi is only worth what its plate lets it do. Before you buy, you need to understand the difference between a Hackney carriage licence and a private hire licence, how vehicle plates and driver badges work, and why the local council — not the seller — has the final say. Our overview of taxi licensing in the UK explains the basics, and the official detail lives with your council and on GOV.UK.

Buy With Your Eyes Open

A high-mileage cab that has been looked after can be a far better buy than a low-mileage one that has been thrashed. The trick is knowing what to look at. Work through our used-taxi inspection checklist before you view anything, and read up on taxi finance and insurance so the running costs never come as a surprise.

Keep It On the Road

Once a vehicle is yours, the trade never really stops. Parts, servicing, meters, roof signs and plates all have to be kept current. Our pages on taxi spares and accessories and signage and window stickers cover the day-to-day, while our note on exporting a used black cab looks at where cabs go when their working life in a UK town is over.

Independent, and Meant to Help

Taxi Sales does not sell vehicles, take adverts or broker deals. It is a reference site: no pressure, no listings, just the background that makes a taxi purchase or sale a good one. Browse the trade resources, or read a little more about this site and how to get in touch.