A private hire driver licence is the badge that lets you take paid fares in a PHV. It is not complicated, but it is paperwork-heavy, and every year thousands of new applicants lose a month because they did things in the wrong order. This post lays out the 10 steps in the order that works, with the realistic cost and timing at each stage.
Scope: England and Wales, outside London. London is handled by Transport for London and runs on a slightly different track. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems too. If you are applying in London, see the TfL private hire driver licensing page instead.
Total real-world cost: £300 to £500. Total real-world timeline: 6 to 14 weeks. Follow this order and you will land near the 6-week end of that range.
Step 1: Choose Your Licensing Council
This is the first decision and the one people give least thought to. Your licence is issued by a specific council, and in practice you will mostly work in that council’s area. Pick the council where you live and intend to work. Do not pick based on cheapest fees alone. Licensing officers talk to each other and it is a small trade.
The exception is cross-border work. Wolverhampton, for example, licenses around 90,000 drivers UK-wide because its application process has historically been faster and cheaper. See the Wolverhampton licensing page for current rules, but be aware the Department for Transport has been tightening cross-border rules and the picture is changing.
Step 2: Pre-Check Your Eligibility
Before you pay a single fee, check you actually qualify. The baseline requirements across almost every English and Welsh council are the same.
- You are 21 or older. A handful of councils say 18 but most set 21.
- You have held a full UK or EU driving licence for at least 12 months. Some councils insist on 3 years. Check the specific council.
- You have the right to work in the UK. Passport, BRP, or share code.
- You have no relevant unspent convictions. Councils follow the Institute of Licensing guidance on “fit and proper person” standards. See the DfT statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards for the national framework.
If anything here is borderline, ring the licensing office before you apply. They would rather tell you on the phone than reject a file two months later.
Step 3: Apply for Your Enhanced DBS Check
Do this first. It is the longest single step, and nothing else can finish without it.
You need an enhanced DBS check with both the adult and child barred lists ticked. A basic DBS is not enough. An enhanced DBS from another job (a school, a care home) is also not enough unless it was issued for taxi work. Apply through the council’s own DBS route, or through a registered umbrella body the council accepts. Cost: £55 to £85.
Register with the DBS Update Service the moment your certificate arrives. It costs £16 a year and means you do not need a fresh DBS at every renewal.
Step 4: Book Your Group 2 Medical
In parallel with step 3, book a Group 2 medical. This is the same standard as an HGV or PCV driver medical, which means a standard “I feel fine” GP sign-off will not be accepted. Expect an eyesight test, a blood pressure check, a full medical history review, and a form signed by a doctor on the council’s approved template.
Cost: £80 to £150. Some GP surgeries do it. Specialist taxi medical providers are usually faster. Your own GP is usually slower but cheaper. The medical is valid for 3 to 5 years depending on age.
Step 5: Sit the Knowledge Test
Most councils run a knowledge test covering local geography, main roads, hospitals, airports, and licensing law. Some also include a numeracy and literacy element. The pass mark is usually 75 percent. The cost is £30 to £80 and most councils let you re-sit if you fail, sometimes with a fee.
Revise. Drive the patch. Know the three biggest hospitals, the train station, the major hotels, and every direction to the nearest airport. Knowledge tests are the stage most applicants go in cocky and most fail on the first attempt.
Step 6: Complete Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training
This is a newer requirement pushed by the DfT’s national standards and now used by almost every council. Expect a half-day or full-day course covering safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, disability awareness, and sometimes county lines and child sexual exploitation awareness. Cost: £40 to £120.
Some councils deliver the training themselves. Others direct you to approved providers. A few accept online courses. Check your council’s approved list before you book, because a certificate from the wrong provider will not be accepted.
Step 7: Pay the Application Fee and Submit the Form
Once the DBS, medical, knowledge test, and safeguarding certificate are all in hand, you submit the full application. Council fees for a 3-year driver licence range from £150 to £300. Some councils charge a smaller grant fee with a second fee on issue.
Most councils now take applications online. Upload scans of your documents rather than posting originals. If your council still wants paper, get everything certified by your GP, a solicitor, or a councillor to avoid delays.
Step 8: Submit Your Photo and Identity Documents
At or shortly after submission, the council needs a passport-style photo for your badge and the standard identity pack.
- Passport or BRP
- DVLA driving licence, both parts, or the new digital equivalent
- Proof of address, usually a utility bill or council tax letter under 3 months old
- National Insurance number proof
- Right to work evidence via share code
Missing one of these is the single most common reason a file sits waiting. Send them all at once, not in dribs and drabs.
Step 9: Collect Your Badge
When the file is approved, you will get a letter or email telling you to collect your licence in person. You will be issued a photo ID badge to be worn visibly while working, and in most councils a separate paper licence document.
At this point you are a licensed driver, but you cannot legally take a fare yet. You still need a licensed vehicle to drive, and a licensed operator to give you bookings. If you are joining an existing firm, they sort the vehicle and operator side. If you are starting your own firm, read our how to start a taxi business guide for the rest of the roadmap.
Step 10: Understand the Renewal Cycle
The driver licence is typically valid for 3 years. Set reminders, because an expired licence means you cannot work, and a lapse of more than a few weeks usually means starting the application from scratch.
- Every year: Renew your DBS Update Service subscription (£16).
- Every 3 to 5 years: Fresh Group 2 medical.
- Every 3 years: Renewal application to the council, including refresher safeguarding training in some authorities.
- Ongoing: You are required to notify the council of any arrests, DVLA endorsements, or changes to your health that affect your fitness to drive. Failing to do so is grounds for revocation.
Ongoing Obligations While You Hold the Badge
A licence is not a “set it and forget it” piece of paper. Councils expect you to keep them informed of several things during the three-year period, and getting caught not telling them is worse than telling them in the first place.
- Change of address. Within 7 days in most councils. A licence with the wrong address is technically invalid.
- DVLA endorsements or disqualifications. Notify within 48 to 72 hours of receiving them. Anything over 6 points is usually grounds for a review.
- Arrests, cautions, or convictions. Any kind, not just driving-related. Report within 48 hours. The council will decide whether the matter affects your fit and proper person status.
- Medical changes. Any condition that could affect your Group 2 fitness, from a new diabetes diagnosis to a significant eyesight change, must be reported.
- Complaints or incidents. If a passenger complains about you and the council writes, respond quickly and honestly. Ignoring the letter is the single worst thing you can do.
None of this is unusual. The trade works on trust and paperwork, and licensing officers remember drivers who are straight with them.
Council-Specific Notes Worth Knowing
Every authority tweaks the edges. A few specifics that come up often:
- Transport for London: Topographical skills assessment instead of a traditional knowledge test, and a compulsory safeguarding and equality course. See TfL licensing.
- Wolverhampton: Historically the quickest route for cross-border drivers but scrutiny is increasing. Check current timelines directly.
- Sefton, Wiltshire, Medway: Also popular cross-border authorities. Rules and fees change, so confirm before applying.
- Your home council: Usually the right answer. Losing a day to attend a test or collect a badge in a distant city adds up across the year.
Your Move This Week
Getting the badge is not hard, but it rewards doing things in parallel rather than in sequence. This week:
- Open your council’s taxi licensing page and download the current driver application pack.
- Book your enhanced DBS and your Group 2 medical for the same week. Do not stack them.
- Start revising for the knowledge test. Drive the three biggest routes in your town. Read the council’s handbook cover to cover.
If your plan is to run a firm rather than drive for one, the badge is only the first bit. You will also need an operator licence, a vehicle licence, and a booking channel. Our services page covers what a proper taxi website looks like, and the free booking funnel audit is open the moment you have bookings coming in.