Private hire operator's licence

Private hire operator's licence applicants are required to operate from a base. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that any relevant planning permission is in place for their premises.

The operator must comply with our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

What you must do

To apply for a private hire operator's licence, the following will be required:

• complete the online form - Apply for an operator licence
• public liability insurance (if the premises is open to general members of the public)
• provide an annual basic DBS check (this will not be required if you are already a licensed driver)
• the relevant operators licence fee from the table below

All licences with regard to private hire such as driver and vehicle licences must be held for the business to operate legally. It is the responsibility of an operator to ensure that all vehicles and drivers working from their office are licensed.

Operators are required to maintain various records relating to the operation of the business and regularly submit lists of vehicles and drivers operated by them. See appendix 5 of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023 to 2027 (PDF, 751 KB) for full information.

What we must do

We are legally obliged to:

• assess your application
• inform you of our decision
• inform you of your right to appeal if refused             

We are obliged to disclose relevant information to other organisations when requested, such as:

• Inland Revenue
• Police
• Department for Work and Pensions
• HM Revenues and Customs