Check if you need a licence
You will need the correct licence if you drive, own or operate::
- a Hackney carriage (taxi)
- a private hire vehicle (minicab)
You must get the correct licences before you start driving or operating a Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle.
It is an offence for anyone to drive or operate a Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle without the correct licences.
You must get all of your licences from the same authority. For example, to drive a vehicle in Braintree district, you must have a Driver's licence, a vehicle licence and an operator's licence all issued by us.
Driver's licence
You need a Driver's licence to drive a Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle. There are three different Driver's licences:
- Hackney carriage Driver's licence
- Private hire Driver's licence
- Dual Driver's licence for both Hackney carriage and private hire
Vehicle licence
You need a Vehicle licence which means you can operate your vehicle for hire and reward. Every vehicle that you use as either a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle must have its own vehicle licence.
Operator's licence
You need an Operator's licence to accept bookings for private hire vehicle, whether you own it or not.
