Avoiding Illegal Taxis
Most Hong Kong taxis are licensed and safe, but travelers are occasionally approached by unlicensed drivers at arrivals — here's how to tell the difference.
What a licensed taxi looks like
Visible taxi license disc
A genuine licensed taxi displays a driver identity plate and license disc, usually on the dashboard, visible from outside the car.
One of three official colors
Red, green, or blue — see our taxi colors guide. A car that doesn't match these colors and markings is not a licensed Hong Kong taxi.
A working, visible meter
A legitimate metered taxi has a meter mounted and running, visible to the passenger — no meter is a warning sign.
Never accept an unsolicited approach
If someone approaches you inside or just outside the arrivals hall offering a ride before you've asked, that's a red flag — walk to the official taxi queue instead.
FAQ
We send you the plate number in advance — only get into a car matching that plate. If someone approaches you claiming to be your driver without matching details, message us to confirm before getting in.
Licensed taxi queues at Hong Kong International Airport are marshalled and orderly — drivers don't need to solicit passengers directly. Treat an unsolicited approach with caution and head to the official taxi rank or your pre-arranged pickup point instead.
If you're not comfortable, ask to be let out at a safe, public location and contact us or the official taxi rank instead.
Why this matters more for pre-booked pickups
If you've pre-booked with us, only accept a car with the plate number we send you — never an unrelated driver who approaches you claiming to be your pickup. We will only ever confirm details through the WhatsApp conversation you already had with us, never by someone flagging you down in person.
If in doubt at any point, message us directly on WhatsApp to confirm your driver's details before getting in.