Apply for a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver licence

New driver licence applications

Step 1 - Check the criteria and obtain certificates for courses and tests

Before you submit your application to the Oxford City Council, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Hold a UK (EU) DVLA Licence for two years minimum
  2. Have five (5) years of UK address history. If less, you will need to provide a Certificate of a Good Conduct from your home country
  3. Have a Right to Work in the UK

Please note:

  • Your name on your Application form must be the same as that on your passport.
  • The name on your driving licence must match your name on your passport.  If your names don’t match you must update these documents.
  • The address on your driving licence must match the address on your current proof of address document.

You need to have completed the following courses and obtain these Certificates:

  1. Certificate of English Language Competency (written and spoken).  This needs to be Entry Level 2 or above – check if unsure
  2. Local Knowledge Test.  Provided by Oxford City Council, call 01865 252 565 to book the test (£75).  This test can be booked and completed at any time before submitting your full application to the Council
  3. Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training.  Provided by Oxfordshire County Council, to book go to you will find the information under District Council Drivers Section (the £50 fee is paid directly to the County Council)
  4. Driver Assessment for Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles (practical driving).  Provided by Oxford Direct Services (ODS), Cowley Marsh, to book the assessment call 01865 252944 (£69 fee paid directly to the ODS)
  5. Medical Certification Report. This must be completed by your GP / Doctor.  The form is in the Driver Application Pack. ALL questions on the form must be answered and there is usually a fee. A Medical Certificate is valid for 4 months from the issue date until a valid application is submitted to the Council.
  6. Request Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) form.  Email taxiapplications@oxford.gov.uk to request a DBS application form you will need to provide your home address and your full name. Alternatively they can be collected from Rose Hill Community Centre, Oxford or Oxford Library, Westgate Centre, Oxford. This form can be completed and submitted to the Taxi Applications Team at any time before submitting your full application to the Council - See step 4 below on how to submit your DBS appplication.

Step 2 - Prepare your documents

Complete all the forms (some require you to generate online codes) and have all the documents listed below. All the forms and how to generate the share codes are in the full Drivers Application Forms.

  1. The completed Application Form
  2. The completed Annual Background Checks Form
  3. The DVLA Check Code Form.  You must generate an online share code but DO NOT run the check.  The check must be done by a Council officer.  If you run the check by mistake you will need to generate another online share code.
  4. The HMRC Tax Check Code Form.  You must generate an online share code if you have carried a similar licenced activity previously. If not, please complete the form without a code
  5. The Right to Work (RTW) Online Share Code Form.  You must generate an online share code, you do not need the form if you hold a UK and Irish Passports or UK birth certificate
  6. Copy of your DVLA Driving Licence (front and back)
  7. Proof of Right to Work in the UK (unrestricted) – usually passport or share code (if applicable)
  8. Proof of current address (page 17 of the application pack for more information on what document can be accepted)
  9. One passport sized/style photograph

Step 3 - Submit the application to the Council

Send all the documents listed above in Step 1 and 2 via email to taxiapplications@oxford.gov.uk.

You must attach to the email ALL the Certificates, Forms and Documents listed above to the application email. You can spread the documents over few emails, as long as they are all sent one after the other.

You will receive an automated response that we have received your application. Once you have submitted your application via email we will assess it. If your application is not complete, we will email you back with the advice on what needs to be corrected or what you have missed. If your application is valid, we will move to the next step.

Step 4 - Payment for your application

We will call you to collect a payment for your application over the phone via secure line using your Debit/Credit card.

After taking the payment, we will email you the receipt.

You will be required to email a copy of all the pages of your DBS application form, identity documents and proof of address to taxiapplications@oxford.gov.uk when an Applications Team Officer will validate your application.

Once the DBS application form is valid, you will be required to hand deliver the form to the Oxford Town Hall post box in an envelope clearly marked DBS Form – Taxi Licensing.

If your DBS application form is incomplete, you will receive an email with further instructions on how to correct the form before returning it via email to be validated.

Once we have received your DBS application form, we will send you a website link via email from Trust ID (cloud@trustid.co.uk) to follow and upload all the required documents and Right to Work evidence online. From the date of the email, you will have a period of 7 days to upload your documents as part of your application process.

Evidence of your Right to Work in the UK will also be submitted via the same website link from Trust ID. You will either upload a copy of your valid (in date) UK/Irish passport or input your share code, whichever applies to you.

An online video appointment is then carried out via Zoom portal. You do not need to download any software to attend this meeting. You can join using a computer, laptop or a smartphone.

Step 5 - DBS Certificate & Online Update Service

The DBS Certificate will arrive at your home address only.  The Council do not get a copy. Once you have reviewed the DBS Certificate, you need to complete the following:

  1. Register for the online DBS Update Service here using your certificate number: DBS Update Service. You must do this within 28 days of the issued certificate date (printed on your certificate)
  2. Email us pictures of your full DBS Certificate (front and back even if it is blank), and your completed Annual Background Checks Form

Step 6 - Wait for the decision and licence

Once you have submitted the final documents, the final checks will take few days. Please be patient and wait until we contact you. Once the licence is issued, we will email your Paper Licence (counterpart) document first. Your badge will be send by post and will arrive at your home address few days later.

Please be aware that this is only a ‘Quick Guide’ to assist on how to apply for a New Hackney Carriage and / or Private Hire Driver Licence and you must refer to the full Driver Application Terms and Conditions to find full details and guidance on all the Licensing criteria and conditions that must be met under ‘Fit and Proper’ person with this Authority.

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