Taxi and private hire licensing: how it works in the UK

Taxi and private hire licensing in England and Wales is run by around 200 individual local councils, or by Transport for London (TfL) if you want to work in the capital - not by one national body, which is why the exact cost and requirements change depending on where you apply.
Every taxi or private hire driver needs a driver licence, every vehicle needs a vehicle licence, and every private hire business needs an operator licence too, but the DBS checks, medical rules, tests and fees behind those three licences are set locally, not nationally (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

This guide explains the licensing system itself - the difference between a hackney carriage (taxi) and a private hire vehicle (PHV), the three licence types, who issues them, and the requirements you'll meet almost everywhere - then links through to our step-by-step guide on becoming a taxi driver and our dedicated private hire licence guide.

This is general information based on GOV.UK guidance, not professional or legal advice, and it doesn't replace checking the exact requirements with your own licensing authority.

What's the difference between a taxi and a private hire vehicle?

A taxi (hackney carriage) can be hailed in the street, picked up at a rank, or pre-booked, while a private hire vehicle (PHV or minicab) can only be pre-booked (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

	Taxi (hackney carriage)	Private hire vehicle (PHV)
How you can get one	Hailed in the street, taken from a rank, or pre-booked	Pre-booked only - can't "ply for hire"
Also called	Hackney carriage	Minicab, private hire car
Needs an operator licence	No	Yes - the person taking the booking or supplying the driver
Needs a driver and vehicle licence	Yes	Yes

It's illegal for a PHV to stop for someone hailing it in the street or to wait at a taxi rank - that's the rule that legally makes it a private hire vehicle rather than a taxi (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

What licences do you actually need?

There are three separate licences in the system - a driver licence, a vehicle licence, and (for private hire only) an operator licence - and all three must come from the same licensing authority (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

Licence	Who needs it	Roughly how long it lasts
Driver licence	Anyone driving a taxi or PHV for hire	Usually 3 years
Vehicle licence	The taxi or PHV itself	Set by the licensing authority
Operator licence	Whoever takes PHV bookings or supplies PHV drivers (private hire only)	Maximum 5 years

Taxis (hackney carriages) don't need an operator licence, because unlike a PHV they're allowed to pick up passengers directly rather than only through a pre-booked operator (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

If you're planning to drive rather than run a fleet, our how to become a taxi driver guide walks through the driver licence step by step.

If you're setting up as a private hire operator, or want all three PHV licences explained together, see our private hire licence guide.

Who issues taxi and private hire licences?

Your local council issues taxi and private hire licences if you plan to work outside London, and Transport for London (TfL) issues them if you plan to work inside London (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

This matters because it's the licensing authority, not a national body, that sets the fee, the exact document checklist, and, in many areas, the local knowledge test and driving assessment for its own patch.

Your driver licence, your vehicle licence and, if it applies, your operator licence all have to be issued by the same authority - you can't mix a council-issued driver licence with a different authority's vehicle licence (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

What do councils commonly ask for, even though the details vary?

Almost every council expects the same broad things - proof you can work legally in the UK, an enhanced DBS check, evidence you're a "fit and proper person", and often a medical check, a knowledge test and a driving assessment - even though the exact process differs by area (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

Requirement	What it typically involves
Right to work	Evidence you're legally allowed to work in the UK
Driving licence	Usually a full British, Northern Ireland or EU driving licence held for at least 12 months; other licences are considered at the authority's discretion
Enhanced DBS check	A criminal record check with barred-list checks; the Department for Transport's statutory standards recommend a recheck roughly every 6 months via the DBS Update Service (DfT, published 25 November 2022)
"Fit and proper person" assessment	Your licensing authority's own judgement on your suitability to hold the licence
Medical examination	Required by many, though not all, authorities; standards are set locally
Knowledge test	A local area and licensing-rules test, required by many, though not all, authorities
Driving test or assessment	A practical assessment, required by many, though not all, authorities
Safeguarding training	DfT's statutory standards recommend authorities require it, covering how to recognise vulnerability and report concerns (DfT, published 25 November 2022)

Because GOV.UK's own guidance is explicit that these extra checks "may" apply rather than confirming one fixed national list, the only way to know exactly what your application needs is to check with your own licensing authority before you start (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

What does a taxi or private hire licence cost?

There's no single national fee - GOV.UK doesn't publish one, because each licensing authority sets its own fee to cover its own costs, so the honest answer is that your figure depends entirely on your council or TfL (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

✓ Checked against GOV.UK, 23 August 2026 - no national fee is published for taxi or PHV licences.

How do you actually apply?

You apply directly to your own licensing authority - there's no single national application form - and the practical route differs depending on whether you're applying as a driver, for a vehicle, or as an operator (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

For the full step-by-step driver process, including tests and timescales, see our how to become a taxi driver guide.

For the vehicle and operator side, including how the operator licence works, see our private hire licence guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is a taxi licence the same as a private hire licence?

No. A taxi (hackney carriage) licence and a private hire (PHV) licence are separate, and a PHV also needs an operator licence that a taxi doesn't.

Do I need a licence to drive for a ride-hailing app?

If the app or firm behind it takes bookings and supplies you as the driver, that's private hire work - you and the vehicle still need to be licensed by your local authority, and the firm needs its own operator licence (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

How long does a taxi driver licence last?

A driver licence is usually issued for 3 years, though you should confirm your own authority's exact term (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

Can I use my licence to work in a different council area?

Not automatically - your driver, vehicle and operator licences are tied to the authority that issued them, so working mainly in a different council area generally means applying to that area's authority too.

Does my taxi or PHV licence renew automatically?

No. You need to renew before it expires, and as part of renewing you must complete a tax check telling HMRC how you pay tax on your earnings (GOV.UK, 23 August 2026).

apply for licence is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to GOV.UK, any local council, Transport for London or any government body. This page is general information, not legal or professional advice - for anything specific to your situation, contact your own licensing authority directly.