Private hire car licence

Aberdeen City Council requires all vehicles operating as a taxi or private hire car (PHC) to be licensed. Drivers of these vehicles also require to hold a separate taxi or private hire car driver's licence.

There are approximately 210 private hire cars in Aberdeen. These vehicles do not carry roof signs and have a red identification plate at the rear and a smaller red identification plate at the front.

Private hire cars cannot be hailed on the street or collect passengers at taxi ranks and must be pre-booked.

All taxis and most private hire cars carry calibrated taximeters and the maximum fare that can be charged for a journey within Aberdeen is set out in the Taxi Fare Tariff set by the Licensing Committee. A copy of the tariff is available in each vehicle for the information of the travelling public.

Fares are calculated using a calibrated meter according to the City of Aberdeen approved tariff. Private hire cars with a meter may charge less than the approved fare table indicates. For taxi journeys outside of Aberdeen, or private hire cars without a meter, the fare must be negotiated before the journey commences.

All private hire cars must be driven by licensed drivers.

Should you wish to lodge a complaint regarding taxis or private hire cars you can find out more on our licencing complaints page