Vehicle licence FAQs - licence types and vehicle requirements

A vehicle licence allows a suitable vehicle to be used as a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle.

The licence helps the council make sure that the vehicle is safe, suitable, properly insured, and fit to carry passengers.

A hackney carriage (or 'taxi') can be hired straight away, including from a taxi rank or by being hailed in the street.

A private hire vehicle must be booked in advance through a licensed private hire operator. It cannot be hailed in the street or wait on a taxi rank for passengers.

Your vehicle must be:

• an eligible vehicle type, such as a purpose-built hackney carriage, taxi-specific vehicle, four-door saloon, passenger-carrying estate car, minibus, or multi-purpose vehicle;
• a four-wheel vehicle;
• suitable for carrying passengers safely and comfortably;
• approved for road use;
• right-hand drive;
• fitted with suitable seats and seat belts; and
• in good condition inside and outside.

The council must be satisfied that the vehicle is suitable for use as a licensed vehicle.

The vehicle must usually be able to carry at least four passengers and no more than eight passengers.

The council will decide the licensed passenger capacity based on the vehicle’s design, seating layout, space, and safety.

Licensed vehicles are generally not allowed to have side-facing passenger seats. Passenger seats must be safe, suitable, and fitted with seat belts.

Yes.

The vehicle must have enough space for a reasonable amount of luggage. The luggage space should be suitable for the number of passengers the vehicle is licensed to carry.

Possibly.

If the vehicle has been converted or adapted, for example from a van into a multi-seat vehicle, the council must be satisfied that the work has been carried out safely and that the vehicle has the correct approval.

You may need to provide evidence of Single Vehicle Approval or Individual Vehicle Approval, depending on the type of conversion.

No.

Licensing policies say that a vehicle will not be licensed if it has been recorded as a Category A, Category B, Category C, or Category S insurance write-off.

No, other than vehicles licensed by Wyre Forest District Council, which requires hackney carriage vehicles to be silver and private hire vehicles to be red.

No.

A vehicle will not be licensed if it is already licensed by another council as a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle.

You will need to surrender the licence issued by the other council before you can license it elsewhere.

Yes.

Each council has rules about how old a vehicle can be when it is first licensed and how old it can be when the licence is renewed.

The exact age limits differ between councils. Some councils also have different limits for electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, ultra-low emission vehicles, wheelchair accessible vehicles, and standard petrol or diesel vehicles.

More information on the types and ages of the vehicles can be found in each council's taxi licensing policy here: Taxi licensing policies

The age of the vehicle is calculated from the date of first registration shown on the vehicle registration certificate, known as the V5C (the 'logbook').

Often, yes.

Some councils allow electric, hydrogen, ultra-low emission, or wheelchair accessible vehicles to be licensed for longer than standard petrol or diesel vehicles.

The exact rules depend on the council and can be found in each council's taxi licensing policy.

Yes, in some areas.

For example, Wyre Forest District Council has a future rule that, from 1 January 2027, petrol, diesel, gas, and hybrid vehicles will not be allowed to enter the licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicle fleet.

Other councils use different approaches, so you should check the policy for the council you are applying to.

Yes.

Wheelchair accessible vehicles must meet the council’s accessibility and safety requirements. These include requirements for ramps, wheelchair restraints, access doors, and whether a passenger can travel while seated in their wheelchair.

Some councils only issue licences for new hackney carriages if the vehicle is wheelchair accessible. You should check the policy for the council you are applying to, to see if this restriction applies.

In some policies, yes.

Some councils allow wheelchair accessible vehicles to be licensed for longer than standard vehicles, to help maintain the availability of suitable vehicles for wheelchair users.

Yes, but you must tell the council before installing Closed-Circuit Television.

Any system must comply with data protection law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and Information Commissioner’s Office requirements. This includes rules about recording, storing, keeping, and using images.

See: Dashcams and UK GDPR: what small businesses need to know - Information Commissioner's Office