Legal requirements

Permits for minibuses and small vehicles

You will need to operate under a permit where:

• an organisation owns a vehicle
• passengers contribute to the cost of the journey

There are two types of permit for minibuses.

Please see our Factsheets for more details

Driver licensing

For car schemes, you must ensure:

• the driver’s licence is current
• their age and endorsements
• they meet your insurer's requirements

It is no longer the case that everyone who has a license to drive a car is also licensed to drive a minibus.

Please see our Factsheets for more details

Seat belts

Anyone travelling by car must wear a seat belt, unless they have a medical exemption certificate. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure children under 14 wear their seat belts.

Please see our Factsheets for more details

Transporting children

Children must use the correct restraint when travelling in cars or minibuses. The requirements vary depending on the vehicle type.

Please see our Factsheets for more details

• RoSPA – Information on transporting children by car

Data protection

Your service is likely to hold a list of driver or passenger names and addresses. You must comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). This means:

• you must provide a 'Data Protection Statement' on any form where you ask for personal details
• you must keep the data secure
• you must not pass their data to anyone else without the person's consent

For more information about data protection see the Information Commissioner’s Office website.