What drivers need to be licensed: taxi and PHV driver licence requirements

If you're recruiting drivers or getting licensed yourself, the taxi driver licence requirements in the UK come in two layers: a short legal minimum in the Act, and a longer list each council adds on top. This guide covers both, with the actual figures from Bristol, Birmingham and Transport for London, so you can tell a new driver what they'll need and roughly what it costs.

Everything here applies to England and Wales. Scotland licenses drivers under section 13 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, and Northern Ireland has its own system.

What does the law say a driver needs?

The Act sets three tests. Section 51 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (private hire) and section 59 (hackney carriages) say a council must not grant a driver's licence unless it's satisfied that the applicant:

1. is a fit and proper person to hold a driver's licence;
2. isn't disqualified by their immigration status, a test added by the Immigration Act 2016 and carried out as a right to work check under Home Office guidance;
3. has been authorised to drive a car for at least twelve months, on a full licence, not a provisional one.

Section 51(2) then lets the council attach any conditions it considers reasonably necessary. That one line is why the requirements vary so much from one council to the next.

A driver licence normally lasts 3 years. The DfT's Statutory Standards say shorter licences should only be issued in specific cases, such as when the holder's leave to remain is time-limited, and never on a probationary basis.

What checks do councils add?

Councils add their own checks on top of the Act. The DfT's 2026 statistics show that on 1 April 2026 all licensing authorities in England required an enhanced DBS check, including the barred lists, for taxi and PHV drivers, and 97% required child sexual exploitation awareness training. Here's how three councils compare:

The Group 2 medical is the one bus and lorry drivers take. The DfT's best practice guidance asks councils to apply it because taxi drivers carry the public, work long hours and help disabled passengers. Bristol asks for a medical at first application, every 5 years from age 45 until 65, and every year after 65.

What tests will a new driver have to pass?

Tests depend on the council, and the gap between councils is wide. Some examples:

• Bristol sets a 90-minute knowledge test of 100 questions covering safety, child sexual exploitation, local places, policy and equality. Hackney drivers need 90% to pass and private hire drivers 75%. Bristol is rewriting its private hire test to replace geography questions with disability awareness and legislation.
• Birmingham asks for a knowledge test (its hackney test costs £150), a driving test with the council's own driving school and a disability awareness course run by the Disability Resource Centre.
• TfL asks private hire applicants for a topographical skills assessment, a speaking and listening assessment, and the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment, which also tests reading and writing. A London black cab driver needs the Knowledge of London instead, which TfL says typically takes three to four years.

The DfT's view, in its best practice guidance, is that taxi drivers need a test of local knowledge because passengers hail them on the spot, while private hire drivers shouldn't need one, because the operator takes the addresses in advance and drivers can use sat nav. The Statutory Standards also ask councils to test English language skills, both spoken and written, so drivers can read safeguarding guidance and talk to passengers. TfL meets this with its English language requirement: the speaking and listening assessment plus SERU.

How much does a driver licence cost?

A new driver should budget for the licence fee plus each check and test. Using the councils' own figures:

The £15 Update Service fee is the national DBS charge. A Bristol driver can apply for a one, two or three-year licence, depending on when their next checks fall due. Our guide to taxi licence fees by council has more areas.

Which convictions stop someone getting a licence?

The Statutory Standards include an annex of minimum periods that councils should use as a starting point. A council still has to look at each case on its merits.

Spent convictions can still count. Bristol tells applicants that they're exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and must declare every conviction, caution and out-of-court disposal, including speed awareness courses, even when spent.

Councils also apply the DfT's fit and proper test, which asks whether you'd let someone you care about travel alone with this driver at any time of day or night. If the answer, on the balance of probabilities, is no, the person shouldn't hold a licence.

What does a licensed driver have to keep doing?

Getting the badge is the start. A licensed driver has ongoing duties:

• Stay subscribed to the DBS Update Service, so the council can check for new information every 6 months, as the Statutory Standards recommend.
• Tell the council about arrests, charges and convictions. The Standards suggest doing so within two days. Birmingham asks for notice in writing within 7 days, while TfL drivers licensed since 1 July 2024 must report within two days.
• Renew the medical on the council's timetable, and renew the licence itself, normally every 3 years.
• Expect a database check. Under the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022, councils in England must search the national register of refusals, revocations and suspensions before granting or renewing a driver licence.

As an operator, keep track of each driver's expiry dates. A driver whose licence lapses can't legally drive for you, and section 46 of the 1976 Act makes it an offence for an operator knowingly to send out a private hire driver without a current licence. Our guide to driver document expiry reminders shows how to track them.

Does a licence from one council let you drive anywhere?

Not quite. A private hire driver must be licensed by the same council as the vehicle and the operator, the triple licensing lock the Statutory Standards describe, although the Standards accept that drivers carry passengers outside the area where they're licensed. A hackney driver can only ply for hire in their own district, but can carry pre-booked fares further afield. The guide to cross-border hiring and subcontracting explains the rules in more detail.

If you're hiring, recruit drivers licensed by your own council or budget for them to get licensed there. Dispatch AI is booking and dispatch software for taxi and private hire firms. It answers your phone, WhatsApp, texts and emails, books the jobs at your prices and sends them to your drivers on your own app.