1. What do I need to do to become a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle driver and how much will it cost?

You must apply to the council for a licence. To apply for the licence you need to submit:

• A completed application form
• A current DVLA Driving Licence (photo-card and paper copy)
• Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) disclosure application – NEW & 3 YEAR RENEWAL
• £36 fee for the CRB disclosure application (the CRB application takes approximately 4-6 weeks to process and for the disclosure to be returned)
• Group 2 Medical examination certificate
• 2 current passport photographs
• £68.25 application fee

2. How much does my medical examination certificate cost? Who pays? Where do I get it from?

There is no fixed fee for the medical examination certificate as it is arranged on an individual basis between the applicant and their doctor.

It is up to the applicant to pay for the medical examination.

3. How long is my medical valid for?

A Group 2 medical examination certificate is normally valid up until the age of 45 and then needs to be renewed every 5 years up to the age of 65. Certificates are only valid for one year for drivers over this age. The medical examination must meet the medical standards that apply to all other public service vehicle drivers. These are described in the DVLA publication 'At a glance Guide to the current Medical Standards of fitness to drive' as Group Two.

4. What is a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure and how long is my Criminal Records Bureau disclosure valid for?

A Criminal Records Bureau disclosure gives details of an applicant's criminal record, if any. For licensing purposes it is valid at the time of issue only. The council requires drivers to have a CRB check every other year and it is part of the ‘Fit and Proper Persons Test’ to hold a licence.

5. Will a drink-driving offence affect the outcome of a licence application?

Each application will be considered on its merits. However, council guidelines state that where the applicant has been disqualified from driving for a single offence involving drinking, a licence will not normally be issued until the applicant has, since the expiry of the period of disqualification, held a full driving licence for a continuous period of four years without further conviction. The four year period is liable to be extended if more than one drink driving offence has been committed and the convictions are never regarded as spent as the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to Taxi & Private Hire drivers.

6. What is the policy regarding conviction?

Please read this carefully before making your declarations and signing a driver’s licence application form.

The job of Hackney Carriage & Private Hire driver is exempted from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This means that  all formal cautions, convictions and any pending matters due before the courts must be disclosed.

If you fail to disclose a relevant matter in your application then it will normally be refused and you can also be prosecuted for making a false declaration.

7. If I have a criminal record am I prevented from obtaining a licence?

Each application will be considered on its own merits, however a licence may not normally be granted where the applicant has been convicted of an offence of dishonesty, violence, a sexual offence or an offence relating to alcohol, drugs or noxious substances ('a relevant offence') and has not yet been rehabilitated in respect of that offence. Where the conviction is not in respect of a 'relevant offence' and the offence is not of a nature which would have any bearing on whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a drivers licence, then normally such a conviction will be disregarded. Where the conviction would otherwise be 'spent' but for subsequent conviction and that subsequent conviction falls within the scope of a 'non-relevant offence', then both convictions may normally be disregarded.

8. If I have been disqualified from driving at some time in the past, am I prevented from obtaining a licence?

Each application will be considered on its individual merits. However, council guidelines state that where the applicant has been disqualified from driving, but the offences and conviction leading to disqualification do not relate to drinking, a licence will not normally be issued until four years have elapsed since the conviction and the applicant has held a full driving licence for a continuous period of three years without further conviction.

9. Are motoring convictions or penalty points taken into consideration?

Yes but this depends upon when the convictions occurred, the frequency with which they occurred, if there is more than one offence and the severity of the offence. Council guidelines state as follows:

It is common on motoring offences for a fine to be imposed as well as penalty points endorsed on the licence. However, under the Road Traffic Offenders Act, 1988, penalty points are only taken into account for a period of three years, commencing with the date of the offence in respect of which they were imposed. Up to a total of six current penalty points on an applicant's DVLA licence for one or more motoring convictions will generally be accepted as satisfactory for the purpose of granting a licence. However, other unspent convictions may be taken into consideration if the applicant's driving record has been poor.

All new applicants after 01 May 2009 will have to pass the DSA driving assessment for Taxi & Private Hire Drivers. Existing drivers applying to renew their licences who acquire 6 or more penalty points on their DVLA licence during the term of their taxi or private hire driver licence will have to take the Driving Standards Agency driving test, for hackney carriage and private hire drivers, at their own expense. This is to prove that they are still 'Fit and Proper' to hold a licence. Subject to the applicant passing the test a licence will be granted.

10. What is involved in the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) driving test?

The DSA conducts all driving tests for road users. The test, which has to be taken in this instance, is specifically for taxi and private hire drivers. The test consists of a DVLA driving test, questions about the vehicle used for the test, questions about the local area, and a running commentary being given on the drive back to the test centre, simulating a taxi driver-passenger situation.

11. How long is my hackney carriage/private hire drivers licence valid for?

Hackney carriage and the private hire driver licences are valid for one year and are renewable prior to expiry.

12. Is there a restriction on the number of hackney carriage or private hire drivers licences available?

There are no restrictions for hackney carriage or private hire drivers licences.

13. Is there a minimum and maximum age for drivers?

An applicant must have held a full driving licence for a minimum of 1 year prior to applying.

14. How long will it take to obtain a driver's licence?

The council processes applications as quickly as possible but the speed at which an application can be processed is affected by the speed at which other bodies work, such as the Criminal Records Bureau and the Driving Standards Agency. The council is also reliant upon how quickly the applicant supplies their medical certificate. Taking the above into consideration and the fact that each application is considered on its own merits, an estimate of the length of time taken to complete the processing of an application is approximately 4-8 weeks.