Licensing – Taxi Drivers

Any person who carries passengers for hire and reward needs to apply for a taxi driver licence to drive licensed vehicles.

There are two types of licensed vehicles. You may apply to drive both types of vehicle.

• Hackney carriage vehicles – these vehicles can be hailed and ply for hire on approved taxi ranks
• Private hire vehicles – these vehicles may only carry out pre-booked journeys booked through a licensed operator.

Application forms for hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver’s licences can be downloaded:

• Taxi Driver application form [PDF, 309Kb] (This form is for printing only)
• Medical certificate [PDF, 337Kb]
• Proof of ID form [PDF, 123Kb]

Licensed drivers will be required to carry vulnerable adults and/or children in their vehicles. The council will not licence anyone to drive a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle unless it is satisfied that they are a fit and proper person. In considering the fit and proper test, applicants will be required to complete the following:

• Complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and sign up to the DBS Update Service.
• Provide a Certificate of Good Conduct, or similar foreign criminality check, from each country they have been resident in outside of the UK after the age of 10 years old. If you were resident in another country before the age of 10 years old, we will require proof of the date you left.
• Provide a photograph endorsed as a true likeness by a current or previous employer, or someone of professional standing who has known them for at least three years. The person of professional standing shall not include a relative or prospective employer or another driver, proprietor or operator, or member or Officer of North Lincolnshire Council.
• Provide a medical certificate obtained from the applicant’s own GP or in consultation with their medical history
• Have a DVLA licence or other relevant full licence which must have been held for at least 12 months. We will check your DVLA licence for relevant endorsements – please see the DVLA section of this page for more information.
• Pass the relevant parts of the Knowledge Test – please refer to the relevant section of this page for further information.
• Take a NLC Driver Assessment test [PDF, 318 KB] for hackney carriage and/or private hire vehicle drivers in some circumstances – Refer to the Taxi Licensing Policy [PDF, 2 MB]
• Attend and pass a Safeguarding & CSE Awareness course. The Safeguarding Course includes evidence that drivers can converse in English. Evidence could also be provided, such as qualification certificates. Please refer to the relevant section of this page for more information.
• Provide evidence of right to work in the UK.

The application form contains a checklist of what is required for your application. The Technical Hub are not able to provide free help or assistance with your application.

If you have ever lived in another local authority area, or worked as a Driver in another local authority area, we will contact that authority to ensure there is no information or intelligence that would prevent us from issuing you a licence.

Full details regarding any of the above criteria may be found in the Taxi Licensing Policy [PDF, 2MB].

We will conduct checks with the DVLA for all people who apply to be a licensed driver. This is to ensure that their DVLA driving licence is valid and any relevant endorsements on the licence may be reviewed. The paper counterpart to the photo card driving licence is no longer valid, nor issued, by the DVLA as of 8 June 2015.

Your driving summary is available on the DVLA website. You can use this service to create a licence ‘check code’ to share your driving record with us.
The ‘check code’ will give us the authority to check on your DVLA licence:

• the types of vehicles you can drive
• any penalty points or disqualifications you have
• the last eight characters of your driving licence number.

This code is a single-use code that expires after 21 days – please make sure you get it when you submit your application. Please note this code is case-sensitive; ensure you clearly indicate lower case and capital letters when providing the code. You should produce the Check Code to Licensing and not conduct the check yourself.

From 4 April 2022, applicants will be required to either complete a tax check with HMRC or confirm their understanding of their tax obligations.

If you are:

• renewing a licence
• applying for the same type of licence you previously held, that ceased to be valid less than a year ago
• applying for the same type of licence you already hold with another licensing authority

then you must complete a tax check with HMRC and provide the tax check code with your application. Otherwise, if you are applying for the first time, or you have only held a licence that have not been valid for over a year, you will be required to confirm your awareness of your tax responsibilities.

Drivers are required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and register for the Update Service. From 10 January 2024, we will not grant a licence unless the Driver is signed up to the DBS Update Service, as per The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Standards issued by the Department for Transport.

To register for the DBS Update Service, You will need the number of your Enhanced DBS Certificate. You must register for the Update Service within 30 days of the certificate being issued.

As from 25 May 2018 the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and Data Protection Act 2018 came into force, replacing the former Data Protection Act 1998. This has affected how your personal data can be used.  In order to process your application for a disclosure check, you must read and understand the Standard / Enhanced Check Privacy Policy.

When completing your application form you will need to sign to say you have read the policy and understand how the Disclosure Barring Service will process your personal data.  Please note that without this consent your application can not be processed.

You can find the fee for this licence by going to our fee register. Licences can be issued for a maximum of three years. If your Right to Work or DVLA licence expires during this time, the licence will be issued to coincide with that expiry.

If you require help in completing your application, you may book an appointment for assistance.

We offer an Application Checking Service, which is a set fee of £35. To book an appointment, please email licensing@northlincs.gov.uk.

Please note, the Technical Hub are unable to provide free help and advice in completing your application.

We will require original documents of the following to accompany your application:

• A minimum of three DBS documents (such as Passport, DVLA Driving Licence and a Council Tax or Utility Bill). Details of all of the documents we can accept are available on the Gov.uk website.
• Proof of Right to Work (if not provided with DBS documents). If you do not have a British Passport, a list of other documents we can accept is available on the Gov.uk website.
• A copy of both sides of your DVLA Photocard Driving licence (if not provided with DBS documents).

To provide your original documents please attend a DBS Drop-in Session. Drop-in sessions are held at Church Square House, 30-40 High Street, Scunthorpe, DN15 6NL.

Drop-in sessions are held on Tuesdays from 10 to 11.30am.

Why is Safeguarding Training required?

In accordance with the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued by the Department for Transport, we are required to provide Safeguarding Training to all drivers.

The Statutory Standards also require us to test language proficiency. Applicants for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Driver’s Licences must be able to demonstrate that they can read and write, and converse, in English. As such, our Safeguarding Training covers both oral and written language skills. Both the course and the test are only available in English. No translation or interpretation of the training or test is available.

All applicants must attend and pass Safeguarding Training before a licence will be granted, and again on renewal (a minimum of every three years).

What does the Training cover?

Our Safeguarding Training covers how to safeguard children and vulnerable adults, in addition to:

• Counter terrorism
• County lines
• CCE and CSE awareness
• Driver responsibilities and the consequences of inappropriate behaviour
• Modern day slavery.

How do I book?

All sessions are delivered in person. To book your place, please contact The Technical Hub on 01724 297750. Full payment is required to be taken over the phone at the time of booking. Once your place has been booked, you will receive a booking confirmation via email with more information.

Due to limited availability, renewal drivers will only be able to book onto a session two months before they expire. For example, if you expire in November, the earliest session you can book is September. This is to ensure that spaces on courses are correctly prioritised, so we can avoid drivers being unable to sit the training and ultimately be out of work. No restrictions apply for new drivers.

If you fail Safeguarding, you will be required to re-sit the course. Licences will not be granted (including renewals) until Safeguarding has been passed.

Additional Information

• There may be occasions when you are required to sit and pass an additional Safeguarding course if we have received information or a complaint about your behaviour.
• In accordance with our Taxi Licensing Policy, at times we may request other proof that you can read and write in English. This demonstration may be in the way of producing qualification certificates, at the discretion of Authorised Officers. For more information, please refer to our Policy: Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy
• Where a person has a diagnosed learning disability, such as dyslexia, there may be reasonable adjustments we can make. If you have learning disability, please send us a letter from your GP at the time of making an application. We can then organise these adjustments to suit your needs.

Licensed drivers are professional drivers charged with the responsibility of transporting the public. Their behaviour should be of the highest standard and a driver should not behave in a way which suggests there is a risk to public safety, or which brings disrepute to other members of the trade.

If you would like to make a complaint about a taxi driver, please contact us using the complaint form below.

Please provide as much information as possible, to enable us to take swift and appropriate action.

Knowledge Tests can be booked by calling 01724 297000. When you call to book, we will ask you which parts of the test you need to sit.

Hackney Carriage Drivers will be required to pass parts A, B and C of the Knowledge Test.

Private Hire Drivers will be required to pass parts C and D of the Knowledge Test.

One attempt of the test is included with your application fee. The re-sit fee is £47 for three additional attempts. Photo ID is required when you attend the Knowledge Test.

The Study Guide  is available here for you to read.

Under the Equality Act 2010, drivers of Hackney carriage and private hire vehicles have a legal obligation to carry passengers and assistance dogs and disabled persons. When carrying these passengers, drivers cannot charge any more than the metered fare; must allow the assistance dog to remain with the passenger and afford all reasonable assistance. The term “assistance dogs” refer to more than just guide dogs for blind people. It includes:

• Guide dogs for the blind – white harness with yellow fluorescent strips
• Hearing dogs for the deaf – burgundy jacket
• Dogs for the disabled (seven years to adult) – yellow jacket
• Dogs for the disabled (to work with children) – blue harness
• Canine partners (people with physical impairments) – purple jacket
• Support dogs (physical and other impairments) – blue jacket.

Under the Act, it is an offence for any operator or driver to refuse to carry assistance dogs. On conviction for such an offence, drivers can be fined up to £1,000.

Where a driver has an allergy to dogs, the driver must apply for an exemption from carrying assistance dogs.

To apply for an exemption, a driver must fill in an Exemption application form [PDF, 41Kb].

If no exemption has been applied for and subsequently granted, then drivers are still required to carry assistance dogs. Where an application is made to us for an exemption, it must be supported by medical evidence. The driver with the allergy should be under the care of a specialist consultant and will be required to produce reports from their consultant.

Mobility Assistance

The Equality Act 2010 places duties on drivers when carrying disabled passengers. Drivers must carry the passenger, carry the wheelchair or mobility aids they have, take reasonable steps to ensure they are safe and comfortable, provide mobility assistance and take reasonable steps to help the passenger identify and find the vehicle.

Drivers must also not make, or propose to make, any additional charge for the above.

Mobility assistance includes to enable the passenger to get into or out of the vehicle, and to load the passenger’s luggage, wheelchair, or mobility aids into or out of the vehicle.

Where driver has medical grounds or a physical condition that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult to perform this mobility assistance, they must apply for an exemption from these duties.

To apply for an exemption, drivers must complete and submit a Mobility Assistance Exemption Application Form [PDF, 120Kb]. An exemption only applies to the mobility assistance duties, and not to any other duties.

If no exemption has been applied for and subsequently granted, then drivers are still required to provide mobility assistance. Where an application is made to us for an exemption, it must be supported by medical evidence. The driver would be expected to be under the care of a specialist consultant and will be required to produce reports from their consultant in the first instance.

In July 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) published a document of National Standards, which sets out guidelines and recommendations to Local Authorities. The document contains a set of expected minimum standards in administering the licensing function and determining applicant fitness and proprietary that Licensing Authorities are expected to follow unless there is a compelling local reason not to.

The standards have been put in place to safeguard and protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation; however all passengers will benefit from the recommendations made. A key focus of the changes is also to build confidence in the taxi and private hire industry.

The recommendations are the result of detailed discussions with the trade, regulators and safety campaign groups. The DfT have outlined that they expect these recommendations to be not only implemented by Local Authorities, but also considered rigorously and with an open mind.

North Lincolnshire Council already maintains many of these standards through the Taxi Licensing Policy, adopted guidance and more broadly through internal safeguarding and whistleblowing policies. The document contains several additional standards that would further improve public safety. Where standards differ between the Licensing Policy and the DfT guidance, Licensing will apply the most stringent requirements.

Some of the key changes that Drivers may notice are:

Information Sharing

• Applicants will be required to disclose if they hold, or have previously held, a licence with another Local Authority. The applicant will also be required to disclose if they have had an application for a licence refused, or if a licence was revoked or suspended by another Local Authority. Licensing will continue to communicate with other Local Authorities to request or share information which may be relevant.

DBS Checks

• Drivers will soon be required to have a DBS check every six months. This check will be carried out by the DBS Update Service. As a result, all licensed drivers will be required to evidence continuous registration with the DBS Update Service to enable Licensing to routinely check for new information every six months. Drivers that do not subscribe to the Update Service will still be subject to a check every six months. There is a cost for the update service which is currently £13 per year. Alternatively the cost of a new DBS is currently £40.
• Previous convictions disclosed on applicants’ DBS certificates may be assessed differently following the new guidance. Any offences involving dishonesty, indecency or violence may require a longer rehabilitation period before a licence or renewal will be granted. Grandfather rights do not apply. Further information on how Licensing will assess previous convictions in line with the National Standards can be found in the Assessment of Previous Convictions.[PDF, 590Kb]
• Licensing will inform Humberside Police and the DBS if they receive any relevant information about a Driver, or if they decide to refuse or revoke a licence. This is particularly relevant if the Driver is thought to present a risk of harm to a child or vulnerable adult.

The National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S) is a central database in which licensing authorities must enter instances where they have revoked, suspended, or refused to grant or renew a taxi or PHV driver’s licence. As part of your application, we will check the database and if there are any results, contact the relevant local authority for more information.

Should your application be refused, or if you held a licence and that licence is revoked, suspended, or refused to be renewed, your details will be entered into the database. These details will be recorded on the database for 11 years.

Licensing authorities may also contact other bodies for other purposes, including a duty to report any safeguarding and road safety concerns about taxi and PHV drivers licensed in another area that area’s local authority.

For more information please see The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022 and corresponding guidance.

Taxi Driver Warning Points Appeal Form [PDF, 55 KB]

Hackney Carriage Byelaws [PDF, 35 KB]

Third Party Consent Form [PDF, 517Kb]