New right‑to‑work enforcement duties from 1 October

New right‑to‑work requirements for private hire drivers will come into force on 1 October 2026, placing a statutory duty on operators to verify a driver’s immigration status before allowing them to work. The change, confirmed in a recent parliamentary written question and highlighted in sector briefings, represents a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for taxi and private hire licensing.

The Home Office said the expanded Right to Work Scheme will apply to “organisations engaging people to provide work or services under their company name”, explicitly including private hire operators. Ministers noted that relying solely on local authority licensing checks has not provided sufficiently clear accountability when illegal working is identified, particularly in cases involving platform‑based or intermediary business models. Enforcement teams have repeatedly encountered situations where responsibility for preventing illegal working was unclear once drivers began working through operators.

Licensing authorities will continue to carry out right‑to‑work checks as part of the badge‑issuing process, but operators will now be required to complete their own verification before engaging a driver. The new duty is intended to create a shared compliance framework, ensuring that both licensing authorities and operators hold responsibility if illegal working is later detected. The Home Office confirmed it will monitor the impact of the change and publish further assessments as the scheme is implemented.

Sector sources, including industry reporting, have warned that operators who fail to meet the new duty could face civil penalties. The requirement applies to all private hire operators, including large national platforms, which the Home Office identified as presenting particular challenges under the previous system.

The change forms part of wider employment reforms being introduced throughout 2026. Government guidance for employers emphasises the need to update internal processes ahead of statutory changes, including right‑to‑work compliance. For private hire operators, this includes revising onboarding procedures, ensuring staff understand acceptable documentation, and keeping clear records demonstrating compliance. Licensing authorities are expected to issue updated guidance to operators in the coming weeks to support consistent implementation across local areas.