PSV operator licence check: bus, coach and minibus operators

To check a bus, coach or minibus operator's PSV licence, search its name or licence number (it starts with P) on GOV.UK's "Find lorry or bus operators" service or on HaulierScope. Confirm the status is valid, the licence is standard if it runs a coach business, and the vehicles authorised cover the coaches you are booking.

A PSV (public service vehicle) operator licence is the passenger version of the goods operator licence. Schools, clubs, event organisers and travel firms who book coaches can check one in a couple of minutes. This guide covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own system.

Check a PSV operator now

Run a free operator licence check by operator name or P licence number on HaulierScope, or on GOV.UK's Find lorry or bus operators service, which covers both "heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)" and "public service vehicles (PSVs)".

Steps:

1. Get the licence number. Ask the operator, or read it from the disc in the coach. A PSV disc shows "the licence type, the licence holder's name and number, the disc serial number and the date the disc expires", and must be readable from outside the vehicle (GOV.UK PSV guide).
2. Search it. PSV numbers start with P, then a letter for the traffic area, for example PD for the West Midlands. Example record: /licence/pd0001760. See operator licence numbers.
3. Match the name to the company on your booking and invoice.
4. Read the status. Valid is what you want. Curtailed or suspended means a traffic commissioner has acted.
5. Read the type and vehicle count against the table below.

There are 5,069 PSV operator licences in the DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 October 2026: 2,183 standard national, 1,688 standard international and 1,198 restricted. The median PSV licence authorises 4 vehicles.

PSV licence types

GOV.UK says "there are 4 types of PSV operator licences, plus special licensing rules in London" (GOV.UK). The type tells you how big and what kind of business the operator may run.

Sources: PSV operator licences and the PSV operator licensing guide. "The maximum number of vehicles that may be authorised under a restricted licence is two." Restricted licence holders do not need a transport manager, but "the level of compliance required is no less."

Special restricted licences are not in the DVSA open data file, so they do not appear on HaulierScope.

London has extra rules: "You'll need a London Service Permit to run a private bus or coach service in London" (GOV.UK).

Who needs a PSV operator licence

You need one to "operate a vehicle for hire or reward (payment or payment in kind) that can carry 9 or more passengers", or to "operate a smaller vehicle carrying passengers and charging separate fares for the journey" (GOV.UK).

"Hire or reward" is wide. It means "any payment in cash or kind which gives a person the right to be carried… regardless of whether or not a profit is made", and includes indirect payment such as club fees, hotel beds, school fees or concert tickets (PSV guide).

Operator licence vs PSV driving licence

A PSV operator licence and a bus driving licence are different things. The operator licence authorises a business to run passenger vehicles. The driving licence category authorises a person to drive them.

On the driving side, category D1 covers vehicles with "no more than 16 passenger seats" and "a maximum length of 8 metres", and category D covers "any bus with more than 8 passenger seats" (GOV.UK driving licence categories). The operator must make sure its drivers hold the right licence and carry out regular licence checks, "usually every 3 months" (PSV guide).

Checking a coach company before you book

Use this checklist when you book a coach or minibus with a driver.

A restricted licence cannot cover more than two vehicles, and 9 to 16 seat vehicles only outside a passenger transport business. A firm running a fleet of 50-seat coaches on a restricted licence is outside it. In the DVSA file dated 7 October 2026, the median standard national PSV licence authorised 5 vehicles and the median standard international licence 8.

The register does not show safety records. DVSA's Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) is not published and is not in the open data. Ask the operator about its maintenance arrangements.

To see whether a traffic commissioner has acted against a PSV operator, read the weekly PSV Notices and Proceedings for its traffic area. For an overview of what statuses mean, read curtailed, suspended and revoked licences. Our weekly changes report lists new and changed licences each time DVSA publishes a file, and our methodology explains the data source.

Section 19 and 22 permits

Some community and not-for-profit groups carry passengers without a PSV operator licence. Section 19 and 22 permits are for organisations providing transport "without a view to profit" that meet strict criteria. They "allow the holder to operate transport services for hire or reward without the need for a full public service vehicle (PSV) operator's licence" (PSV guide).

Section 19 permits serve "education, religion, social welfare, or recreation"; section 22 permits allow "community bus services for the public" (STC statutory document summaries). Permits are not operator licences and are not in the DVSA licence file. Our section 19 and 22 permits guide explains who can hold one and what it costs. GOV.UK publishes a weekly-updated list of section 19 and 22 permits.

PSV licences by traffic area

Every PSV licence number carries its traffic area in the second letter. In the DVSA file dated 7 October 2026, the North Western area (PC) holds the most PSV licences and the Welsh area (PG) the fewest.

Our guide to operator licence numbers links to each area's page. To browse operators near you, start from the West Midlands or any other area hub. For how PSV licences compare with goods licences, see operator licence types.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a PSV operator's licence?

You need a PSV operator licence if you run a vehicle for hire or reward that can carry 9 or more passengers, or a smaller vehicle carrying passengers at separate fares. Hire or reward covers any payment in cash or kind that gives someone the right to be carried, even with no profit. Some not-for-profit groups use section 19 or 22 permits instead.

How to get a PSV operator's licence?

Apply online through GOV.UK at least nine weeks before you need the licence; GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 7 weeks. You must show financial standing, a suitable operating centre and, for a standard licence, a qualified transport manager. Financial standing is £8,000 for the first vehicle and £4,500 for each extra one on a standard licence, or £3,100 and £1,700 on a restricted licence.

How to check operator license?

Search the operator's name or licence number on GOV.UK's free "Find lorry or bus operators" service, or on HaulierScope. PSV licence numbers start with P and goods licence numbers with O. Check that the holder's name matches your booking, the status is valid, the licence type fits the work and the vehicles authorised cover what you need.

Can I drive a bus without a PSV licence?

You need the right driving licence category to drive a bus: D1 for minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats and D for buses with more than 8 passenger seats. That is separate from the PSV operator licence, which the business needs to run vehicles for hire or reward. Check both: the operator's licence on the register and the driver's entitlement with the operator.