Applications for a Hackney carriage or Private Hire driver licence must be fully completed within 4 months of submission of the application form or any of the supporting documents. If more than 4 months passes, a new application and fee must be submitted. Once an application is opened no fees are refundable. No fees are pro rata.
The applicant must have held a DVLA driving licence for 1 year or more. Where an applicant has 7 or more points on their DVLA licence for minor traffic or similar offences, a licence will not be granted until at least 5 years have elapsed since the completion of any sentence imposed.
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 and criminal record.
The process for Hackney carriage and Private hire drivers is the same, the applicant will need to do the following steps to complete the new driver application:
Step 1: Read the Licensing Policy
Before opening an application, the applicant must read the Licensing Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire. The applicant will be required to declare they have read and understood this document when opening an application. If the applicant fails to meet any of the criteria in this document, they may not be granted a licence and their full application may be referred to Committee to be determined.
If the applicant has any criminal history regardless of age or country, this should be discussed with an Officer before applying.
If the applicant has any medical conditions and may not meet the Group 2 Medical standard, the applicant should refer to this guidance, ‘Assessing fitness to drive’, before applying.
Step 2: New driver application
The applicant is to complete the driver application form and return by e-mail to taxilicensing@tandridge.gov.uk with copy of valid passport, DVLA driving licence and if required any work permit/visa.
Once the application form has been received and reviewed, an officer will contact the applicant to book in a new driver appointment.
Step 3: New driver appointment
At this appointment the following is to be completed:
- identity check and right to work check.
- DVLA driver licence check.
- HMRC tax check (if required).
- the national register of suspended refused or revoked taxi licence check.
- knowledge test.
- DBS application.
This appointment will be in the Council Offices in Oxted and can take up to 2 hours.
The applicant must bring their:
- Original valid passport (or other photo ID).
- DVLA driver licence with their current address.
- If required, any right to work permit or visa.
- A bank statement or utility bill (no older than 3 months) or Council tax statement (no older than 1 year) with their current name and address on.
Step 4: Identity check, right to work check, DVLA driver licence check, HMRC tax code and national register check
The applicant’s original documents and right to work will be checked by an officer and relevant checks to be carried out.
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 should be included on the driver application form.
If the applicant has held a licence with any other authority within the last 12 months, a HMRC tax check share code must be provided.
Where drivers have been licensed with other authorities, we will carry out checks with those authorities for any information that may be relevant to the application being considered.
In addition, officers will use the National Anti-Fraud Network’s national register of taxi and Private hire vehicle driver licence refusals and revocations (known as NR3), to share information and mitigate the risk of non-disclosure of relevant information by applicants.
Step 5: Knowledge test
To ensure drivers provide a safe and efficient service and have a good knowledge of the District, the applicant must pass our Knowledge Test. The knowledge test comprising of 6 sections.
The sections are as follows:-
1. Highway code.
2. Road signs.
3. Law, conditions & policy.
4. Numeracy.
5. Places of interest.
6. Routes.
All drivers of hackney carriages must pass all sections of the knowledge test which totals 60 questions and will have 60 minutes to complete all sections.
All drivers of private hire vehicles must pass sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the knowledge test which totals 40 questions and will have 40 minutes to complete these sections.
The applicant will need to answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly in each section to obtain a pass certificate.
This will take place in a meeting room in reception at the Council Offices in Oxted.
The cost for this is £86.00, and each retest thereafter is £47.00
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 applicant’s overall knowledge of the local area.
An applicant may not sit the test more than 3 times in any 12 month period commencing on the date of their first test.
Step 6: Enhanced DBS certificate
An enhanced DBS check shows the applicants full criminal history. The DBS application will be completed at the new driver appointment.
5 years address history is required and any details of name changes.
A payment of £75.00 is required to the licensing department.
Step 7: DBS update service
Once the Enhanced DBS certificate is issued, all drivers must either sign up to the ‘DBS update service’, this is currently £16 per year or it will be a requirement to apply for an enhanced DBS every 6 months.
Step 8: Certificate of good conduct
If you have resided outside of the United Kingdom for more than 3 months at any time since the age of 18 years old, an authenticated certificate of good conduct from the relevant embassy will be required. All certificates of good conduct must be submitted in English or accompanied by a translation by a certified translator.
Step 9: Medical examination report
The applicant will need to have a medical examination report form completed by the applicants own GP where they are registered and they must have full medical history. If the medical is completed by another practice or company, it will be refused.
Until the grant of a licence, the medical is only valid for 3 months, if more than 3 months has passed and the process for a licence has not been completed, a new medical will need to be provided.
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.
Step 10: Disability Awareness Online Training
The applicant will need to complete the Disability Awareness Virtual Classroom Course online. By completing this course, the applicant will attain a certificate of completion, this will need to be provided to the licensing department.
Step 11: Taxi driver assessment
The applicant will need to complete the ‘Taxi Driver Assessment’ with the Blue Lamp Trust.
The assessment lasts 1 hour consisting of a driving licence and eyesight check, a 45 minute driving assessment across a variety of road types and a debrief. Each candidate will be asked 2 ‘show me / tell me’ questions. During the assessment drive they will be asked to perform 2 reversing manoeuvres, possibly an emergency stop and to drive independently of direction for a 10 minute period following road signs and directions to a particular destination.
A high level of driving competence is required. To pass you must have no serious or dangerous driving faults and no more than 9 driving faults.
Successful candidates will be issued with a copy of their marking sheet and certificate, this will need to be provided to the licensing department.
Step 12: Safeguarding Adults and Child Sexual Exploitation online training
The applicant will need to complete the Safeguarding & child Sexual exploitation training online. By completing this course, the applicant will attain a certificate of completion, this will need to be provided to the licensing department.
Application check
Once all the steps above are complete, an Officer will check all the submitted documents and complete any remaining relevant checks.
Application determination
Once all of the above has been completed, the licensing department review the whole application. If there is any query of the applicant being ‘fit and proper’, the whole application will be referred to the Committee who will determine the application, whether to grant or refuse. If the application is refused, this will be recorded on the National register of refused and revoked taxi driver licences.
Issuing of driver licence and badge
For the issue of the driver licence and the badge, a ‘passport sized’ photograph of the applicant and the licence fee must be provided.
The passport sized photograph of the applicant must be up to date and a true likeness.
The licence fees are as follows:
- Hackney carriage and Private hire (dual) drivers licence and badge costs £391.50 for a 3 year licence.
- Private Hire (only) drivers licence and badge costs £285.00 for a 3 year licence.