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Taxi or Private Hire driver licence

Includes information on Hackney and Private Hire driver licences

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Introduction

Anyone who drives a hackney carriage (more commonly called a ‘taxi’), or private hire vehicle must hold a hackney carriage or private hire driver’s licence, issued by us.

Applying for a licence involves:

  • providing the results of a medical assessment
  • passing a practical driving test
  • having an enhanced DBS check so officers can consider any criminal convictions, reprimands or warnings
  • having your DVLA driving licence checked for any driving convictions or endorsements
  • proving you have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom
  • being checked against the National Taxi Driver Revocation and Refusals Database (NR3)
  • learning about safeguarding and child exploitation
  • passing a knowledge test to demonstrate you know the local area and understand the rules of being a licensed driver.

Fees and charges

Current fees and charges can be found on our Fees and charges page.

Licence duration

Licences are usually issued to last for 3 years.

We will automatically send you a reminder before your licence is due to expire.

Application process

For a new hackney or private hire driver’s licence you will need to:

Renew or apply for your Driver's Licence

To renew or apply for your Hackney or Private Hire Driver’s licence, use our online form:

Renew or apply for your Hackney or Private Hire Driver's Licence

What happens next

After you have submitted your application, uploaded all the required information and made a payment, we will arrange for you to complete and pay for an online DBS application.

If we grant your licence, we will send it to you along with a driver’s badge.

Knowledge test

To ensure potential drivers have a good working knowledge of the area and of the Highway Code, all new drivers will be required to pass a test of knowledge. This will include questions on:

  • The Highway Code
  • Hackney Carriage and Private Hire legislation
  • Basic numeracy
  • English comprehension
  • Routes and directions

The pass mark is 75%, but there is also a requirement that 75% of the questions in each section are answered correctly. The test is made up of 52 multiple-choice questions and you will have an hour to sit the test.

If you do not pass the first time, you will have to wait 2 weeks to sit the test again. If you fail on the second attempt, you will have to wait a further 2 weeks to re-sit, and if you fail a third time, you will have to wait 6 months before attempting the test again.

For help with the knowledge test, you can visit these websites:

Medical

All new drivers will need a Hackney or Private Hire Driver’s Medical Examination (PDF 2.66MB) by reference to the extant Group II standards of medical fitness applied by the DVLA.

A new medical will need to be submitted on the initial application and then every 5 years on renewal following your 45th birthday (no more than 2 months after turning 45), and then each renewal following your 65th birthday (no more than 2 months after turning 65). We will remind you when your next medical is due.

Disability awareness training

Disability Awareness Training for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles.

We will need you to submit a pass certificate from a recognised training provider to demonstrate that you have attended a suitable course.

Disability awareness training providers:

The organisations listed below can provide Disability Awareness Training:

Safeguarding training

It is a requirement for new applicants to complete safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults training.

Please use the following links to arrange the training. Please provide the certificate with your application.

Driving assessment test

  • We have made an arrangement with Mr Bryan Booth who is a qualified driving instructor. To book your test please contact Bryan Booth directly on 07970 857027.
  • To pass the test, you are not allowed any serious or dangerous faults, and you are only allowed to make a maximum of eight minor faults.
  • The test will last approximately 40 minutes and will be taken in the examiner’s own vehicle.
  • The test will start with an eye test, and you will be required to read a number plate from 20.5 metres.

You will be asked to demonstrate your ability to do the following:

  • a taxi turn chosen by you – for example, a turn in the road, a reverse around a corner or a U-turn
  • an emergency stop
  • a pull away on a hill
  • a pull away on the flat
  • a pull away from behind a parked car,
  • 2 cabology questions,
  • 3 Highway Code questions
  • 4 questions on identification of road signs and markings
  • you will be expected to show good control of the vehicle and excellent observational skills throughout the test.

Disclosure and Barring Service renewal or new

The level of DBS check required for a hackney carriage or private hire badge is Enhanced (other workforce).

To renew your DBS or have your first one completed you will need to provide us with your email address. Once we have this, we then set you up on our third-party company’s website where you will complete an online form.

You will then need to take selected verification documents to the Post Office for them to verify.

The Disclosure and Barring Service check is every 6 months.

If you have signed up for the update service (the update service is where you can register your application or certificate for an annual fee of £13 and we can check the details online) we will check your current certificate online.

If you haven’t signed up for the update service we suggest that you do this so you don’t have to apply for a new certificate for each check DBS Update Service.

Please note that when the online check is carried out, we only see if the information contained on the certificate which is registered with the service is the same, or has changed so it is important that you keep hold of the certificate (especially if was obtained through a different Council or organisation).

We will contact you when a check is required.

Statutory guidance introduced in July 2020 says that licensing authorities should check licence holders via the update service every 6 months and if licence holders are not registered with the update service, they should be subject to a DBS check every 6 months.

Here is a link to the statutory guidance – Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards – GOV.UK.

Change of address

If you are an existing driver you are required to notify us of any changes in address within one week.

Please complete this Change of address form (PDF 206KB) and email it to us.

Lost or damaged driver badge

If you have lost or damaged your driver badge you need to report this to Licensing immediately and apply for a replacement, for which there is charge. Contact us for more details.

Tax conditionality checks for taxi and private hire licence and scrap metal dealers

The government is putting in place new tax requirements for applications for certain licences. This is supported by a new digital service, being developed by HMRC. It helps people in the taxi, private hire and scrap metal industries to complete a new tax check.

Most people are registered to pay tax, and this is about ensuring everyone pays the tax they should, creating a level playing field for the compliant majority. HMRC is working with industry bodies to make this as straightforward as possible. The check should take a few minutes every few years and is simply to confirm that someone is appropriately registered for tax.

You will need to complete a tax check when you renew your licence as a:

  • the driver of a taxi (hackney carriage)
  • driver of a private hire vehicle (and dual licences)
  • private hire vehicle operator
  • scrap metal dealer mobile collector
  • scrap metal dealer site.

About the tax check

You will be able to complete this tax check on GOV.UK, through your Government Gateway account. You will only need to answer a few questions to tell HMRC how you pay any tax that may be due on income you earn from your licensed trade. If you do not already have a Government Gateway account, you can sign up on GOV.UK.

The tax check should only take a few minutes. There will be guidance on GOV.UK and anyone who needs extra support will be able to complete the tax check by phone through HMRC’s customer helpline.

When you have completed the tax check, you will get a code. You must write the code in the relevant section on the application form. We cannot proceed with your licence application or renewal until the tax check is completed and they have received the code.

We will only receive confirmation from HMRC that you have completed the tax check, we will not have access to information about your tax affairs.

How the changes may affect you – The Blue Lamp Trust

What you need to do will depend on whether you are applying for a licence for the first time or whether you are making a subsequent application, such as renewing a licence.

  • Getting a new licence: If you are applying for a licence for the first time, you will not need to complete the tax check. However, licensing bodies will ask you to read HMRC guidance on what you need to do to be properly registered for tax in the future and you will need to confirm you have done this.
  • Renewing a licence: From 4 April 2022, if you renew or apply for a subsequent licence under a different licensing body, you will have to do a tax check. You will be able to do this online through a digital service.

What you need to do

If you have not registered to pay tax on earnings from your licensed trade, please go to GOV.UK to check if you need to register as soon as possible:

If you should have been registered to pay tax and have not been, HMRC will work with you promptly and professionally to get you back on the right track. It is your responsibility to get your tax right, but HMRC is here to help.

You can get help from HMRC if you need extra support, for example if you need information in a different format or need help filling in forms. Visit GOV.UK and search ‘Get help from HMRC if you need extra support.’

Further guidance on the tax check is available on the Changes for taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence applications – GOV.UK page.

Where to obtain a tax check code

Please visit the following website to obtain your tax check code.

Complete a tax check for a taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence – GOV.UK

The tax check code is valid for 120 days and will contain 9 characters. Please write the code in the section for this on the application form.

Guidance for new applicants

New applicants will need to confirm that they have read the guidance available.

Last updated: June 11, 2026

Next review due: December 11, 2026

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