Get your car checked before the TfL licensing inspection

What is the TfL licensing inspection?

A private hire vehicle licensed by TfL must pass TfL’s licensing inspection as part of its annual licensing. The inspection is carried out at inspection sites agreed by TfL. It does not take place at Reverie Autocare, and we have no part in it.

You book the inspection directly with TfL, and TfL says it does not offer a fast-track service. For fees, retests and inspection site details, go to TfL’s private hire vehicle licence page.

What is a pre-inspection check?

It is a check at our centre, before your inspection, against the reasons TfL publishes for refusing a vehicle. The aim is to find problems while there is still time to put them right.

The check is not the licensing inspection and does not replace it. It cannot promise a pass. Only TfL’s inspection decides whether your vehicle is licensed.

When does my MOT need to be done?

TfL’s Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Inspection Manual says that vehicles more than 12 months from their date of manufacture must pass two MOT tests as a condition of continued annual licensing.

• The first MOT certificate must be issued “not more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the licensing inspection”, with the inspection date counted as day one.
• The second MOT must be obtained six months from the date the licence is granted.

The same manual warns that a minor defect or an advisory notice may not fail the MOT but could still be treated as a licensing inspection failure. A pass certificate on its own is not the end of the preparation.

We test in our own Class 4 MOT bay, and you can ask for the pre-inspection check alongside the MOT.

What does the check look at?

We work through the refusal reasons published in TfL’s inspection manual, including:

• Warning lamps. TfL refuses a vehicle with one or more driver warning lamps or indicators lit. If a lamp is on, we diagnose why.
• Lights. We check that the exterior lights work.
• Window tint. TfL sets limits on how dark the windscreen and front side windows may be. Tell us if any glass has been tinted.
• Dents and scratches. TfL’s limits include a single dent more than 80mm in diameter, or more than four scratches or abrasions over 50mm long on any one panel. We check each panel against those sizes.
• Tyres. The tread must be clearly visible above or level with the wear bar indicators. We check the tread and condition of each tyre.
• Fluid leaks. TfL refuses a vehicle with evidence of fluid leaking from underneath onto the ground. We look underneath for any leak and its source.
• Safety recalls. An outstanding DVSA safety recall is a refusal reason. See the next section.
• Wheel rims. TfL refuses a wheel rim that shows evidence of a repair. We look at each wheel for signs of repair.
• Number plates. A number plate that cannot be read by specialist cameras is a refusal reason. We check each plate’s condition and legibility by eye. We cannot reproduce TfL’s camera check.

What about safety recalls?

Recall work is done by the manufacturer’s network, not by us, and TfL’s manual sets out the evidence of recall work it will accept. Check your vehicle for open recalls on gov.uk well before the inspection, and arrange any open recall with the manufacturer’s network.

My alloy wheels are kerbed. Should I have them repaired first?

Check TfL’s standard before you book any wheel work. TfL refuses a wheel rim that shows evidence of a repair, and the manual does not say what counts as a repair. Read the wheels section of TfL’s inspection manual, or ask TfL, before you decide.

What happens if the check finds something?

• We show you the evidence, with photos where it helps.
• We give you a written price for each item.
• Nothing is done without your written approval. You decide what is fixed and when.
• Once a repair is done, we check the item again.

Can you book my TfL inspection for me?

No. You book it directly with TfL. TfL warns that any third party offering a paid fast-track is acting fraudulently. Our part is to help you prepare the car beforehand.