Hackney carriage and private hire policy

What is the hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy?

In line with the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976, as the Licensing Authority, we've adopted a policy setting out how we administrate the licensing of the hackney carriage and private hire trade.

The policy outlines how:

• we process applications;
• enforce the above legislation, and;
• how decisions are made.

See Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy January 2019 to read the current policy.

New policy will take effect from 1st January 2025, see Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy - January 2025 to read the future policy.

Disclosure and Barring Services Update

All drivers must sign up to the DBS Update Service. This allows the Licensing Team to conduct DBS checks when necessary. As a norm, these checks will be carried out every 6 months.

You are responsible for subscribing to this service with the DBS and then keeping it active. It costs £16.00 per year and you can register in one of two ways:

• If you are in the process of getting your enhanced DBS check, you can register with your DBS application reference number (called the ‘form ref’). This must be done within 28 days of the DBS application.
• If you have already completed an enhanced DBS check and you have your certificate, you can register with your certificate number. This must be done within 30 days of the certificate being issued.

The Licensing Team have produced extended guidance on DBS checks and the Update Service and this can be found here:  Hackney carriage and private hire - Drivers

Additional information on the Update Service can be found directly on the DBS website.

You must keep your DBS certificate safe and secure while you hold a licence. Failing to provide it to us when requested, or failing to keep your subscription to the Update Service active, may result in your licence being suspended.

You can find further information and guidance on operating as a licenced driver in our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers Handbook.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the above documents, please contact us.