How do I check a private hire licence in the official register?

You can check this for yourself, free of charge: transport licences — including private hire vehicle licences — are listed in the Ministry of Transport’s Register of Transport Companies and Activities, which is available for public consultation on its website. This is the official source: anything that doesn’t match the register doesn’t exist, no matter what an advert might claim.

The mini-tutorial:

• 1 · Go to the register’s public search tool on the Ministry of Transport’s website (search for ‘Register of Transport Companies and Activities’).
• 2 · Search by the holder’s tax identification number (NIF) or by the registration number of the associated vehicle. You do not need a digital certificate for a basic search.
• 3 · Read the authorisation details: class (private hire vehicles appear under their own code, distinct from taxis or goods transport), status (valid, suspended, etc.), province of registration and registered vehicle.

What you should check before proceeding with a purchase:

• That the registered holder matches the person selling to you (or the company whose powers of attorney they show you). If the person signing is not the registered holder, this discrepancy must be resolved with supporting documents, not just explanations.
• That the licence is valid and registered in the province stated in the advert — remember that territorial jurisdiction applies in terms of value.
• That the assigned vehicle is the one shown to you, if the transaction includes a car.

The register provides you with the official photograph; what it does not provide are any encumbrances, pending penalties or outstanding fines. That’s what the full document verification is for: at VTC360, the basic verification of each certified licence cross-checks ownership, encumbrances, validation and penalties — and the income certificate adds the verified monthly statement. If the advert you’re looking at doesn’t even pass the registration check, you already have your answer: the warning signs almost always give you a heads-up.