Private hire driver licensing

Courier fraud leaflet(PDF) [187 kb]

Private hire is the provision of a vehicle and driver to undertake a journey carrying passengers from one location to another for a fee. In order for a legitimate booking to be accepted the journey must be booked in advance. It must be with a licensed private hire operator and fulfilled using a licensed private hire vehicle and licensed private hire driver. All licences must be in place and issued by the same authority.

The current fees private hire driver licences can be viewed on the licence fees page

New applications

If you wish to apply for a new private hire driver's licence you can download a guidance and application pack below. The pack outlines the procedure to be followed to apply for a new private hire drivers licence. It includes all relevant application forms and fees.

Applicants must meet specific criteria in order to be considered for a licence. The council must be satisfied that an applicant is a ‘fit and proper’ person to hold a private hire drivers licence and transport members of the public. All private hire driver licences are issued subject to compliance with the standard private hire drivers licence conditions below.

All new applicants must provide a criminal history back to the age of 10 years. If you were born in or have lived in a country outside the UK you will need to provide the criminal history from each country. Find out how to obtain your relevant criminal history on the GOV.UK website.

Following an amendment to the legislation in October 2016, licences are now granted for a period of three years. One year licences may be granted in exceptional circumstances such as relevant medical conditions or retirement. Requests for one year licences will be considered on their individual merits.

Renewal applications

Existing licence holders will be sent a renewal reminder 4 to 8 weeks before their licence is due for renewal. Renewal application forms are not available to download online. If you have not received your renewal reminder within this timescale please contact the Licensing Team.

Following an amendment to the legislation in October 2016, licences are now granted for a period of three years. One year licences may be granted in exceptional circumstances such as relevant medical conditions or retirement. Requests for one year licences will be considered on their individual merits.

Making a change to an existing licence

Further guidance is available below for existing licensed drivers who need to notify the licensing team of any changes.