Transport & Logistics

Which postal and courier rules apply to you

If you operate or plan to operate a postal or courier business in Great Britain, you must comply with workplace health and safety, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties that bind every employer — plus activity-specific requirements for goods vehicle licensing and postal operator authorisation. This guide introduces the rules and routes you to the detail.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Taxi operator licence in Northern Ireland: how to apply and what you must keep

What you need to start and run a taxi business in Northern Ireland. The Department for Infrastructure licenses operators through the Driver and Vehicle Agency under the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. You also need licensed taxis and licensed drivers, and you must meet conditions on insurance, records and complaints.

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Meet your postal and courier regulatory duties

Postal and courier operators in Great Britain may need a goods vehicle operator's licence if they use vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, and must understand the Ofcom postal authorisation framework. This guide covers both activity-specific regulatory duties.

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Which air transport regulations apply to your business

Running an air transport business — passenger airline, cargo carrier or spaceflight operator — carries a heavy, sector-specific licensing load on top of the usual workplace duties: operating licences, air operator certificates, airworthiness, crew licensing, ATOL protection, passenger rights, dangerous goods and spaceflight licences.

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EV Charging Infrastructure

Install EV chargepoints and access government grants.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Running a commercial drone business

This guide is for any business that flies drones for work. It covers the Operator ID and Flyer IDs you need, the Open and Specific categories, Operational Authorisations, pilot qualifications and third-party insurance. It also sets out the checks to make before every flight.

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Open, Specific and Certified drone categories explained

UK drone rules sort every flight into the Open, Specific or Certified category according to how much risk it carries. This guide explains what each category allows, what moves work from Open into Specific, how PDRA01 and UK SORA differ, and why a crop-spraying drone needs a UK SORA-based Operational Authorisation.

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UK drone class marks, Remote ID and registration dates

Check in one table which UK drone rules have applied since 1 January 2026 and which apply from 1 January 2028. It covers UK class marks, EU C-class drones, Remote ID, the General VLOS Certificate, Operator ID and Flyer ID.

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Vehicle excise duty and HGV Levy for goods vehicles

Current VED rates for heavy goods vehicles by weight band and axle configuration, and the status of the HGV Road User Levy.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Transporting Dangerous Goods (ADR)

Comply with ADR regulations for transporting dangerous goods by road.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Compliance for van and light goods vehicle operators

What applies when operating vans and light goods vehicles under 3.5 tonnes. Vans do not need an operator licence but must meet motor insurance, MOT, road tax, Clean Air Zone, driving licence, and loading requirements under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Clean Air Zones and emission requirements for goods vehicles

How Clean Air Zones affect goods vehicle operators. Covers the CAZ classification framework, current zones and charges by vehicle type, Euro emission standards, London LEZ/ULEZ/Congestion Charge, and options for managing compliance costs.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

DVSA Enforcement and Your Operator Compliance Risk Score

Understand how DVSA uses the Operator Compliance Risk Score to target enforcement, what Green, Amber and Red ratings mean for your business, and practical steps to improve your score through better compliance.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Facing a Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry

What triggers a Traffic Commissioner public inquiry, how to prepare your case, whether you need legal representation, what outcomes to expect, and how to give yourself the best chance of keeping your operator licence.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Insurance for goods vehicle operators

What insurance goods vehicle operators need. Covers mandatory motor fleet insurance under the Road Traffic Act 1988, goods in transit cover, CMR liability for international carriage, and when to move from individual policies to a fleet policy.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Taxi and private hire licences and insurance: what you need

Check which licences your council requires and the hire and reward insurance for paying passengers. London, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

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Apply for your taxi or private hire licences

Apply for the licences that fit your role: driver, vehicle owner or operator. The order suits an owner-driver. London, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.

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Choose your taxi or private hire business model

Decide between a taxi, a private hire vehicle and taking bookings before you apply. Your choice sets your licences and how you work with drivers.

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Duties to passengers for taxi and private hire drivers

Know your duties to disabled passengers, including wheelchair users and people with assistance dogs, and the limits on what you can charge.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Register and operate a sea-going ship

If you operate sea-going passenger or cargo ships on coastal or international voyages, you must register the ship on the UK Ship Register, have it surveyed and certified by the MCA, operate a safety management system under the ISM Code, mark a load line, and meet the dangerous-goods, security and environmental regimes. This guide covers the regimes specific to sea-going ships, on top of the universal workplace duties in the spine guide. Crewing and seafarer certification are covered separately.

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Crewing and seafarer certification

If you crew a ship and employ seafarers, your masters, officers and ratings must hold MCA certificates of competency to the STCW standard and a valid ENG1 medical fitness certificate, your ship must meet its safe-manning document, radio operators need GMDSS certification, and you must meet the seafarer-employment standards of the Maritime Labour Convention. This guide covers the crewing and certification regime, on top of the universal workplace duties in the spine guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Run passenger or freight services on inland and categorised waters

If you run trip boats, passenger launches, ferries or freight barges on canals, rivers, estuaries and harbours, you need a licence from the relevant navigation authority and a Boat Safety Scheme certificate, your vessel must meet the inland-waterway technical standards, passenger services need a domestic safety-management or categorised-waters passenger certificate, and the person in charge needs a boatmaster's licence. This guide covers the inland and categorised-waters regime, on top of the universal workplace duties in the spine guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Run a bus or coach business: licensing and compliance

If you run local bus services, scheduled routes or coach and charter operations, you need a public service vehicle (PSV) operator licence from the Traffic Commissioner, your drivers need the Driver CPC, your vehicles must meet accessibility standards, and local bus services must be registered. This guide covers the regimes specific to passenger road transport, on top of the universal workplace duties in the spine guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Freight forwarding and customs: representation, warehousing and dangerous goods

If you forward freight, clear goods through customs on behalf of others, or run a bonded warehouse, you may act as a customs representative, hold customs warehousing authorisation from HMRC, and — if you move dangerous goods — appoint a dangerous goods safety adviser. This guide covers the customs and dangerous-goods regimes specific to freight forwarding, on top of the universal warehouse duties in the spine guide.

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Support activities for transport: ports, airports and rail

If you handle cargo or run support services at a port, airport or rail terminal — stevedoring, ground handling, terminal operations — the duties depend on the mode you support. Harbour authority duties and port security apply at ports, aviation security and economic regulation at airports, and the rail safety regime at rail terminals and stations. This guide covers the mode-support regimes, on top of the universal warehouse duties in the spine guide. Answer only the section for the mode(s) you support.

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Operate a pipeline: safety and environmental duties

If you transport products by pipeline, you must notify the HSE before construction, run a written safety management system, and — if you handle hazardous substances above the thresholds — meet the COMAH major-accident regime. Discharges and emissions from pipeline operations also need an environmental permit. This guide covers the pipeline-specific regimes on top of the universal workplace duties in the spine guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Run a rail operation: licensing and safety

If you operate passenger or freight trains, or use the rail network, you need a licence and safety certificate or authorisation from the Office of Rail and Road, an approved track access agreement, and — if you carry dangerous goods — RID compliance. This guide covers the rail-specific regimes on top of the universal workplace duties in the spine guide.

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Land transport compliance checklist

A checklist for land transport businesses — road haulage, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and pipelines. Section 1 applies to every operator; the remaining sections are conditional — work through only the one(s) that match your operation.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Warehousing and transport support compliance checklist

A checklist for warehousing and transport-support businesses — storage and cold stores, freight forwarding and customs, and cargo handling at ports, airports and rail. Section 1 applies to every operator; the remaining sections are conditional — work through only the one(s) that match your operation.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Water transport compliance checklist

A checklist for water transport businesses — sea-going passenger and cargo ships, crewing and seafarer certification, and inland and categorised-waters vessels. Section 1 applies to every operator; the remaining sections are conditional — work through only the one(s) that match your operation.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Which warehousing and transport support rules apply to your business

Warehousing and transport support cover two related kinds of business — storing goods (warehousing, cold storage, fulfilment) and the support activities that keep transport moving (freight forwarding and customs, cargo handling at ports, airports and rail terminals). Each has its own regulator and regime, on top of the workplace duties they all share. Work out which description fits your business and follow the right guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Which water transport rules apply to your business

Water transport spans very different businesses — sea-going passenger and cargo ships, canal and river trip boats and ferries on inland and categorised waters, and the freight that moves on them — each with its own certification regime, on top of the workplace duties they all share. Work out which description fits your business and follow the right guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.

Which land transport rules apply to your business

Land transport covers very different businesses — road haulage, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and pipelines — each with its own regulator and licensing regime, on top of the workplace duties they all share. Work out which description fits your business and follow the right guide.

Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.