Apply for or renew a taxi or private hire driver licence

This licence only covers you - you also need a licence for the vehicle you drive (see Apply for or renew a taxi or private hire vehicle licence). 

Before you apply

To apply you must:

• be able to work legally in the UK
• have held a full UK drivers licence, or equivalent, for at least 12 months

Apply for a licence

Documents you will need to include in your application:

• Current photo card driving licence.
• Immigration Act - Right to Work document.
• DVLA check code so we can check your driving licence.
• An Enhanced DBS check.
• A completed medical questionnaire signed by your GP or a medical practitioner who has full access to your medical records - please Contact Licensing for the form.
• Taxi knowledge and locality test pass certificates. Please note that the locality test is no longer required for private hire drivers but it is still required for hackney carriage (taxi) drivers. The knowledge test is required for all drivers. Private hire drivers will be required to do an oral English proficiency test which will be included as part of the knowledge test.
• Driver Assessment (PDF, 48 KB) pass certificate.
• Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness training certificate - existing licensed drivers will need to do refresher training every three years. See Accepted Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) training providers (PDF, 51 KB).
• Disability Awareness training certificate - this is a new requirement for new and existing drivers and refresher must be every three years. See Disability Awareness training providers (PDF, 56 KB).
• Photographs.
• Go to Gov.uk: complete a tax check for a taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence to find out more information and to complete your tax check.

Licence costs

We can issue one, two or three year licences. You must tell us on your application form how long you would like your driver's licence to last.

Differences between a taxi and private hire vehicle

Whether you have a taxi (hackney carriage) or a private hire vehicle dictates the vehicle you drive and how you are able to pick up passengers - see Travel safely in taxis which lists the differences. 

How we use your information

The Privacy notice - licensing - taxis (PDF, 64 KB) explains how we use your personal information to administer taxi and private hire licensing in County Durham. It includes how long we keep the information for and when we might share it with a third party such as Inland Revenue, Police, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenues and Customs.