Hackney carriage licence

Page updated on: 14/08/2023

Hackney carriages are passenger carrying vehicles licensed and regulated by us. They are more commonly called taxis. Hackney carriages display a roof sign with the word ‘Taxi’ to the front and ‘Tacsi’ to the rear, and our logo on each side, along with door stickers on both front doors and a licence plate on the rear bumper.

All hackney carriage vehicles must be tested by our testing station where they are tested to our specified standard.

All hackney carriages are fitted with Taximeters, which calculate the fare. The fare must not exceed our maximum tariff - a card displaying our maximum tariff must be displayed, along with details of the taxi company's own lower charges.

Download a guide to taxi fares (.pdf)

Before submitting your application, you are advised to contact us to discuss the suitability of your vehicle as well as its insurance cover. We also advise you to read our conditions of licence for hackney carriages.

You can send applications to us in the post, however we encourage you to make your application in person at one of our customer service centres. You will need to provide the following items:

  • Completed application form (with all sections completed)
  • Vehicle log book (V5)
  • Valid MOT (required 12 months from date of first registration)
  • Licence fee
  • Insurance for public and private hire

You can send applications to us in the post, however we encourage you to make your application in person at one of our customer service centres. You will need to provide the following items:

  • Completed application form
  • Transfer fee
  • Valid insurance document
  • Vehicle registration document / bill of sale

Download application form (.pdf)

As a public body, we are under a duty to protect the public funds that we administer, and to this end we may use the information provided to us on application forms for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes