Taxi driver licences - Private Hire and Hackney Carriage
Applications for licences, both new and renewals, are now made exclusively online through the Council’s Licensing Portal.
We strongly advise that you submit your application and evidence well in advance, with a minimum of two weeks prior to your renewal date or the date you are aiming to start work.
We will only consider an application when the online form has been submitted, all required evidence has been submitted and full payment has been made for the appropriate charge.
You will only need to make an appointment to verify your identify for either your DBS or a Right to Work check, or to collect your badge(s) where you are being granted your licence for the first time.
Please read the information below carefully for an explanation of the various checks you will need to complete or provide evidence of to the Council.
Before you begin your application, please ensure you have an up-to-date DVLA Photocard Driving Licence. This license must also hold your current address and match the home address on your application. You must have held your full licence for a minimum of three (3) years before application.
To allow the Council to check the status of your driving licence, we will require you to provide a DVLA Check Code. This can be generated online at gov.uk, and you will need your driving licence number, national insurance number and postcode to generate this code.
The council is required to undertake a check of your right to work within the UK. This will be completed at the time of granting your licence, please ensure you are able to prove your right to work prior to completing your application. Information on documents which can be used to verify your right to work are available from Gov.uk.
Applicants with immigration status may prove their right to work using the Government share code system.
All drivers must provide the council with an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service disclosure – Basic or Standard disclosures will not be accepted. The certificate must state ‘Other Workforce Taxi Driver’ as your occupation, with both barring lists being checked.
If you have an existing acceptable DBS issued within the last three years, you are welcome to submit this – however if your DBS is older than three months then you will need to have a Statutory Declaration signed by your solicitors.
If you need a new disclosure, you can apply though the Council’s partner – Taxi Plus. Once you have submitted your application online, you will need to book an appointment with a member of our team for your Identity Verification – this can be done by calling our team on 0300 373 3730 and selecting the options for the Allerdale area and licensing. Please ensure that you have, and can bring with you, all the documents you will be using for this verification – a full checklist is available on the Taxi Plus website.
Once you have obtained a new disclosure, you must then subscribe to the Disclosure and Barring Update Service within 28 days. This will enable the Council, and others whom you permit, to check DBS records without the need for you to pay for a new disclosure. There is a subscription fee for this service.
Work completed for Cumberland Council on school or adult transport will not be covered by this DBS, and you will need to apply for an additional disclosure with the relevant occupation listed from the Transport Team.
Please note we are unable to accept scanned copies of a DBS certificate. Please provide your original document to the Council in person or by post. This will be returned to you upon completion of your application.
Drivers are required to undergo medical checks prior to their licence being granted and at regular intervals once they have reached a certain age. The frequency of these examinations are:
- Ages 18 – 46: Your first medical completed for your initial application will remain valid until your 46th birthday
- Ages 46 – 65: You will be required to complete your medical after your 46th birthday, and every three years after until the age of 65
- Aged 65 and over: You will need to undergo the medical examination again every year after your 65th birthday
Please note:Your GP may recommend more frequent medical examinations which must be adhered to.
Medicals must be completed by a qualified and registered medical practitioner who must have access to your GP medical records. You must take a copy of our medical form to the appointment for the practitioner to complete.
Medicals are only valid for 28 days once completed. The date of grant or renewal of any licence must fall within this 28-day window.
New drivers are required to complete a driving assessment with the councils approved contractor Green Penny. This can be booked by calling 0330 111 7230 or online.
You do not have to take the driving assessment (exemptions) if you are a driving instructor, driving examiner, or hold driving categories D and D1 together with a driver qualification card which is valid for five years and shows that 35 hours of approved training courses have been completed. Evidence is required for all exemptions.
All assessments will be carried out in the Former Allerdale area.
Drivers are required to undertake the knowledge test to demonstrate their understanding of the Highway Code, tariffs and fares, safeguarding, compliance, disability awareness and the local area.
You must achieve 80% to pass the test.
You can attempt to pass the test as many times as possible, though you do have to pay again if you fail. The fee of £48 (inclusive of VAT) is payable online when you book the test.
The test is carried out on a tablet at our main offices at Allerdale House in Workington. You will get an email the next day with the result. Please remember to check your spam/junk folders in case the emails are misdirected there. The licensing department will be informed if you pass the test.
Knowledge tests are being reintroduced from Summer 2023, you will be contacted when the booking system is live. All drivers badged prior to 1st Summer 2023 who have not yet passed the knowledge rest will be required to have completed and passed the test within three months of reinstatement.
New drivers following the reinstatement of the test will be required to have passed the Knowledge Test before their licence is granted.
Drivers who are renewing their badges are required to provide proof of registration for taxation on their earnings. This can be generated on the gov.uk website, using your Government Gateway login details.
Payment for your application must be received before a member of the team will begin to process your paperwork. You can make this payment with your debit/credit card by calling 0300 373 3730 and selecting the options for Allerdale and Licensing.
Please note: we do not accept payment by cash or cheques.
When applying for a renewal you must return your existing badge to the Council - for a standard renewal, you may present this to the council when collecting your new badge. In all other circumstances you must return this to the council immediately.
Situations can arise outside the control of a licence holder which prevents them being able to attend the council offices to renew their driver's badge on time.
To facilitate licence holders, the Licensing Committee approved a procedure on October 29, 2019 which can be used providing certain protocols are followed. To enable an applicant to use this system they must advise the licensing authority of their circumstances four weeks in advance and approval to use this process will be considered by the licensing officers in conjunction with the legal department and chair or vice chair of the licensing committee. This system is to be used only in exceptional circumstances. The licence cannot be renewed after it has expired, and a badge will not be issued until the applicant can attend the office to have their photograph taken.
If approved, the following procedure must be adhered to:
- An online renewal application must be made in advance
- Payment must either be made online or by another person in advance of the licence expiring
- DBS subscription service must be in place so that it can be checked or an original valid, in date certificate must be supplied
- In respect of a driver's driving licence, a code must be generated by the DVLA and provided to the licensing authority in advance so that endorsements can be checked
- A doctor's medical certificate must be provided in advance
- Knowledge test - if applicable must be passed before renewal
- Driving assessment - if applicable must be completed in advance
- In respect of the requirement for a photograph to be submitted, the licence holder must attend the offices within three months of the renewed licence being issued. The badge would be issued at this point and the new photograph attached to the licensing records.
Please note that a licence will not be renewed if any of the accompanying documentation is not up to date or available to be checked. This will result in a new application having to be made which will be deemed as a new licence and if this is not within 28 days of the expiry of the original licence, all new documentation will be required.
As a hackney carriage driver, the maximum you can charge for journeys is set by the Council and charged using a taxi meter. The current table of fares is available on the document below:
If you have any further questions please contact the Taxi Licensing team by emailing taxis@allerdale.gov.uk or calling 0300 373 3730.
