What Does The Council Or TfL Need To See Before Licensing A Taxi?

What Licensing Needs From Your Insurance

Cover for public or private taxi hire that names you as the driver. GOV.UK's vehicle licence eligibility rules say you need insurance that covers you for public or private taxi hire and includes you as the named driver.

That's the baseline. GOV.UK also says the licensing authority can attach conditions to vehicle licences, so the exact proof TfL or your council asks for can differ.

Most drivers buy this as taxi and private hire insurance. What counts is that the cover really includes that hire use and your name, and the certificate is how you prove it. If you're not sure which cover fits, start with which cover fits your taxi or private hire work.

This guide covers England only: London, where TfL licenses, and the councils outside London.

Who Licenses You: TfL Or Your Council

TfL in London, or the council where you plan to work everywhere else in England. GOV.UK's taxi driver licence guide says to apply to TfL to work in London, and to the local council to work outside London.

In London the department is TfL Taxi and Private Hire. It used to be called the Public Carriage Office, which is why drivers still search for a "PCO licence".

Because each authority can set its own conditions, insurance proof that one accepts may not match what another wants. Check with the authority you're actually applying to.

The Insurance Certificate For A Vehicle Licence

It needs to show hire use, your name as a driver and cover that's live when you license. Those are the three things to check before you hand it over.

• The use: public or private taxi hire, matching the licence you're applying for.
• The driver: you, named on the certificate.
• The dates: cover in force on the licensing date, kept up for as long as your council requires, which can be the whole licence.

The vehicle has to qualify too. GOV.UK says a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle must have no more than 8 passenger seats.

Hackney Carriage Or Private Hire?

The licence type decides whether your cover needs public or private hire. GOV.UK's private hire operator guidance says taxis can be hired at a rank or hailed in the street, and only need a taxi vehicle and driver licence. That rank and street work is what hackney carriage cover is for.

A private hire vehicle can only be pre-booked. The DfT's standards suggest councils' passenger guidance should tell the public not to use a private hire car that hasn't been pre-booked. It won't be insured and may not be licensed. The guide to private vs public hire insurance covers the difference in detail.

London: What TfL Checks

Hire or reward cover at licensing and whenever the car works as a private hire vehicle (PHV). These are TfL's private hire rules. They don't describe what TfL checks for London taxis (black cabs).

At Licensing And When Working

The TfL private hire driver handbook says every PHV must have hire or reward insurance. It must be valid when the vehicle is licensed and at all times when it's used as a PHV. That's the job of private hire insurance.

The TfL vehicle licence inspection manual says the insurance must cover carrying passengers for hire and reward at the point of inspection and while in use as a PHV.

The hire or reward part doesn't have to run all year. TfL notice 06/17 on insurance dropped the 2016 rule that a PHV must be insured for hire or reward at all times. It must still be covered at licensing and when it's working as a PHV. Between jobs, the car still needs motor insurance unless it's kept off the road and declared SORN with the DVLA.

Carrying Your Insurance Details

The TfL private hire operator handbook says details of the vehicle's hire and reward insurance must be carried by the driver or displayed in the vehicle. That applies whenever it's used as a PHV. TfL also encourages you to carry proof you're insured to drive it, for example under an operator's policy.

You must give insurance details to the police when asked. You must also give them to a passenger or member of the public if the car is in a collision.

The licence discs stay on too, even when you're using the car privately.

Vehicle Age And Emissions

TfL's PHV emissions standards say PHVs licensed for the first time since 1 January 2023 must be zero emission capable and meet Euro 6. PHVs already licensed must be no older than 10 years at re-licensing.

Outside London: Council Conditions Vary

It depends on your council, because councils can add conditions to vehicle licences. The two below are examples only, not rules for everyone in England.

Minimum Cover Periods

Some councils, such as Bedford, set a minimum cover period. The Bedford Borough Council taxi policy says it won't accept insurance that doesn't cover at least the first calendar month of a licence period.

That month is the minimum the certificate or cover note you hand in must show. It isn't permission to let cover lapse, because Bedford wants suitable taxi or private hire cover in place for the whole vehicle licence.

Bedford also asks for a full insurance certificate before any cover note used for the application runs out. A cover note is temporary proof of insurance while the full certificate is issued.

Personal Use On The Certificate

Winchester's private hire vehicle licence rules ask for a certificate covering the vehicle for hire and reward for private hire use, and for social, domestic and pleasure use. That last one means your everyday personal driving.

That's one council's condition, not a national rule. Read your own council's taxi and private hire policy before you buy or change cover.

The Driver And Operator Licences

Private hire work needs three licences, and the driver licence has its own checks. The DfT taxi and private hire standards say all private hire journeys must be pre-booked through a licensed operator and fall under a "triple licensing lock". That means the operator, the vehicle and the driver must all be licensed by the same authority. Choose where you license with that in mind.

By law, a council must not grant a private hire driver's licence to anyone who hasn't been allowed to drive a car for at least 12 months. That rule comes from the 1976 private hire licensing law. If you've not long passed, the guide to private hire insurance for new drivers covers the insurance side.

On convictions, the DfT standards say a single minor traffic offence wouldn't stop a licence being granted, but multiple motoring convictions may count against you. After a drink or drug driving conviction, a licence shouldn't be granted until at least 7 years after any sentence or ban ends. The guide to taxi insurance after a conviction covers what insurers may ask.

Ian's note: Read your council's licensing conditions before you buy cover, not after. Then check the certificate shows the hire use, your name and a start date that covers your licensing date. If the council wants a minimum cover period or a full certificate after a cover note, line that up first.

Checklist Before You Apply

Sort the certificate, the vehicle and your own licence before your appointment. The licensing check looks at your cover on the day, plus any council conditions.

If your current certificate doesn't cover licensed hire work, you may need taxi and private hire insurance before you apply. You can compare taxi insurance quotes when you're ready.

FAQs