Taxi driver licences

How to apply for a licence

Anyone driving a hackney carriage or a private hire vehicle in the Vale of White Horse District must have been granted a licence under the provisions of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. In deciding whether to license applicants, the council must satisfy itself that such applicants are fit and proper persons to hold drivers licences.

To apply for a licence, you must submit a driver application form together with the fee and two passport size photos - the form can be downloaded from the right of the page.

Also required is a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure application form. This form should be brought to the council, together with:

• A full driving licence (photocard and counterpart or paper licence)
• Passport
• Proof of current address such as a utility bill or credit card statement

All applicants must also submit a certificate of medical examination duly completed by their own Registered Medical Practitioner. The certificate, which your doctor needs to fill in, can be downloaded from the right of the page. A fee will be payable direct to your doctor for this service. A certificate of medical examination has to be submitted once every three years and this becomes an annual requirement upon reaching the age of 65.

As of the 1st April 2008 all new applicants for the issue of a licence to drive either Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicles are required to sit a written knowledge test. A non-refundable fee of £40 is payable at the time of application.

How to renew a licence

If you wish to renew an existing driver's licence, you must go through the same process as set out above and pay the same fee. However, you will only need to go through the CRB disclosure process once every three years. Please use the application renewal form, which can be downloaded from the right of the page.

The council aims to process renewal applications within four weeks. However, it depends upon the length of time taken to issue a disclosure by the Criminal Records Bureau, which can be from four to eight weeks. Applicants are therefore advised to apply in sufficient time before the expiry of their current licence.