Apply for or renew a taxi or private hire vehicle licence

How to apply for or renew a vehicle licence for your taxi or private hire vehicle, what it costs and the documents you need.

This licence only covers your vehicle - you also need a taxi driver licence (see Apply for or renew your driver licence).

The new Hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy came into effect on 1 October 2023.

What you need to know before you apply

Documents you must provide

When you apply for your taxi vehicle licence you must be able to provide the documents listed below.

Document	Hackney carriage	Private hire
Vehicle log book (V5C), or a bill of sale or proof of purchase if you don't have your VC5 yet	Yes	Yes
Valid insurance certificate	Yes	Yes
Meter calibration certificate (completed and signed by approved meter company)	Yes	No
Vehicle licence operator consent form (PDF) [220KB] signed by the car owner, and the private hire operator, under whose licence the car will operate	No	Yes
Fleet insurance certificate and schedule (if the vehicle is insured under a fleet insurance policy)	Yes	Yes
If you are a vehicle licence holder and not already a licensed driver, you will need to provide a basic DBS check dated within 28 days of your application. If you are applying as a partnership, we need a disclosure for each partner named on the form and for a limited company we need a disclosure from every director named.	Yes	Yes

Meter

Your vehicle must display fares on a meter fitted inside the vehicle.

Passenger seats

Your vehicle must not have more than 8 passenger seats.

Taxis (hackney carriage vehicles)

Only white vehicles are licensed as hackney carriage vehicles. Vehicles licensed before 1 April 2011 are exempt, however, if you replace it, you must replace it with a white vehicle.

Private hire vehicles

Private hire vehicles must be any colour other than white (or a colour which could be mistaken for white, for example cream or ivory).
Private hire vehicles licensed by us must display a valid council licence plate on the rear of the vehicle and roundels on the front doors.
The words "taxi", "cab", "for hire" or anything that may suggest that the vehicle is a hackney carriage must not be displayed on any part of a private hire vehicle.

Read our policy

Our Hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy explains how we manage taxi and private hire licences in detail. Please read this - it lists everything you need to know. If you have any questions, contact us.

Apply for a new vehicle licence

Apply for or renew a vehicle licence online.

How to send us your documents

You can provide the documents:

By email: taxiapplications@durham.gov.uk

By post to:
Durham County Council
PO Box 617
DH1 9HZ

In person (Monday to Thursday, 8.30am - 5.00pm, Friday, 8.30am - 4.30pm):
Annand House
John Street North
Meadowfield
DH7 8RS

If we are not available when you visit, you must leave your evidence in our licensing post box provided.

Cost of a licence

A taxi or private hire vehicle licence costs £240.00 per year, plus £60.32 per vehicle test. The total amount you pay depends on the age of your vehicle. If your vehicle is:

under 10 years old, you need 2 vehicle tests. This is a total cost of £360.64.
over 10 years old, you need 3 vehicle tests. This is a total cost of £420.96.

This licence only covers your vehicle - you also need a taxi driver licence (see Apply for or renew your driver licence).

How long a licence lasts

A licence lasts 12 months.

Differences between taxis (hackney carriage) and private hire

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) [64KB] 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.

Contact Licensing