Applicants must be over 21 years old and have held a DVLA driving licence for 1 year or more.
The applicant must be a 'fit and proper person' - which means their background and character will be checked. The licensing department will look at medical fitness, driving record, criminal record and character references.
Before opening an application, the applicant must read the ‘Policy regarding the relevance of convictions and other related information’ and ‘Guidance for proprietors and drivers of Hackney carriage and private hire vehicles’. The applicant will be asked to declare they have read and understood both of these documents when opening an application. If the applicant fails to meet any of the criteria in these documents, they will not be granted a licence.
The process for Hackney carriage and private hire drivers is the same, the applicant will need to do the following to complete the new driver application:
Through the Taxi Licensing Department at Tandridge District Council (TDC):
Once an application is opened no fees are refundable. No fees are pro rata.
- New driver application: Complete the new driver application form and return by e-mailing taxi licensing with copy of valid passport, DVLA driving licence and any work permit/visa. Then contact the licensing department on 01883 732850 to make the initial payment of £281. If the applicant lives outside the Tandridge district, they need to provide a supporting statement outlining why they have applied to us and not to their own local authority, including how they plan to support the local community.
- Right to work check: The applicant’s identification documents will be checked, they will need to provide their original passport (or other photo ID), DVLA driving licence and any work permit/visa.
- DVLA driving licence & check: The applicant must have held their driving licence for 1 year or more. The applicant will need to ‘share driving licence information’ for the licensing department to view their driving licence record. The share code must be included on the new driver application form.
- Character references: On the new driver application, the applicant is required to provide 2 character references. The licensing department will contact these individuals to verify the applicant is a ‘Fit and proper’ person to hold a licence.
- Enhanced DBS certificate: Once the new driver application and payment is completed, the licensing department will setup the applicant to apply for an enhanced DBS and a link will be sent to the applicants email address to begin the DBS application. A payment of £60 is required to the licensing department by calling 01883 732850.
Once the Enhanced DBS certificate is issued, all drivers must sign up to the ‘DBS update service’, this is currently £13 per year.
- Knowledge test: A 40 minute multiple choice test is required comprising 40 random question. The applicant will need to answer the following to obtain a pass certificate: 24 questions correctly out of 32 for the local area, 3 questions correctly out of 4 for the Highway Code and 3 questions correctly out of 4 for the Tandridge District Council procedures. The cost for this is £81.25, each retest thereafter is £44.25. The applicant will need to arrange this with the licensing officer and will take place in a meeting room in reception at the Oxted Council offices.
The guide 'Tandridge official guide and street plan' available on our website may be of assistance, this is not definitive to what may be asked in the knowledge test. The knowledge test is to determine the applicants overall knowledge of the local area.
Independent (outside of TDC)
- Medical: The applicant will need to arrange and pay for this locally with their own GP. The ‘medical examination report form’ must be completed by the applicants own GP where they are registered. If the medical is completed by another practice, it will be refused.
Please check the ‘Assessing fitness to drive’ document before paying for the medical, the licensing department apply the DVLA group 2 standard, the same as bus, coach and lorry drivers.
- Advanced driving test: The applicant will need to arrange and pay for the ‘Taxi Driver Assessment’ with Blue Lamp Trust and provide the pass certificate to the licensing department.
We do not Dual Licence so if the applicant decides to open an application with us, they will need to surrender any other taxi licence that is currently held with any other authority before the licence is granted.
When the above new driver application process above is complete the following is required to grant the licence:
Drivers licence and badge
All new applicants are required to apply for a 3 year drivers licence and badge, unless adequate reasons are provided and a 1 year drivers licence and badge may be issued.
The following needs to be submitted to apply:
- Driver badge and licence application
- 2 passport sized photographs – one of these will be used for making the driver badge and the other is kept for licensing records.
- Relevant fee – as follows:
- A Hackney Carriage drivers licence and badge costs £336 for a 3 year licence. If adequate reasons are provided the cost is £112 for a 1 year licence.
- A Private Hire drivers licence and badge costs £233.25 for 3 year licence. If adequate reasons are provided the cost is £77.75 for a 1 year licence.