We are currently experiencing a high volume of applications. The processing time is at least 12 weeks (3 months) for a driver application. Depending on circumstances, this may be longer. Please do not apply if you are unable to wait for this amount of time.
Apply to drive a Private Hire or Hackney Carriage vehicle.
To apply for a licence to drive either a private hire or hackney carriage vehicle you should read our guidance document to understand the relevant process and the stages.
Apply to drive a Private Hire or Hackney Carriage vehicle (opens in new tab)Application process
WARNING! Incomplete applications will be rejected. A face to face interview and the completion of a knowledge test will be arranged towards the end of the application process. This will be around 12 weeks after the submission of a complete application.
You must have:
- The right to work in the UK.
- A UK driving licence.
- Been licensed to drive a car for at least 3 years.
What you will need to submit with your application
You must provide an Enhanced DBS check that is registered on the DBS update service. To obtain one of these for the purpose of holding a Hertsmere Licence you can apply online via our supplier: TAXIPLUS
It is a requirement that your Enhanced DBS is registered on the update service. Taxi plus can assist you with this when you apply.
You must ensure that you provide a copy of your DBS to us as soon as you receive it.
You will need to prove your identity by providing us with a number of identity documents. This is used to verify that you are who you say are, allow us to ensure you have the right entitlements and carry out the relevant criminal record check.
The easiest set of documents to provide us with are:
- Passport / Biometric residents permit
- DVLA driving licence
- A bank statement or utility bill issued within the last 3 months.
There are however other documents we can accept if you do not have the above, such as a birth certificate or an immigration document. View a full list of acceptable identification documents.
You must provide two full colour passport sized photographs that reflect your current appearance, clearly show your face against a pale background. Glasses or headwear of any kind should not be worn.
You must provide a certificate confirming that your standard of driving is suitable for conveying members of the public around in your vehicle. You can undertake this assessment by booking with one of the following authorised providers:
Taxi assessment - Diamond Advanced Motorists
Taxi Driver Assessments - Green Penny
Taxi Driver Assessment - Mann Fleet Taxi Testing
We have approved both providers as competent to assess its drivers and does not recommend one over the other. Applicants should choose which provider is most suitable for them. There are two types of assessment provided by both companies.
- Standard (all drivers) and
- Enhanced (drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles only).
The Enhanced assessment is the same as the standard one but with an additional wheelchair assessment. If you intend to drive a WAV or a Hackney Carriage you will need to pass the enhanced assessment. However, the wheelchair assessment can be done separately should you chose to drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle at a later date.
You must complete a safeguarding course. The course is undertaken virtually via zoom and a certificate is produced upon completion of the course. The content includes training on ‘safeguarding’ issues such as Child Sexual and Criminal Exploitation, Human Trafficking, Modern Slavery and Domestic Abuse, identifying adults at risk and other vulnerable people. The nature of a licensed drivers' role in society means that they may convey passengers who are not only vulnerable but in danger. By knowing what warning signs to look out for, licensed drivers can help save lives.
The course length is around three hours, it is conduct online as part of a virtual classroom with other applicants. There is a fee payable directly to the service provider and you should contact them for more details.
You can book this with one of our service providers
If you have not held a DVLA licence for three years or your licence has not been issued in by the DVLA you may still be allowed to apply but should contact us first by email: licensing.taxis@hertsmere.gov.uk
When completing your application you will need to provide a DVLA share code which you can obtain here: View or share your driving licence information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The majority of licensed drivers are self-employed and therefore you must be entitled to work in the UK as a self-employed person. To prove your right to work you are encouraged to obtain a share code online from the government website: Prove your right to work to an employer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you are not able to obtain a share code, or you are a British or Irish citizen, you will need to provide documentary proof. If you do not have the right to work as a self-employed person in the UK and wish to be licensed to work as an employee of a business, further information such as contracts and proof of tax and national insurance contributions from the employer will be needed.
If you have spent six months or more resident in any country outside of the UK you must provide us with a certificate from that country confirming whether or not you committed any criminal or driving offences in that country. You can find out how to obtain this from this government website: Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
You must download our Medical Form (opens in new tab) and have it completed by your GP or surgery that you are registered with and who has access to your full medical records.
You should book an appointment with your GP to be assessed in accordance with the DVLA group 2 medical standards and have your GP complete our form. Our certificate needs to be completed no more than one calendar month before you submit your application. We will not consider it valid if it is completion is over a month old when you apply.
You must also register the certificate on the DBS update service. www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.
We may be able to accept a certificate that you have already registered on the update service, provided you can give to us the original copy of that certificate.
Once we have received your application we will arrange for an interview with you where we will confirm your identity and seek to establish that you are suitable to work as a licensed driver. We will do this by asking you a series of questions to assess if you have sufficient understanding of the rules and conditions that will be applicable to you as a licensed driver and a sufficient level of English speaking and listening skills. This interview is an informal way of assessing your knowledge without requiring applicants to sit a formal knowledge test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please e-mail licensing.taxis@hertsmere.gov.uk. or call direct 0208 207 7533
We receive a large number of calls and may not always be able to answer you. Please do not call us for an update on your application. For data protection reasons we cannot give you any information over the phone.
Please do not call to book appointment. When an appointment is necessary we will contact you.
Please do not call asking for information about how to apply or what to submit. This is contained on this page.
Due to the volume of applications currently being received it may take us 2 weeks to validate your application. Request for information from sources such as other licensing authorities or the police takes around a month. You should then expect to wait a further 2 weeks for a decision to be made on routine application. Some applications will take longer.
The processing time is therefore between 8 and 12 weeks.
We cannot control how long your DBS takes or how long it takes to obtain an appointment with a GP, or to do the Driving or Safeguarding course. You must obtain these before you apply.
We have a policy which sets out our considerations. Any conviction (even if spent) must be declared to us. When considering individuals with convictions we will look at the nature of the offences, the number of offences and the time that has passed since they were committed.
Individuals who pose any danger to the public, such as those with convictions for serious violent offences or sexual offences, will not be licensed.
You will need to pass a driving test before we licence you. Drivers with 6 DVLA points or fewer will normally be granted a licence if there are no concerns following their test or previous history.
Drivers with 9 points may be granted a licence if there are mitigating factors that we consider reasonable to allow us to depart from our policy.
A history of endorsements may prevent a licence being granted.
If your DVLA licence was revoked for Totting up we may licence you once a year has past following the return of your DVLA licence - provided you have no further offences.
If your licence was revoked due to drink driving, dangerous driving or similar we may not licence you until some considerable time has past since the return of your licence. Serious matters will however result in no licence being granted.