Becoming a Taxi Driver

This section should be read by anyone wishing to obtain a hackney carriage/private hire vehicle driver’s licence which will enable them to drive a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle licensed in  Erewash. 

To become a new driver you must first email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will receive all the relevant details attached to the response. You must then complete the relevant forms and then make an appointment to see an officer by contacting the licensing department on 0115 907 1110. You will not be seen without an appointment. Payment for the application must also be made on the day.

Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022

On 28 June, the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (“The 2022 Act”) will take effect in England, Scotland, and Wales . It will amend the Equality Act 2010 to introduce new, and amend existing, duties for local authorities and taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers and operators alike. The 2022 Act aims to ensure that disabled people can use taxi and PHV services with confidence that they will not be discriminated against, and local authorities have an important role to play in ensuring the requirements are implemented effectively.

The existing legislation requires drivers of designated wheelchair accessible vehicles to accept the carriage of wheelchair users, provide them with reasonable mobility assistance, and refrain from charging them more than other passengers. From 28 June, all taxi and PHV drivers and operators – regardless of whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible – will be subject to duties under the Equality Act. The main changes are set out below.

Taxi and PHV drivers will be required to:

•  Accept the carriage of any disabled person, provide them with reasonable mobility assistance, and carry their mobility aids, all without charging any more than they would for a non-disabled passenger.

•  Provide any disabled passenger who requests it with assistance to identify the vehicle, at no extra charge.

PHV operators will be required to:

•  Accept bookings for or on behalf of any disabled person, if they have a suitable vehicle available.

Tax Conditionality for Taxi drivers and Private Hire Operators

The government is putting in place new tax requirements for applications to certain licences from 4 April 2022. This is supported by a new digital service, being developed by HMRC. It helps people in the taxi and private hire industries to complete a new tax check.

Most people are registered to pay tax and this is about ensuring everyone pays the tax they should, creating a level playing field for the compliant majority. HMRC are working with industry bodies to make this as straightforward as possible. The check should take a few minutes every few years and is simply to confirm that someone is appropriately registered for tax.

You’ll need to complete a tax check when you renew your licence as a:

  • driver of a taxi (hackney carriage)
  • driver of a private hire vehicle (and dual licences)
  • private hire vehicle operator

Please refer to the Tax Check Factsheet so you understand what is required as this will apply to all renewals and new applicants. 

If you have any further questions, please find more information at Changes for taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence applications from April 2022 or contact the Licensing Team.

Do you qualify for a driving licence?

To qualify for a licence application you must:

  • Have held a full, current driver's licence for at least 12 months.
  • Undertake a practical driving assessment.
  • Be a fit and proper person and subscribe to the online Disclosure and Barring Update Service (DBS).
  • Pass a medical examination under Group 2 medical standards, undertaken by your own doctor.
  • Pass the knowledge test containing questions on licence conditions, disability & safeguarding issues, local area knowledge and the Highway Code.
  • Have the right to work in the United Kingdom.
  • Undergo safeguarding training when required

Age limit

There are no minimum or maximum age limits for applicants who wish to hold a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver's licence with Erewash Borough Council. However, applicants must have held a full, current driving licence for at least 12 months. Applicants must also satisfy all other checks and requirements of the application process, including regular medical checks dependent on their age and medical fitness.

Driving Licence

You must have held a full driving licence (not a provisional licence) for at least 12 months.

The driving licence should show your current address and we will not accept any Driving Licence which shows any other address. Please note it is a criminal offence not to notify the DVLA of a change of address. You could be fined up to £1000.

Your driving licence must be produced at the time of your application. The Council will require checking licence details with the DVLA, Swansea and for this purpose you are required to complete the form of authorisation attached to the application form.

Practical Driving Assessment

Unfortunately the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (The DVSA) is no longer running its Private Hire Assessment for taxi drivers, the qualification previously required by Erewash Borough Council as part of the application process to become a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver.

Until such time as a permanent new provider is decided upon to replace the DVSA test it has been decided that in the interim period any new applicants to Erewash Borough Council may undertake any of the practical driving assessments listed below - these will temporarily replace the DVSA driving assessment:

  1. The Blue Lamp Trust.
  2. Diamond Advanced Motorists.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

You will need to undergo a police check and subscribe to the online Disclosure and Barring Update Service.

For new applicants you must first Complete an enhanced DBS disclosure application form. These can be obtained from the Civic Centre, Long Eaton. Please ring the Licensing Department 0115 907 2244 x3120. This form must be completed and submitted to the licensing department at Erewash Borough Council, accompanied by the appropriate proof of identity,  where the form will be countersigned by a licensing officer for you. A list of acceptable documents is provided with the application form.

More information about the Disclosure & Barring Service can be found on the Home Office website.

The DBS will then send you a copy of any the disclosure certificate; this can take up to 8 weeks to be processed by both the DBS and the police.  You must then show your certificate to the licensing department. Once this information has been received, the application will be determined subject to the guidelines adopted by the Council. 

For enquires regarding the progress of your application contact the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) by telephoning 0870 9090 811 and quote the following customer reference number 20042500005. Alternatively, the progress of your DBS application can be tracked online by visiting the DBS tracking service.

Once you have received your disclosure certificate from the DBS you must subscribe to their online DBS update service within 30 days, at a cost of £13 a year (£16 from 2  Decemember 2024). This will allow you  to keep your criminal record certificate up to date, and take it from role to role within the same workforce, including Derbyshire County Council school contracts. Being subscribed to the service will also mean that employers will be able to carry out free, online checks of an your disclosure certificate (with your consent) to check that it is up to date, and you will not be required to submit a new certificate every three years as is normally the case for licensed taxi drivers. Speak to a licensing officer if you require more information on this service.

Please note: Any foreign national or applicant who has lived abroad for six continuous months or more within the past five years will be required to produce a document from the relevant Government department or Embassy of their country of origin, or last place of residence if more appropriate, which provides a comprehensive criminal record. This document must provide contact details of the Government department or Embassy in order that officers may verify its authenticity. All costs in respect of this documentation will be borne by the applicant. This documentation will be addition to the DBS certificate.

For more information please consult the Home Office Guidance for contacting overseas bodies for criminal records checks or contact the licensing department.

Immigration Act 2016 - Right to work in the UK

The Immigration Act 2016 was introduced as law on 1 December 2016 and this has meant that we have had to make some changes to how we process new and renewal applications for all taxi drivers. 

Under Schedule 5 of the Immigration Act 2016, all councils must now make sure that licences are not issued to people who do not have a right to a licence.  This includes those illegally present in the UK, those not permitted to work in the UK, or those permitted to work in the UK but who are subject to a condition that stops them from holding a hackney carriage/private hire licence driver's licence.

The checks that we now have to complete are for people of all nationalities, including UK citizens and must be completed by everyone who wants to apply for a hackney carriage/private hire driver's  licence or a private hire operator's licence. 

This means that licensing officers will now need to see proof of right to work in the UK for every new applicant and every existing licence holder. Please contact the licensing team if you need further information about what documents are acceptable to prove the right to work in the UK.  Original documents only will be accepted. We cannot accept photocopies.

Home Office online right to work checking service

As an alternative to providing a copy of the documents listed above, applicants may demonstrate their right to work by allowing the licensing authority to carry out a check with the Home Office online right to work service.

To demonstrate their right to work via the Home Office online right to work checking service, applicants should include in this application their 9 digit share code (provided to them when accessing the service. This, along with the applicant’s date of birth (provided within the application form) will allow the licensing authority to carry out the check.

In order to establish the applicant’s right to work, the check will need to indicate that the applicant is allowed to work in the United Kingdom and is not subject to a condition preventing them from doing work relating to the driving of a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle. An online check will not be possible in all circumstances because not all applicants will have an immigration status that can be checked online.

The Home Office online right to work checking service sets out what information and/or documentation applicants will need to access the service. Applicants who are unable to obtain a share code from the online service should submit documents to the licensing authority as set out above.

The licensing team will aim to avoid duplicating or repeatedly checking documents.  However, the checks have to be done for every new applicant and also for every licence driver renewal for existing licence holders in the future.

Previous Convictions

Even though you have agreed to a Criminal Record Check with the Disclosure & Barring Service you must disclose all unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings held against you. Formal caution means a caution which is recorded in writing where the applicant has admitted guilt for the offence and accepted the caution.

If you have previous convictions your application may be referred to the Council's Licensing and Public Protection Committee for determination. You will be invited to attend the meeting to speak in support of your application. The Committee will then decide whether they consider you a 'fit and proper person' to hold a licence.

Medicals

DVLA Group 2  Medical standards are required for our licensed drivers, and Group 2 assessments are to be carried out by the applicant's own doctor. The doctor must then sign a declaration that they have had access to the applicant's medical records and that he/she is considered fit/unfit to drive a vehicle under Group 2 medical standards. D4 medical forms can be obtained from the licensing department at the Civic Centre, Long Eaton or alternatively, the D4 Medical Form can be downloaded, along with some guidance notes regarding the form.

The medical examination will be carried out in accordance with Group 2 requirements recommended by the Medical Commission for Accident Prevention.  The publication 'Assessing Fitness to Drive - a guide for medical professionals recommends that taxi drivers (meaning both hackney carriage and private hire drivers) together with bus drivers and lorry drivers, are required to meet Group 2 standards. In most cases the medical standards for Group 2 drivers are substantially higher than for Group 1 drivers. This is because of the size and weight of the vehicle or the length of time an occupational driver typically spends at the wheel.

Applicants for a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Driver's Licence will be required to undertake a medical at the following times:

  • On initial application

  • At the age of 45, and then every five years up to the age of 65 (50, 55, 60, 65) unless restricted to a shorter period for medical reasons.

  • At the age of 65 medicals will be required annually without an upper age limit.

  • If  a driver is diagnosed with a medical condition which may affect his or her driving ability at any time, the Council may require either more frequent medical checks and/or supporting evidence from medical specialists or consultants.

Knowledge Tests

You will need to make arrangements with the Licensing Officer to take a knowledge test. Tests are normally held once a month at Long Eaton Town Hall.

The test comprises of a four part written paper and will last for one hour. Part 1 contains questions on Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Driver and vehicle licence conditions; Part 2 contains questions on disability and safeguarding issues: Part 3 contains questions on local area knowledge; Part 4 contains questions on the Highway Code & road safety.

You must answer at least 70% of the questions correctly from each section correctly in order to pass the knowledge test. The Drivers Licence Conditions can be found in  Guidance Booklet - Drivers. The Vehicle Licence Conditions can be found in Guidance Booklet - Vehicles.

Guidance on safeguarding and disability issues can be found on the Safeguarding page. 

A Disability Awareness e - learning training course is also available to assist applicants with the knowledge test and the module can be  accessed from either your home PC or any of the PC's located within the public reception areas at Long Eaton & Ilkeston Town Halls. The course has been designed to raise disability awareness within the taxi trade. Access details will be included in the application pack for new drivers or alternatively contact the licensing office.

A fee is payable to undertake the knowledge test. If you fail the examination a retest fee will be incurred and the test must be retaken up to a period of three months following the first test.  Any candidate failing the examination three times will have to reapply as a new applicant.

The Application Process:

In summary, to complete the application process you will require the following:

  • A full, current driving licence with the correct address listed.
  • A Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency 'Private Hire' Assessment pass certificate.
  • A completed 'Enhanced' Disclosure & Barring Service application form. You will also need to bring in the required proof of identity as stated on the guidance, such as a passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate etc. You may also need a further means of identification. The following are acceptable – current driving licence, bank statement or a utility bill (not mobile phone) showing name and address.
  • A completed D4 medical form and declaration signed by your doctor stating that you are fit to drive under Group 2 medical requirements.
  • Evidence of the right to work in the United Kingdom.
  • You will need to take and pass a knowledge test – arrangements to be made with the licensing officer dealing with your application.
  • Undergo safeguarding training as instructed by the licensing section. This is required every 3 years whilst licensed as a taxi driver.

You will also require:

  • A completed Driver Application Form – This will include a form of authorisation which will be sent to DVLA Swansea in order to check your details. These forms are also available from the licensing section.
  • A passport type photograph for use on the driver’s badge to be issued in the event of the application being approved.
  • The correct licence fee. See Taxi licensing Fees below. Cheques should be made payable to Erewash Borough Council.

Applications can only be accepted if made in person, postal applications will NOT be accepted and will be returned.

Taxi licensing  - Fees

The fee for a 3 year driver's licence is £245.  A 1 year driver's licence is £85.

The fee for a knowledge test is £38

The fee for a DBS check is £38 (£49.50 from December 2 2024)

The fee for medicals will be administered by you own doctor. The fee for the practical driving test is governed by the Blue Lamp Trust or Diamond Advanced Motorists and is payable to these agencies direct.

Prevent Awareness Online Training

This E-learning package is voluntary, and has been developed by the government as an introduction to the risks of radicalisation, and the role that professionals and practitioners can play in supporting those that may be at risk.

For many in the Public Sector, completing this training will meet the Prevent Duty requirement, so they are better prepared to safeguard vulnerable people from being radicalised to supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists themselves – whatever form of terrorism they are being drawn to. Please see Prevent E-learning training.

Further Information

If you require any further information or advice about your application you should contact the Licensing Officer by telephone or email at the following address:

Licensing Office
Erewash Borough Council
Civic Centre
Derby Road
Long Eaton
Derbyshire 
NG10  1HU

Call: 0115 9071110
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.