If you’ve left something in a taxi in Birmingham, contact the company or driver you travelled with as soon as you can. For a pre-booked private hire car, that means the operator who took your booking. Birmingham City Council’s licensing rules require drivers to search their vehicle after every journey, and to hand in anything left behind. The sooner you call, the better your chances.
This guide explains who to contact for a private hire car, a black cab or a booking app. It lists what to tell them, what to do about phones, cards and passports, and how to avoid losing things in future.
Left something in a taxi in Birmingham? Do this first
- Note the date, the pick-up time and the route as soon as you can.
- Find your booking confirmation, receipt or app trip history.
- Phone the operator or booking company, not just the driver.
- For a phone, call it and use your device’s find-my-phone service.
- Secure any bank card or passport straight away (see below).
- Keep a note of who you spoke to and any reference number.
Speed matters because drivers move on to new journeys. If you act on the same day, the driver is more likely to remember the car and the passengers.
Who to contact: private hire, black cab or app
| How you travelled | Who to contact first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-booked private hire car | The operator you booked with | The operator keeps records of journeys and drivers |
| Black cab from a rank or the street | The driver or cab company, if you know it; otherwise West Midlands Police | There’s usually no booking record |
| App-based ride | The app’s lost property option, or the company | The trip history shows the driver and car |
Pre-booked private hire cars
Private hire cars in Birmingham must be booked through a licensed operator, and the operator must keep records of every journey. That makes the operator the best starting point. They can identify the driver and the vehicle from your booking, and they can ask the driver to check the car.
Have your booking reference, pick-up address, pick-up time and destination ready. If you paid by card or received a receipt, keep it to hand. Say clearly if you were one of several passengers, because the driver may have carried other people that day. A precise description of where you sat helps the driver to check the right part of the car.
Black cabs
If you hailed a black cab or picked one up at a rank, there’s no booking record to look up. Check your bank statement or receipt, because a card payment may help identify the cab.
Birmingham City Council’s rules for hackney carriages also cover lost property. Its byelaws say a driver who finds an item must act within 72 hours. They must either return it to the owner and get a receipt, or leave it at a West Midlands police station. The vehicle licence conditions add that left property must reach the nearest police station within three days.
App-based rides
Most booking apps have a lost item option in the trip details. Check your trip history for the driver and the vehicle. If the app doesn’t give you a way to reach the driver, contact the company directly.
For a pre-booked taxi with a booking confirmation that records your journey, you can get a quote online.
What to tell the operator
The more detail you give, the easier it is to match your item to the right car. Prepare these details before you phone:
- Your name and mobile number.
- Date and time of the journey.
- Pick-up point and destination.
- Booking reference, if you have one.
- A clear description of the item, including colour, brand and any marks.
- Where you sat, and if you used the boot.
- Proof of ownership, such as a photo of the item or a receipt.
Ask for a reference number, and ask when you can expect an update. If the item is valuable or urgent, say so at the start of the call.
How Birmingham’s licensing rules help you
Drivers must search the car
Birmingham City Council’s private hire conditions say a driver must search the vehicle after any hire, or as soon as practicable, for property left behind. The same rule appears in the hackney carriage byelaws. Both are in the Council’s hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy. That gives you a reasonable expectation that an item will be found, although it can’t guarantee it.
Items must be handed in quickly
For private hire cars, any property accidentally left in the car must be handed in to a West Midlands Police station as soon as possible. Drivers have 72 hours from finding it, and they must get a receipt. A copy of that receipt goes to the Council within three days.
What the police will hold
West Midlands Police says it takes only certain types of found property, according to its found and returned property page. These include items that may hold personal data, such as phones, computers and tablets. They also include identifiable cash, passports, bank cards, identity cards and driving licences. Other items may not be accepted.
To check whether the police hold something of yours, visit your local station or use the force’s live chat, according to its website. If they have your item, staff will make an appointment and give you a property reference number. Take ID with you, in case you’re asked to prove the item is yours.
Phones, wallets, keys and passports
Phones and laptops
Call your phone first, because the driver may answer. Use your device’s find-my-phone service to see its location, and switch on lost mode if it’s available. Change the passwords for important accounts if you think someone else has the phone. If it’s a work device, tell your employer.
Bank cards and wallets
Use your banking app to freeze a card, or call your bank. Do this even if you think the driver will return the wallet, because it takes only a minute and you can unfreeze the card later. Check your account for any payments you don’t recognise.
Keys
Tell anyone who needs to know, such as your landlord, employer or insurer. If car keys are missing, check if your car has a keyless entry system. Replacing keys can be costly, so it’s worth acting quickly to find them.
Passports and travel documents
GOV.UK says you must cancel a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible. You can do that on its report a lost or stolen passport service, and you’ll need a phone number. The Passport Office’s own form says a cancelled passport must never be used again. If it turns up later, it should go back to HM Passport Office.
Be sure the passport is missing before you cancel it. If you have a flight soon, tell the operator your departure time.
Medication and aids
Medication, glasses and hearing aids are urgent. Tell the operator that you need the item quickly. For lost medication, ask your pharmacist or GP about a replacement.
Left at the airport instead?
Sometimes the item never made it into the taxi, or you left it in the terminal. Birmingham Airport says its lost property service is run by Luggage-Point, and its lost property page explains how to search and collect. Items left on a plane may still be with the airline, and the airport says a retrieval fee applies. Our Birmingham Airport transfers page explains how pick-ups and drop-offs work.
How to avoid leaving things behind
- Check the seat, the footwell, the seat pockets and the boot before you get out.
- Take a photo of your luggage before it goes in the boot.
- Keep your phone and wallet in one pocket or bag, not on the seat.
- Count your bags when you arrive.
- Ask the driver to wait while you check, especially at night.
- Put a name and mobile number on luggage tags.
Late at night, people are more likely to leave things behind. Our guide to late-night taxis in Birmingham explains what to expect after dark.
If you can’t get an answer
Wait for a reasonable time, then follow up and quote your reference number. Suppose a licensed driver or operator hasn’t followed the rules. You can then complain to Birmingham City Council through its taxi and private hire complaints page. The Council deals with licensed drivers and operators in the city.
Keep copies of your messages and any receipts. They help if you need to claim on your insurance, for example for a lost phone or luggage.
Retrace your steps while you wait
While the operator checks, think about where else the item could be. Look through your bag, coat pockets and any place you visited before or after the journey. Phone the pub, hotel, office or restaurant you left, because items are sometimes left there and not in the car. Check your emails for receipts, which can show times and addresses you’ve forgotten.
Searching early also stops you chasing the wrong company. A quick check saves everyone time if the item turns up in your own coat.
Valuable and sentimental items
West Midlands Police’s lost property page separates items by type. It treats items with a serial number differently from items worth more than £500 or with sentimental value, such as heirlooms. If your item falls into one of those groups, tell the operator straight away and check the force’s advice.
Keep any photos, receipts or serial numbers, because they can help prove the item is yours. For jewellery and electronics, check whether your home or travel insurance covers loss.
Staying safe when you collect it
Use the phone number on your booking confirmation or the operator’s official website. Don’t rely on a number from a social media post or a message from someone you don’t know. Arrange collection somewhere safe and public, or ask the operator how they return items. Take ID, because police and operators may ask you to prove ownership.
Items left in a NET Airport Transfers taxi
If you travelled with NET Airport Transfers, contact us with your booking reference, your pick-up and drop-off details and a description of the item. We’ll do our best to help you trace it. Contact us as soon as you notice, and keep your booking confirmation handy.
Pickups across Birmingham and the Midlands
We collect from homes, hotels and offices across the region. That includes pickups through our Birmingham taxi service, as well as from Solihull, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Our coverage area page lists every town we serve.
Book a pre-booked taxi in Birmingham
A pre-booked taxi gives you a booking confirmation with your journey details, which makes it easier to trace anything you leave behind. Book your taxi online, or contact us with your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I call if I left something in a taxi in Birmingham?
For a pre-booked private hire car, call the operator you booked with. With a black cab, contact the cab company or driver if you know them, or ask West Midlands Police.
Do taxi drivers have to hand in lost property in Birmingham?
Yes. Birmingham’s rules say private hire drivers must hand found property to a West Midlands Police station within 72 hours and get a receipt. Black cab drivers must either return it to the owner or hand it in. The byelaws give 72 hours, and the vehicle licence conditions give three days.
Will the police have my lost item?
Maybe. West Midlands Police only records certain items, such as phones, passports and bank cards. Visit your local station or use its live chat to check.
What should I do if I left my phone in a taxi?
Call it, use your device’s find-my-phone service, and tell the operator. Freeze any bank cards linked to it if you think it’s lost.
What if I left my passport in a taxi?
Contact the operator first. If you can’t recover it, report it lost or stolen on GOV.UK. Once you report it, the passport is cancelled and must not be used again.
How soon should I report a lost item?
As soon as you notice. Same-day reports give the operator the best chance of tracing the car and the driver.
