First Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver's licence

To be eligible for a first Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver's licence:

• You need to be 21 years old or over
• You must be eligible to work in the UK
• You must've held a GB driver’s licence for a full 12 months or more

Have you lived in the UK for less than 5 years? if you’ve been living in the UK for less than 5 consecutive years at the time of application for a new licence, you’ll also need to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct from the Embassy or High Commission in the country or countries you lived in. This document must be a certified translation if the original Embassy Certificate is not in English. The document must also be under 3 months old from its date of issue.

Are you an asylum seeker? asylum seekers who hold a Home Office issued application registration document together with a positive verification letter from the Home Office Employer Checking Service stating that the named individual is permitted to work in the UK, are exempt from the requirement to submit a Certificate of Good Conduct.

Tax registration guidance: you need to be aware of the content of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidance relating to tax registration obligations. Read HMRC's tax registration guidance

Have you got any convictions?: if you have any convictions, you'll need to let us know about them in your application. Please read our document about the relevance of convictions before starting your application. If you have any questions, get in touch using the contact details on this page. View our relevance of convictions document

Before applying you must:

1. Have an up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate
2. Be signed up for the government DBS Update Service

If you don't have a DBS certificate:

• Apply and pay for a DBS check with TaxiPlus – we partner with TaxiPlus to carry out criminal record checks. Once your check is complete, the DBS will send your certificate directly to your home address.

If you're not already registered for the DBS Update Service:

• Register for the DBS Update Service

Only apply once you have an up-to-date DBS certificate and are registered to the DBS Update Service.

To apply for your first Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver's licence:

1. Complete the online form below and make your payment online. How much your application will cost.
2. We'll process your application and arrange an interview for you. You must bring in your original documents to complete the relevant security checks. This usually takes around 20 minutes.
3. A Statutory Declaration is required to support your application. This must be completed by a Solicitor or Commissioner for Oaths. The document must be dated within 3 months of your New Driver Interview and be signed/stamped. Alternatively, you can complete a Declaration of Convictions at your New Driver Interview for a fee of £8.40.
4. If your application is approved, we'll arrange a Coaching and Knowledge Test.
5. If your application is refused, we'll refund your payment and let you know the reasons why and what your options are. Refunds may be subject to a £10 administrative fee.

Apply for your first Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver's licence

Make sure you send in your licensing application before arranging your MOT.

Once your application is received, you’ll be told when to book your MOT.

If you get your MOT too early, it might not be valid for licensing and could cause delays or extra costs.

• Find supporting documents and additional information

• Contact the team