The Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy was amended as of 12 July 2024. This page was last updated on 23 July 2024.
- Applicants are advised to read through and familiarise themselves with the below information, including the conditions which are attached to all vehicle licences, prior to submitting an application Failure to do so could lead to an application being rejected or refused
- Applicants are also strongly advised to carry out their own comprehensive checks before submitting an application, in particular to determine the euro status of the vehicle; and to check if the vehicle is imported or written off in any category
- As part of the application process the Licensing Team carry out comprehensive checks to verify vehicle details using My Car Check (external link).
All Vehicles / Applications
The following applies to all applications / vehicles:
- Vehicles must have engines capable of producing 90 bhp but where that cannot be proven or there is any doubt, then the engine capacity must be at least 1600cc
- No vehicle will be licensed if it has been written off in categories A or B
- Vehicles that have been written off in categories S and N will be permitted to be licensed providing the application is accompanied by a satisfactory inspection report and certificate completed by AutoLIGN (external link) or a Member of the Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors (external link)
- Vehicles that are imported into the United Kingdom will be permitted to be licensed providing the application is accompanied by a BASIC Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) (external link) certificate (irrespective of the age of the vehicle) or an IVA marker on the front cover of the V5 (log book)
- No advertising other than Council approved signage is permitted
- Private hire vehicles are permitted to display a small sign on the vehicle advertising the private hire operator they are working for
- Hackney carriage vehicles are not permitted to display any signage or advertisements on the vehicle relating to a private hire operator
- The front windscreen must let at least 75% of light through and the front side windows must let at least 70% of light through. There are no exemptions available for this requirement, this is the law. Further guidance can be found on GOV.UK (external link)
- For the purposes of calculating the passenger capacity of a vehicle each single seat shall be counted as one passenger and for bench seats, a distance of 40 cm measured across the front of the seat and a distance of 35.5 cm deep shall be the minimum requirement for each
- There shall be available a space consisting of a flat area of floor 30cm square measured at right angles to a line from the vertical plane of the front of any passenger seat and that area shall not include any bulkhead or any other intrusion
- It is strongly recommended that the design of the vehicle shall be such that there is path available to all passengers seated adjacent to the driver's seat from their seat to not less than two doors
- The design of the vehicle shall be such that there shall be no side facing seats in the vehicle
- The vehicle shall be right hand drive
- Any proprietor that is not currently a licensed private hire or hackney carriage driver will be required to provide evidence of a Basic Disclosure (external link), at least once in a 12-month period
- The age policy is as follows. This will be enforced at that end of the transitional period. This states that no vehicle over the following age limits will be eligible for renewal after 1 December 2025
- Saloon Vehicles (PHV only): 10 years off
- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles: 15 years off
- Any vehicle that does solely executive or contract work can apply for a certificate of exemption from the need to display private hire door stickers and plates. This is not an automatic entitlement. An application for such an exemption must be submitted at the same time as submitting an application for a licence. There is also a separate fee payable for this exemption. You can request an application or further information by emailing the Licensing Team.
New or Vehicle Change Applications
The following applies to all new or vehicle change applications:
- There will be no age limit when submitting an application
- All vehicles must be emission compliant (Euro 4, Petrol or Euro 6 Diesel)
- The specification for window tints will be as follows (this is over and above the legal requirements, as stated above):
- Front windscreen – min. 75% light transmission
- Front side door glass – min. 70% light transmission
- Remaining glass or rear side windows (exc. Rear window) - allow manufacturer’s tint to a minimum 20% light transmission.
N.B. This requirement will not apply to those vehicles who are in receipt of an 'agreement in principle email' which will authorise an exemption from displaying plates and stickers, if a vehicle licence is issued. Such exemption is only available to vehicles that do solely executive and contract work only.
- All vehicles must conform to the M1 standard (any modified vehicle at M2 standard must have an appropriate test certificate to ensure conformity with single vehicle type approval)
- Retrofitting of engines into older vehicles is not permitted. LPG conversions will be accepted
- Where retrofit emissions technology is installed, it shall be approved as part of the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS).
The following additional information applies to hackney carriage vehicles only:
- Saloon vehicles will temporarily be permitted onto fleet. However, applications for saloon vehicles will not be permitted after 1 June 2025
- There is no colour requirement in respect of hackney carriage vehicles.
Existing Licences
- All licensed private hire and hackney carriage vehicles need to be emission compliant by 31 December 2025, this is Euro 4 (Petrol) and Euro 6 (Diesel). No licence will be issued with an expiry date beyond 31 December 2025 if the vehicle is not emission compliant
- All hackney carriage vehicles need to be wheelchair accessible by 31 December 2028.
Vehicle Licence Conditions
Submitting an Application