Hackney carriage and private hire driver's licence

Notes to read before you apply for a hackney carriage or private hire driver's licence

Please read the following notes carefully before making an application for a driver’s licence. 

Application Forms 

Apply for a Hackney carriage or private hire driver's licence

Knowledge Test

You have to sit and pass your Knowledge Test before you submit your application. You need to pay for your licence first, and then we well send you an appointment within 14 days.

It costs £29.90 to take the Knowledge Test, and re-sits. You may also be charged for any missed appointments.  

Pay for the Knowledge Test or any missed appointments or re-sits

The knowledge test is multiple choice, made up of 4 sections:

  • the local area
  • Highway Code
  • Highway Code road signs
  • the licensing policy and law.

The pass rate is 7 out of 10 correct answers in each section. Download and read the revision guide for the knowledge test before taking the test.

It is important that we only give licences to drivers who have a good knowledge of Pendle and its boundaries, and the Highway Code.

Duration of Driver’s Licences

We normally issue driver’s licences for 3 years. However in some circumstances - financial or conduct reasons for example - we may consider it appropriate to issue a licence for a shorter period.

Entitlement to Drive in the UK

To be able to apply, you must have had a valid, full UK driving licence for a minimum of 12 months immediately before applying.

You have to sign for permission from the DVLA to allow us to check  to verify any motoring convictions and restrictions on your licence. This lasts 3 years.

Right to Work in the UK

To be able to apply, you must have the right to work in the UK. If you have a British passport, you need to bring this with you when you sit the Knowledge Test. If you have a passport from another country, you need to prove that you have the right to work in the UK, by submitting your 'share code' to us.

You can get a share code from the GOV.UK website

If we cannot verify your right to work either by an online or manual check, we will consult with the UK Border Agency where appropriate, before we give you a hackney carriage or private hire driver’s licence. 

Certificate of Good Conduct

If you have lived outside the UK within the last 10 years, you have to produce a Certificate of Conduct, translated into English, from each of the countries that you have lived in within that period.

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks (DBS) 

To be able to apply, you need to provide an enhanced DBS certificate.

Apply for a DBS enhanced disclosure certificate

If you have an enhanced DBS certificate from another Council (for the role of taxi driver) we will accept it as long as it is no more than one month old. If it is older than one month, we will accept it if you have subscribed to the DBS update service. 

We will not issue or renew a licence until there is a valid up to date DBS check in place.

We expect drivers to sign up to the DBS updating service and to give us permission to check the DBS every six months to look for any changes since your last disclosure certificate was issued. You must sign up within 30 days from the date of the certificate and pay the annual signing up fee.  

If you do not subscribe to the update service, your driver’s licence will be suspended or not renewed until a new DBS disclosure certificate has been submitted. 

Convictions, Cautions and Motoring Offences

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not apply if you are applying for a hackney carriage or private hire driver's licence. You must tell us about all convictions, cautions and motoring offences, including those that would normally be regarded as spent.

If there is evidence of criminal activity or motoring convictions, we will make a decision about your application in line with our Guidelines on Dealing with Convictions

National Register of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Revocations and Refusals (NR3)

All applicants will have their details checked on the NR3 Register. This is to check if you have previously had a licence either refused or revoked by another local authority. If your application to us is refused or revoked, we will add your details to the NR3 register.

Read our NR3 Policy for more information.

Notification of arrest and release, charge or convictions

Once a licence has been issued, you must tell us within 48 hours of any:

  • arrest and release
  • charge or conviction of any sexual offence
  • offence involving dishonesty or violence
  • motoring offence

If you are arrested for any of these offences, there will be a review of your licence.

If you do not tell us about an arrest that we later find out about, we would question your honesty and suitability as a licence holder, regardless of the outcome of the initial allegation against you.

Medical Fitness

You are entrusted with the safety of the travelling public, and you may drive for much longer hours than non-professional drivers. 

All drivers must meet the DVLA's medical standards for Group 2 drivers.

The first time you apply, you will need a medical certificate from your own GP, or any qualified medical practitioner, subject to you providing a summary of your medical history to the medical practitioner.

Download this medical form to take to your doctor's appointment

After that, you will need a medical certificate at the ages of 30, 40, 50, 55, 60 and then every year after that. 

If there is doubt over your medical fitness, including where a medical certificate has expired, we have the right to suspend your licence until we are satisfied that you are fit to drive. We won't give you a licence until we are satisfied that you are medically fit.

Safeguarding and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Training

One of our primary goals is to safeguard people and to prevent child sexual exploitation.

We know that as licensed drivers you play an important role providing a safe means of transport to all members of society.

This important role in our community places you in direct daily contact with some of the most vulnerable members of our society. You are ideally placed to assist all those organisations who have a legal responsibility to safeguard vulnerable people.

So that you can recognise the signs of child sexual exploitation, and to help you to report suspicious behavior to the right people, everyone who applies for a hackney carriage or private hire driver’s licence has to complete basic safeguarding and child sexual exploitation awareness training. The training is provided by us, or a provider we approve of, and has to be done before we will give you a licence.

This training lasts for three years from the date you do it. Then you have to do a refresher course. 

The training is done online. We will give you instructions on how to take the course when you sit your knowledge test.

Tax Check with HMRC

From 4 April 2022, if you are applying to renew your licence, you need to complete a tax check with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and submit a tax code to us which confirms that this has been done.

If you are a new applicant you need to read HMRC guidance on what you need to do to be properly registered for tax in the future. You also need to confirm on the application form that you have done this. If you have held a licence in another local authority in the last 12 months, you will also need a tax code.

There is more information on the Tax Check on the GOV.UK website.

Private Hire Driver’s Conditions

All private hire driver licences are given subject to certain conditions, which are attached to the licence.

Hackney Carriage Bye-Laws

All hackney carriage driver licences are given subject to our hackney carriage bye-laws, which are attached to the licence.

Penalty Point Scheme

We have a penalty point scheme for driver's licences. It helps us to manage any minor breaches of the rules without taking legal action. If there are repeated minor breaches and enough points have been given, then we will take more serious action. 

If 15 or more points are awarded over a three year period, then you will have to attend the Taxi Licensing Committee where Councillors will consider the future of your licence.