Do I need taxi insurance if my badge is from Wolverhampton?

Yes. Any driver carrying paying passengers for a living needs hire and reward cover, whichever authority issued the badge. It is the work you do that decides the insurance, not the council that licensed you.

Are taxis and private hire vehicles charged in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone?

Yes. Birmingham operates a Class D Clean Air Zone, the most comprehensive class, and it includes both taxis and private hire vehicles alongside cars, vans, minibuses, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles.

What emissions standard avoids the Birmingham Clean Air Zone charge?

A taxi, private hire vehicle or car needs to meet Euro 6 if it is diesel, or Euro 4 if it is petrol. Ultra low emission vehicles are exempt nationally, as are vehicles retrofitted with technology accredited under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme. Standards and exemptions change, so check your own vehicle on the government vehicle checker.

Is the Birmingham Clean Air Zone the same as the London ULEZ?

No, and the difference matters if you work in both. London-licensed taxis are exempt from the ULEZ while private hire vehicles are not. Birmingham's Class D zone charges both.

Why do so many Birmingham drivers hold a Wolverhampton badge?

Wolverhampton licenses private hire vehicles at a far higher rate than anywhere else. Department for Transport figures for 2024 show 109 licensed private hire vehicles per 1,000 people, five times more than any other licensing authority, where the figure sits below 20.

Does Zego cover Hackney carriage drivers as well as private hire?

Yes. Zego taxi insurance is built for private hire and Hackney carriage drivers, including those working through platforms like Uber and Bolt.

Can I get taxi insurance for a month?

Yes. Choose Monthly (30 days) or Annual (12 months) cover. Monthly suits drivers between operators or waiting on a plate. Annual suits taxi work as your main income.

Birmingham taxi insurance

Cover for Birmingham taxi and private hire drivers, whichever authority badged you.

Get a quote in minutes and pick the cover that fits how you drive.

Hire and reward cover for taxi and private hire work
Birmingham or Wolverhampton badge, same cover
Monthly or annual policies

Get a quote

Driving a taxi in Birmingham? Get a personalised quote in a few minutes

Get a quote

Taxi insurance in Birmingham

Taxi and private hire drivers need hire and reward cover, meaning insurance to carry paying passengers for a living. Standard car insurance will not cover that work.

Birmingham is unusual in that many drivers working here are licensed by another authority, most often Wolverhampton. That changes where you go for your badge and your plate. It does not change the cover you need.

Zego covers private hire drivers, whether you take pre-booked work through Uber or Bolt.
See our private hire insurance page for how cover works across the UK.

Choose your cover level

Two levels, in plain English, for Birmingham taxi drivers

Third Party Only
The legal minimum. Covers damage or injury you cause to other people, their vehicles and their property. It will not cover your own car.
Fully Comprehensive
The highest level of protection. You get everything a third party policy gives you, plus cover against theft or damage to your own vehicle. You can add optional extras on top.

How your cover works

Monthly or annual. Choose Monthly (30 days) or Annual (12 months) cover. Monthly suits drivers between operators or waiting on a plate. Annual suits taxi work as your main income.
How your price works. Pick a Sense policy, our app-based telematics insurance, and good driving is recognised at renewal. Prefer something traditional? There is a non-telematics option.
Rewards. On a Sense policy you get points for driving well and swap them for gift cards from brands like Amazon, Tesco and Greggs.
Everything in the app. Documents, certificates and support, a few taps away.

Driving in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone

This one goes by where you drive, not where you are licensed. Every driver working in the city is in scope.

Taxis and private hire are both charged. Birmingham runs a Class D Clean Air Zone, the most comprehensive class. It covers taxis and private hire vehicles alongside cars, vans, minibuses, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles.
Not the same as London. London-licensed taxis are exempt from the ULEZ and only private hire pays. Birmingham charges both. Worth knowing if you work across cities or read a national guide.
The standard that avoids a charge. A taxi, private hire vehicle or car needs to meet Euro 6 if it is diesel, or Euro 4 if it is petrol.
Automatic exemptions. Ultra low emission vehicles are exempt nationally. So are vehicles retrofitted with technology accredited under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme.
Check your own vehicle. Standards and exemptions change. Use the government vehicle checker before you buy a car or plan your week.

Birmingham or Wolverhampton badge

If you are deciding where to get licensed, or wondering why so many drivers around you hold a Wolverhampton badge, the official numbers explain it.
Department for Transport figures for 2024 put Wolverhampton at 109 licensed private hire vehicles per 1,000 people. That is five times more than any other licensing authority in England and Wales, where the figure sits below 20.
Wolverhampton issues driver, vehicle and operator licences, and applications are made online. Birmingham has its own requirements and one distinctive feature: every licensed taxi in the city is wheelchair accessible.
Either way the cover you need is the same, and we insure drivers licensed by authorities across the UK.

Why Zego?

Most taxi cover you’ll find online is a broker or an aggregator passing you to someone else. Zego is different. We underwrite our own taxi insurance, so the cover, the app and the support all come from the same place.
Upload your insurance certificate to Uber, Bolt and FreeNow in seconds, straight from the app. No waiting, no back and forth.
Pick app-based telematics insurance, where good driving is recognised, or keep things traditional with a non-telematics policy. Your call.
With a telematics policy you get points for driving well and swap them for gift cards from brands like Amazon, Tesco and Greggs. Up to £60 a year.
Documents, certificates and support, all a few taps away.

Two ways to get covered

Both products cover you for work and personal driving. That’s Hire and Reward (H&R) plus Car Insurance (SD&P) cover in one simple insurance policy.

Sense telematics
App-based telematics insurance that looks at how smoothly you drive, helping you get rewards throughout the year and build a renewal price that reflects how you actually drive.
- 17% upfront discount on your policy.
- Better renewal prices for good driving.
- Access to Zego Rewards.
- Instant certificate upload to Uber, Bolt & Freenow.
- Also includes food & parcel delivery.
- Choose Monthly (30 days) or Annual (12 months) cover.
Get a Sense quote
Standard
Straightforward, reliable private hire insurance. No telematics app required – just pick your cover level, choose your payment option, and you're ready to go.
- Instant certificate upload to Uber, Bolt & Freenow.
- Also includes food & parcel delivery.
- Single or monthly payment options available.
- Choose Monthly (30 days) or Annual (12 months) cover.
Get a Standard quote

Birmingham taxi insurance questions

Clean Air Zone information on this page was correct as at 30 July 2026 and is taken from GOV.UK. Charges, standards and exemptions can change, so check your vehicle on the government vehicle checker before you rely on it.

Licensing information is taken from GOV.UK and City of Wolverhampton Council and was correct as at 30 July 2026. Requirements can change, so check with your licensing authority before you apply.

“Up to £60 a year” refers to Zego Rewards gift cards available on telematics policies.