In order to drive a taxi (sometimes called a hackney carriage) or a private hire vehicle (PHV), the driver must hold a licence which has been issued by East Hampshire District Council.

Taxis can be flagged down in the street or they can pick up from taxi ranks. They must have an illuminated roof sign and a yellow identification plate on the rear of the vehicle. Fares are metered.

Private hire vehicles must be pre-booked through a private hire operator. They must have a green identification on the rear of the vehicle. They can set their own fares.

All licensed drivers and vehicles must undergo stringent checks to ensure that the travelling public are provided with a safe, comfortable and reliable service. This includes your medical fitness, your driving record and any criminal convictions you might have.

The application process

The application for a licence to drive a taxi and/or a PHV must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence of the following conditions.

Completed application form

Please complete the relevant application form to apply for a licence to drive a taxi and/or a PHV.

Taxi and private hire licence application forms

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • be over 21 years of age at the time of application
  • have the right to live and work in the country
  • have a minimum of three years' post-qualification driving experience at the time of application and has passed an approved driving assessment and satisfactory certificate of competence
  • have sufficient ability to speak English and to understand spoken English to provide the service they wish to be licensed for
  • pass the required BTEC or MiDAS Qualification (depending on the type of licence held) within 12 months of being granted a licence

Before sending us your application, please read the licence conditions set out below:

Payment of the required fees

When you apply for a licence, the following fees apply. 

​​​DBS checks

New and existing drivers will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check application online.

You will be sent an email to complete your application and pay for it online. The email will be sent from Know Your People. Once you have completed and paid for your application you will be sent a QR code. You will need to provide your identity documents and this QR code at the Post Office to complete your application.

You will need to sign up to the DBS update service and complete a consent form (please email this to licensing@easthants.gov.uk).

Medical report

A medical report from applicant's own doctor (GP) which will be sent to the Licensing Authority’s nominated Medical Examiner to satisfy that the applicant meets the DVLA Group 2 Medical Standard.

Knowledge test

The applicant will need to pass the knowledge test. The test assesses your knowledge of the district’s road network, basic literacy and numeracy, the Highway Code and a basic awareness of the role of a driver.

Safeguarding training

The applicant will need to have successfully completed an approved training/awareness raising course in relation to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people.

Courses available

Blue Lamp Trust taxi safeguarding course - the training must be undertaken via a virtual classroom setting or an actual classroom setting. The applicant is responsible for the course fee. 

Green Penny FAA Level 1 award in awareness of safeguarding – the training must be undertaken via a virtual classroom setting, we do not accept training undertaken via e-learning. The applicant is responsible for the course fee. Please note this course includes a short test. You must pass the test and receive a pass certificate for this safeguarding training to be accepted. 

Other courses/course providers are available but these must be pre-agreed with licensing. Please contact licensing@easthants.gov.uk for further details.

Please note that we do not accept training undertaken via e-learning.

Driving assessment

The Blue Lamp Trust

The Blue Lamp Trust offers a comprehensive range of driver training and assessments for Taxi & Private Hire Drivers as well as fleet drivers.  This can be delivered in vehicle, virtual or online learning environments.

Taxi Driver Tests

Taxi driver tests have over 12 years experience conducting on road taxi driver practical tests. Their highly experienced examiners are all regulated by the DVSA and all hold an ADI and Fleet ADI qualification to grade A standard. Some of the team are ex Blue Light Trainers.

Photograph

You will need to provide a current passport size photograph of yourself. This needs to be a head and shoulders photo that can be taken in a photobooth or on your own mobile phone.

Certificate of good conduct, character or citizenship

If the applicant is a non-UK national, a certificate of good conduct, character or citizenship from the Ministry of Justice maybe required from their country of origin or the UK Embassy. 

This also applies if the applicant has spent six continuous months or more living outside of the UK since the age of 10 years.

Ex-service personnel are exempt from the requirement of obtaining a criminal record check or certificate of good conduct for their period(s) of military service. Proof of period of military service is required.

Immigration Act 2016

All applicants for the grant or renewal of a dual hackney carriage and private hire driver licence, a restricted private hire driver licence or a private hire operator licence, must produce evidence of their right to work in the UK.

Your right to work in the UK will be checked as part of your licence application/renewal application and this could include the council checking your immigration status with the Home Office.

You must therefore provide document/s from the list set out on list A and list B in the acceptable documents list.

If you are unable to provide any of the documents from list A or B you may be able to prove your right to work by obtaining a share code.

To do this, please visit https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work. Once you have your share code, please email this to licensing@easthants.gov.uk.

Criminal convictions

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions)(Amendment) Order 2002 allows the licensing authority to take into account all convictions recorded against an applicant or the holder of a private hire vehicle or hackney carriage driver’s licence, whether spent or not.

Therefore the licensing authority will have regard to all relevant convictions, particularly where there is a long history of offending or a recent pattern of repeat offending.

Applicants can discuss further what effect a caution/conviction may have on any application by contacting the licensing officer in confidence for advice.

How long does it take to process an application?

Applicants should be aware that this process can take between 6 to 8 weeks and in some cases could take longer due to the number of checks which need to be completed.

Tax conditionality check

From 4 April 2022 the renewal of a taxi driver licence, private hire driver licence and private hire operator licence will only be given if the person, company or any type of partnership applying for the licence can show they have completed a tax check with the HMRC. 

If a tax check has not been completed, the Licensing Authority will be unable to consider your application to renew your licence and your current licence will expire. Further guidance can be found on the GOV.UK website. 

National register of taxi licence refusals, revocations and suspensions (NR3S register)

The taxis and private hire vehicles (safeguarding and road safety act 2022) came into force on 27 April 2023. East Hampshire District Council in line with all licensing authorities in England, is required to use the national register of taxi licence refusals, revocations and suspensions (NR3S register).

The purpose of the NR3S register is to provide the means for licensing authorities to share details of individuals who have had a taxi or PHV driver licence suspended, revoked or an application for one refused. The register is hosted by the national anti-fraud network (NAFN).

National register of taxi licence refusals, revocations, and suspensions (word 19 kb)

Taxi and private hire licensing policy

Public register

By law, we have to make certain registers of licence holders publicly available.

Courier fraud leaflet

Fraudsters have been using unsuspecting couriers and taxi drivers to steal thousands of pounds from elderly or vulnerable members of the public.

If you are, or you know, a taxi driver, we need your help to prevent further crimes and to catch those responsible.

Find out more in the leaflet from Hampshire Constabulary below: