These are the required steps to obtain a private hire or hackney carriage drivers licence. You must complete all the required steps and then contact the licencing team to arrange an appointment to submit your documentation.
- Suitability policy
- How to apply for a licence
- Taxi drivers' safeguarding and knowledge training
- Driving assessment
- Medical exam and report form
- Disclosure and Barring Service checks
- Application process
- How we process your application
Suitability policy
Before you submit an application, we recommend that you read the Policy on Determining the Suitability of Applicants and Licensees as Drivers in Taxi and Private Hire Licensing.
For further guidance please read A Policy on Determining the Suitability of Applicants and Licensees as Drivers in Taxi & Private Hire Licensing. (Appendix 8)
How to apply for a licence
There are specific requirements you must meet when submitting your taxi driver application.
If you wish to apply for your taxi driver's licence, you should read the:
- Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance Notes
- Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Taxi Licensing Policy
Taxi drivers' safeguarding and knowledge training and test
Before you are eligible to submit your application you must complete and pass a York Safeguarding, knowledge and training test.
As part of the application process, you'll need to attend a training day, designed to help applicants in their new role as a licensed driver. The training day ends with a written test on the topics covered as well as routes in York, locations and places of interest.
Preparing for your taxi knowledge course
We also recommend undertaking the “preparing day for taxi knowledge course” for anyone wishing to apply to become a taxi driver in York.
It's not compulsory, but is designed to help you:
- understand the requirements of being a taxi driver in York
- prepare for your Knowledge and Safeguarding test
- familiarise yourself with pedestrian zones and routes around York
To assist you in preparing for the test you can download the following example test documents:
Booking safeguarding and knowledge training and test
To book a place and confirm fees you can contact our Work Development Unit:
- email: wdu@york.gov.uk
- website: https://york.learningpool.com
- Tel: 01904 553017 (automated number please leave your details a member of the team will contact you within 24 hrs)
Further training information is also available within our taxi driver application guidance notes.
Driving assessment
To apply for a taxi driver's licence, you must have held a full Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving licence for a minimum period of 12 months.
You must also pass a practical driving standards assessment from one of our approved suppliers:
If you intend to drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle, you must also complete the wheelchair assessment with one of the above companies at the same time. The driving assessment certificate is valid for 2 years.
Medical exam and report form
You must pass a medical with your registered doctor to DVLA Group 2 medical standard (equivalent to bus/lorry/coach drivers). Your medical must have been completed by your GP less than 6 months prior to the submission of your application. (The fee will be payable directly to your GP and may vary at each GP practice).
Applicants must submit a medical certificate on the approved Group II Medical Examination Report Form issued by the council, which must be completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner:
Please note: this file is intended to be printed and taken to your GP, and so it may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. If required, you can request a copy in an accessible format.
Disclosure and Barring Service checks
You will be given information regarding the documents you will need and how to complete the DBS application upon making your appointment with Taxi Licensing. The level of DBS check required to become a taxi driver is an enhanced DBS check and this can only be completed through a registered body such as the council.
It is also a condition upon the grant of a licence that you subscribe to the DBS update servicewhich allows officers to carry out a quick online status check to ensure your DBS certificate is up to date.
For current DBS check fees, see other taxi licensing fees and charges.
Application process
Applications normally take 4 to 8 weeks to process, depending on:
- how long your Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check takes to process
During your appointment with our Taxi Licensing Team, you'll need:
- Your completed application form
- Knowledge and Safeguarding Training Day Pass Certificate
- Green Penny AA Drivetech or The Blue Lamp Trust Driving Assessment Pass Certificate
- Medical Form
- DVLA photocard driving licence or old style paper driving licence in current address
- Check code from the DVLA
- Provide 1 recent passport photos
- Identity documents required for the DBS Disclosure application*
- Birth Certificate
- Passport
- Proof of national insurance number
- Proof of address (utility bill within the last 3 months)
- Overseas criminal record check and/or certificate of good conduct – required if you lived outside of the UK over the age of 18 to present
- Certificate of Naturalisation issued by the Home Office – if you having been issued one
- Right to work check code if you are not a British citizen
- Tax check code (if the applicant has held or holds a licence with another authority or has held one in the last 12 months)
- Pay the application and DBS disclosure fee (by bank card)
Further information on the documentation required can be found in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance Notes
How we process your application
We require time to process and consider your application before a decision can be made to grant or refuse a licence.
In this case:
- applications will normally be processed within 10 working days on completion of all the required documentation, including your DBS certificate.
- You can't act as if your application has been granted, if we don't respond within the expected timeframes.
If you haven't heard from us within 28 days of returning your DBS, please contact us to check the status of your application.
Also see