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Do children need a car seat in a UK taxi? The actual rules

The law on child seats in taxis and private hire vehicles surprises most parents. Here's what it says, and how we handle family airport transfers.

2026-02-02 · 4 min read

If you're booking an airport transfer with children, the first question is usually "do I need to bring a car seat?" The honest answer is more relaxed than most people expect.

What UK law actually says

UK regulations make a specific exemption for licensed taxis and private hire vehicles. Children travelling in a pre-booked private hire car are not legally required to use a child car seat or booster, provided they:

  • wear an adult seat belt if they're 3 or over, and
  • travel in the rear seats.

Children under 3 can travel without a seat belt in the rear of a taxi or private hire vehicle. This is set out in the Department for Transport guidance and applies across England, Scotland and Wales.

What we'd still recommend

Legal minimum and best practice aren't the same thing. For longer motorway runs like Nottingham to Heathrow (about 130 miles, roughly 2h 15min) or Nottingham to Gatwick (about 160 miles, around 2h 45min), a proper child seat is always the safer option.

What we do

  • Bring your own seat and we'll fit it carefully at pick-up — our drivers will always give you the time.
  • On a return booking, we can store your seat between the outbound and return legs by arrangement, so you're not dragging it around an airport.
  • Tell us the ages of children when you book on the booking page so we send the right size of vehicle — an infant in a travel cot pushchair plus cases fills a boot faster than you'd think.

For family-friendly vehicles with big boots, see our fleet page.

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