Private hire vehicle licence

Page updated on: 14/08/2023

Private hire vehicles may be saloon cars or people carrier style vehicles and minibuses. They do not have roof signage but can be distinguished by a rectangular yellow licence plate to the rear bumper and a round yellow sticker to each front door.

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

Before submitting your application, you are advised to contact us to discuss the suitability of your vehicle as well as its insurance cover.

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 (three years from date of first registration)
  • Licence fee
  • Insurance for private hire use

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 an 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.