All applicants who do not hold a suitable DBS Update Service certificate will be required to complete an online application form that will be sent via email. Applicants will still be required to visit the council offices to have their ID documents checked. The list of acceptable documents will be included in the supplied email.
If you have a child and adult workforce or other workforce enhanced DBS certificate with Barred List checks, and are registered on the DBS Update Service, you may submit this to the council with your access code to enable the council to complete a subject search.
All licensed drivers are required to maintain a subscription to the DBS update service whilst licensed. Subscription must be applied for within 28 days of receiving your certificate. More information can be found on the DBS Update Service.
It is a requirement for all new applicants to provide a group two medical form and declaration form on initial application, every three years whilst licensed until the age of 70, and annually thereafter. You may use any GP registered with the General Medical Council, you will need to provide them with an existing medical history summary sheet. These can be obtained from your registered GP, in some cases if you have online access to your GP surgery, you will be able to download this summary yourself. In order to ensure that the correct D4 medical report form is used.
If your chosen GP is unable to conduct the vision test, you will need to take the D4 form to an optician prior to your GP appointment. The optician will complete page three of the report, and return the form to you. Your chosen GP will conduct the remaining parts of the medical, and then declare you fit or unfit.
In addition to having your GP complete this report form, they must sign the medical fitness certificate (downloadable form) that you will return to the council with your medical report. Both parts together make up the medical we will use to evaluate your fitness to drive. Please ensure that your chosen GP is willing to sign this certificate prior to attending your medical. It remains an applicant's or licence holder's responsibility to ensure that the D4 form and the medical certificate are fully completed.
Medical frequencies may change from those listed above if you have an existing medical condition. If you suffer from hyper-tension you must take three official blood pressure readings taken at least one day apart with you to your examination.
Tests are run by the Blue Lamp Trust or Green Penny assessors not the council. To book an appointment please visit the Blue Lamp Trust website or the Green Penny website.
The Immigration Act 2016 places a duty on the Council to ensure that no person obtains a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver and operator licence if they do not have a legal right to work in the UK. Upon first application (and upon first renewal after 1st December 2016 for existing licence holders) applicants will be required to prove their right to work in the UK by supplying one of the official documents listed in the document below. The applicant must be present when the document is supplied; it is not possible for the document to be presented by another person. A copy of the document will be retained in order at the instruction of the Home Office.
Please note, if you provide a document from list B you will be required to produce proof of right to work upon all future renewal dates.
If you are applying to renew a driver licence, or applying for a new licence which is the same type of licence you already hold with another authority, or it is for the same type of licence previously held with this authority, that ceased to be valid less than a year before the date of application, you must carry out a tax check via the online HMRC portal, and provide the authority with the nine digit tax check code it provides you. Without this code it will not be possible for the authority to grant a private hire or hackney carriage driver licence.
If you are applying for a new licence, and the points mentioned in the above paragraph do not apply, you will be required to sign a declaration confirming that you are aware of your need to register for tax purposes, and you will do so. This declaration will be contained on the application form. For more information visit the HMRC guidance website.
All successful applicants must attend a council run safeguarding and customer awareness training session within the first six months of obtaining a licence. Failure to attend may result in the suspension of the licence.