Any person accepting or offering to accept bookings for private hire vehicles must hold a private hire operator's licence issued by the Licensing Authority.
Operator Licences
Only the holder of a Private Hire Operator's Licence may accept bookings for a Private Hire Vehicle. The Operator's Licence must be issued by the same Licensing Authority as issued the Private Hire Vehicle and Driver Licence.
Before a Private Hire Operator Licence is granted, the applicant must satisfy the Council that the address from which they intend to operate is suitable and, where applicable, satisfy any conditions that may be attached to the licence in order not to disturb the ambience of the area
It is expected that applicants will have obtained the relevant planning permission for use of their premises.
A private hire operator must keep a written record of all bookings, which must include:
- The time of the booking
- The name of the customer
- The pick-up point
- The destination
- The details of the vehicle assigned to the booking
Once taken, the booking can be passed onto the appointed driver. Under no circumstances can the driver of a private hire vehicle accept a fare by any other means and shall be guilty of an offence if doing so. This applies even if the driver also holds authority to drive a hackney carriage vehicle.
Once licensed, the vehicle is always a private hire vehicle and can only be driven by the holder of a private hire driver's licence, which must be issued by the same licensing authority.
An authorised officer has the right to visit an operator at any time to examine these records. It is an offence not to allow reasonable access to the information.
Applications
To submit an application the following documents are required:
- Completed application form
- Fee
Apply for a Private Hire Operators Licence
Fees
You can find the fees on our Licensing Fees page.
Renewal of Licences
Private Hire Vehicle Licences must be renewed each year. A reminder will be issued by the Licensing Authority in advance of the expiry date.