All London: the green badge
An All London driver can be hailed, and can ply for hire, anywhere in Greater London. The Knowledge for it is the one most people mean: all 320 Blue Book runs, every point within a quarter of a mile of each end, the self-assessment, the written exam, three stages of appearances and the final exam on the suburban routes. In September 2026, 14,196 of London's taxi drivers held All London licences.
Suburban: the yellow badge
A Suburban driver is licensed for one of nine sectors, each a group of outer London boroughs, and can be hailed only there. Plying for hire outside it is an offence. In September 2026, 1,506 drivers held Suburban licences.
| Sector | Boroughs |
|---|---|
| 1 | Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest |
| 2 | Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge |
| 3 | Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham |
| 4 | Bromley |
| 5 | Croydon |
| 6 | Merton, Sutton |
| 7 | Hounslow, Kingston, Richmond |
| 8 | Ealing, Hillingdon |
| 9 | Barnet, Brent, Harrow |
How the Suburban Knowledge differs
- There is no self-assessment and no written exam.
- You learn your sector's own runs, and every point within half a mile of each end, rather than a quarter. How many runs depends on the size of the sector, and you have up to a year to learn them.
- Appearances at Stages 3 to 5 ask about your sector. Stage 5 may also ask the main places in the sectors next to yours, because every taxi driver must accept a hiring of up to 12 miles within Greater London, or 20 from Heathrow.
- The final exam asks routes from a major rank in your sector to a major transport hub, and ten central London points from a list you are given at the end of Stage 5. You also need the way to Heathrow and London City Airport.
Moving up later
A licensed Suburban driver can add sectors, or become All London, by doing the full Knowledge for the extra area. It does not need a new application.
Which to choose
All London takes longer and asks more, and it is the licence most of the trade holds. Suburban is a smaller Knowledge, and it suits a driver who means to work where they live. Either way, the badge is worn while working: green for All London, yellow for Suburban, with your badge number across the middle.
Questions about this
- What is the difference between a green and a yellow badge?
- Is the Suburban Knowledge easier?
- Can a yellow badge taxi driver work anywhere in London?