Taxis, Car Seats and Children in London

Published 9 November 2026 · By the Guide to London editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

In a licensed London taxi or minicab, a child may legally travel without a car seat if the driver does not provide one, but only on a rear seat: children aged 3 or older must then wear the adult seat belt, and children under 3 may travel without a belt at all. The law allows this for practical reasons, not because it is safe, so if you are travelling with a baby or toddler the better plan is to bring your own seat or book a car that has one.

Outside taxis and minicabs, British law is strict. Children must normally use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first. The taxi exemption exists because a black cab driver picking someone up in the street cannot carry a seat for every age of child. It does not tell you that a seat is unnecessary.

This page covers the rule, the difference between a black cab and a minicab, and how to get a car with a suitable seat. For the wider picture of a family trip to London and moving around with small children, see our guides to London with a toddler and London with a baby.

What the law actually says

GOV.UK's guide to child car seats sets out the exemption in one sentence: if the driver does not provide the correct child car seat, children can travel without one, but only on a rear seat, wearing an adult seat belt if they are 3 or older, and without a seat belt if they are under 3. It applies to licensed taxis and to minicabs, which the law calls private hire vehicles.

The Highway Code's table of seat belt rules says the same in fewer words. For a child under 3 on a rear seat, the correct child restraint must be used, but "if one is not available in a taxi", the child may travel unrestrained. For a child from 3 up to 135cm or 12 years old, the adult belt must be used in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle if the correct restraint is not available.

Three details are easy to miss:

• The exemption is for the rear only. In the front passenger seat of a minicab the normal rule applies, so a child without the correct seat must not sit there.
• The driver is legally responsible for making sure every passenger under 14 is correctly restrained. A passenger aged 14 or over is responsible for their own belt.
• "Unrestrained" means no belt at all. It does not mean sharing an adult's seat belt. A seat belt put around an adult and a baby on their lap is dangerous, and nothing in the exemption suggests it.

Black cabs: everyone sits in the back

In a London black cab, passengers ride in a separate compartment behind a partition, and nobody travels in the front next to the driver. That means every child in a black cab is on a rear seat, which is the condition for the exemption. In practice, a black cab hailed in the street will not have a child seat, and the exemption is what makes the journey legal.

The compartment helps families in other ways. TfL says every black cab is wheelchair accessible, so there is a ramp and a wide floor, and a pushchair can often go in without being folded. There is no extra charge for luggage or for extra passengers, and every cab must accept contactless payment. Our guide to black cabs, minicabs and ride apps covers fares and how to hail one.

If you bring your own child seat, check before you travel that it can be fitted with an ordinary lap-and-diagonal seat belt. GOV.UK says a child car seat must only be used with a belt that has a diagonal strap, unless the seat is designed for a lap belt or is fitted with ISOFIX anchor points, and that a child seat must never be fitted to a side-facing seat.

Minicabs: book the seat with the car

A minicab cannot be hailed in the street; it has to be booked through a licensed operator, by phone, online or in an app. That booking is your chance to ask for a seat. In our observation (November 2026), many London minicab firms, especially those working airport routes, offer child seats or baby seats on request, and some charge a small supplement. The rule is the same as for a black cab: if the car arrives without the seat you asked for, a child may travel in the rear using the exemption, but the front seat is not an option.

When you book, give the information the firm needs to bring the right seat:

• the child's age, height and weight (seats are approved by height under R129 or by weight under ECE R44);
• whether you need a rear-facing baby seat, a forward-facing seat with a harness, or a booster;
• how many children, and how much luggage, because seats take up space in the boot as well as on the seat.

TfL's advice is always to book a minicab and never get into one that pulls up and offers a ride. TfL also runs a licence checker for drivers, vehicles and operators, reached from its taxi and private hire pages, which takes a minute and is worth using when you book with a firm you do not know.

Ride-hailing apps and car seats

Ride-hailing apps work in London as private hire services, so the same exemption applies to their cars, and TfL's licence checker covers their operators and drivers too. What varies is whether the app lets you request a vehicle with a seat. We could not confirm, in November 2026, which apps currently offer a car seat option at a London pickup point, so check the vehicle options in the app before you rely on one, and assume that an ordinary booking will arrive without a seat.

If a car seat matters to you, a traditional minicab firm that takes bookings by phone is often the more reliable route, because you can confirm the seat with a person rather than a menu. Ask for a confirmation in writing.

Airports, long journeys and the honest trade-off

The journey where this matters most is the one from the airport, because it is long, fast and on motorways. A black cab from Heathrow to central London takes 30 to 60 minutes, according to TfL, and costs £70 to £120. Our page on every option from Heathrow to central London compares that with the trains.

Three choices work for families arriving with a baby or toddler:

1. Bring your own seat and use it in the cab or minicab. Airlines set their own rules for carrying a car seat, so check with yours; our guide to flying with children explains how airports screen car seats and pushchairs.
2. Pre-book a minicab with a seat, confirmed in writing, with a meeting point in arrivals.
3. Take the train. No child seat is needed on the Elizabeth line, the Heathrow Express or the Gatwick Express. Children aged 5 to 10 travel free on the Elizabeth line with a fare-paying adult, and Heathrow Express carries children aged 15 and under free. Our page on children's fares in London sets out the age bands.

For short hops in central London, where the cab moves slowly through traffic, most parents use the exemption. For a motorway journey with a baby, we would not.

Hire cars and driving yourself

If you hire a car, none of the taxi exemptions apply to you. You, as the driver, are responsible for every child under 14, and each must have the correct seat until 12 years old or 135cm. Car hire companies rent seats, usually as an extra on the booking; reserve one in advance and check it when you collect the car, because the seat type depends on the child's height or weight.

Two further rules catch visitors out. A rear-facing baby seat must never be fitted in front of an active frontal airbag. And only seats approved under R129 or ECE R44, with the capital E in a circle on the label, can be used in the UK; a seat bought in another country without that label may not be legal here. Our guide to driving in the UK as a visitor covers licences and the other rules of the road.

Coaches, minibuses and the tour bus

On coaches, GOV.UK says children can travel without a child car seat or seat belt if none is available, and coach companies do not have to provide seats. In minibuses, all children must travel in the rear if a child seat or adult belt is not fitted, and children aged 3 or older must use a child seat if one is available or an adult belt otherwise. If you book a private minibus for a family group, ask the operator what seats it can fit.

Ordinary London buses have no seat belts at all, and children ride as other passengers do. Pushchairs have their own rules on buses; our guide to getting around with a pushchair has the details.

When a seat is not available and you need to go

The law also allows a child aged 3 or older to use an adult belt on a journey that is unexpected, necessary and over a short distance, for example an emergency. A child under 3 cannot travel in an ordinary car without the correct seat even then; the only exception is a licensed taxi or minicab, on a rear seat. In a real emergency, call 999. For an urgent but not life-threatening problem with a child, NHS 111 can advise.

Frequently asked questions

Do children need a car seat in a London taxi?

Not legally, if the driver does not provide one. In a licensed taxi or minicab, a child without the correct seat may travel on a rear seat: aged 3 and over with an adult belt, and under 3 without a belt. Safety organisations still advise using a seat whenever you can.

Can a baby sit on my lap in a black cab?

The law allows a child under 3 to travel unrestrained on a rear seat of a licensed taxi when no child seat is available. It does not allow you to put an adult seat belt around yourself and the baby together, which is dangerous. Bringing your own seat is the safer choice.

Can I book a minicab with a child seat in London?

Yes. Many London minicab firms, particularly those that do airport transfers, supply child seats on request, sometimes for a small charge. Give the child's age and weight when you book, and ask for written confirmation.

Can a child sit in the front seat of a minicab?

Only with the correct child seat, until they are 12 or 135cm tall. The taxi and minicab exemption applies to rear seats only. Children over 12 or 135cm must wear the seat belt.

Who gets fined if a child is not in a car seat in a taxi?

The driver is legally responsible for passengers under 14. RoSPA gives the fixed penalty as £100, rising to up to £500 if the case goes to court. Passengers aged 14 and over are responsible for their own seat belts.

Sources

• GOV.UK - Child car seats: the law (checked November 2026)
• GOV.UK - When a child can travel without a car seat (checked November 2026)
• GOV.UK - The Highway Code, rules 99 to 102: seat belts and child restraints (checked November 2026)
• RoSPA Child Car Seats - The law for cars, taxis and private hire vehicles (checked November 2026)
• Transport for London - Taxi fares (checked November 2026)
• Transport for London - Taxis and private hire: licensing and the licence checker (checked November 2026)