Hackney carriage licence

Hackney carriage vehicles, more commonly known as ‘taxis’, are vehicles with 8 or less seats, which can be hired in the following ways:

• be hailed by a member of the public in the street
• from taxi ranks
• be pre-booked

Hackney carriages (and their drivers) which work in Somerset, must be licensed by us. To be granted a licence, a vehicle must:

• have passed an MOT
• have passed the Council’s own taxi and private hire vehicle test at a nominated testing station

All hackney carriages must be fitted with meters, to calculate the fare that the customer pays at the end of the journey.

Private hire vehicle licence

Private hire vehicles are vehicles with eight or less seats that are hired by being booked in advance. This includes contracted work, like school transport. They cannot be hailed by a member of the public in the street or picked up from a taxi rank.

Private hire vehicles (their drivers and operators) which work in Somerset, must be licensed by us. To be granted a licence, a vehicle must:

• meet the Council’s requirements
• have passed an MOT
• have passed the Council’s own taxi and private hire vehicle test at a nominated testing station

Apply

For more information on vehicle requirements and how to apply, please select the area of Somerset where you intend to work.

Fees and Charges

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