Private hire vehicle licence
You can only accept pre-booked fares if you operate as a Private hire vehicle. These bookings must be made through an operator with a Private hire operators licence.
We must issue the Private hire vehicle licence and the he operator's licence if you want to operate a Private hire vehicle in our district.
There are no circumstances in which the driver of a Private hire vehicle can accept a fare other than pre-booking.
It is an offence to accept a fares other than pre-booking. The driver will still be committing an offence if they have a licence to drive a Hackney carriage vehicle.
Apply for a Private hire vehicle licence
To apply you need to submit:
- a completed Private Hire Vehicle application form
- the original insurance certificate showing proof of current insurance cover which must include cover for public hire
- a valid M.O.T certificate if the vehicle needs one
- the original V5C Vehicle Registration Certificate or bill of sale for the vehicle
- the correct fee
Any vehicle you want to licences as a hackney carriage, vehicle must also comply with all relevant licensing and pre-licensing conditions.
If you are licensing a vehicles presented for the first time it must be:
- less than five years old or
- less than eight years old if it is a wheelchair accessible vehicle
Vehicle inspection
Your vehicle will need to have a mechanical inspection. We use CL Panelcraft to carry out vehicle inspections.
Your vehicle will also need to have a mechanical inspection six months from the date owe issue the licence. We will write to you when the inspection is due with the date and time of your appointment with CL Panelcraft.
Issuing your licence
We will issue a paper licence for the vehicle and a set of plates and livery which you must display on and in the vehicle. Thie set of plates includes:
- a front plate
- a back plate
- an internal plate
- two door stickers
A Private Hire Vehicle licence is valid for one year from the date of issue. You will need to renew the licence each year.
