Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy

A private hire operator is an individual or business licensed by the Council to take bookings and dispatch Buckinghamshire Council licensed private hire vehicles, ensuring that all journeys are pre‑booked and carried out by appropriately licensed drivers and vehicles. Operators are responsible for complying with all legislation and licence conditions, maintaining proper records, and taking reasonable precautions to safeguard passengers, staff, and the wider public. They must ensure that anyone involved in managing bookings is suitable and capable of overseeing the operation in line with Council standards and public safety requirements.

The relevant law, (section 55 of the LG(MP)A 1976) requires that the Council must be satisfied that the applicant is a “fit and proper” person before issuing a private hire vehicle operator licence.

In order for you to prove that you are a “fit and proper” person you must provide evidence of:

• An acceptable Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and/or certificate of good conduct (where relevant).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the relevant conditions and legislation.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and disability awareness by successfully undertaking an approved course as detailed below at 5.4.
• Any other information reasonably that the Council may need to determine your application.

Applications must be made online via the Council’s website and all required documents provided. Any forms received without accompanying documentation will be returned to the applicant.

It is your responsibility to renew your licence before it expires and if you have not submitted a valid renewal application before your licence expires you will need to apply for a new licence. See section 5.9.

Applications will only be accepted if they include the following:

1. Completed application form. The named applicant must provide all answers and is accountable for the information submitted including the declaration. If you are a company registered on Companies House and wish for the licence to be held in the name of the company, make sure that:

• The proposed licence holder is in the name of the company.
• The application is made and signed by a director or partner of that company.
• You provide details for all company directors.

1. The correct application fee. The Council charges fees based on the number of vehicles operated. See section 5.1.
2. Photographic proof of ID showing you current name and home address. For company and partnerships this is required for each director/partner.
3. A basic criminal record disclosure issued within the last 3 months (if you're subscribed to the DBS Update Service and hold a valid driver licence with Buckinghamshire Council, you do not need to provide a basic DBS). For company and partnerships this is required for each director/partner. See section 5.3.
4. Certificates of good conduct. Applicants who have resided outside the United Kingdom for a cumulative period of 12 months or longer, at any time since turning 18 and within the 10 years prior to their application, are required to submit a certificate of good conduct from each relevant country of residence or the appropriate embassy. This requirement applies to any country (excluding the UK) where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more—either consecutively or cumulatively—during the last 10 years while aged 18 or over. For company and partnerships this is required for each director/partner.
5. Provide a certificate confirming attendance on the Council’s approved Safeguarding and Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Training within the last 3 years. See section 5.4.
6. One colour, passport style photograph of yourself taken within the last month prior to the application which conforms to the standards required by HM Passport Office. This requirement is waived if you hold a current driver's licence with the Council. For company and partnerships this is required for each director/partner.
7. Public liability insurance (where relevant).
8. Employer’s liability insurance (where relevant).
9. Evidence of an operating base within Buckinghamshire Council’s area and evidence of right to occupy the intended premises such as land registry document, a signed lease or a tenancy (with a minimum of 12 months remaining) issued by the freeholder/landlord. See section 5.7.
10. Evidence of your right to work in the UK. You must provide evidence that you are entitled to live and work in the United Kingdom or an online Home Office right to work share code. We will only accept documents that have been approved by the Home Office for these purposes. This is not required for company applications.
11. A list of licensed drivers and vehicles (include licence numbers) to be operated under the licence.

A fee must be paid with all applications and it is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that you have paid the correct amount. View our taxi fees.

Licensing fees are reviewed, considered by the Council and agreed every year. Fees are set at a level that aims to ensure that they only cover the costs of providing the licensing service. Before being agreed proposed changes are advertised for at least 28 days and any comments are considered before a final decision is made.

The Council charges fees based on the number of vehicles operated. Should you change the number of vehicles operated, resulting in a change of band you will need make a variation application

Unless the applicant is a current driver, all applicants for a new licence will have to provide a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate which is not more than 3 months old. Any information on the Certificate will be considered in line with the Council’s Criminal Records and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy (at Appendix 4). All licensed operators are required to produce a new basic disclosure Certificate from the DBS on an annual basis.

If you have been absent or resided outside the United Kingdom for a cumulative period of 12 months or longer, at any time since turning 18 and within the 10 years prior to an application or while licensed, you are required to submit a certificate of good conduct from each relevant country of residence or the appropriate embassy. This requirement applies to any country (excluding the UK) where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more—either consecutively or cumulatively—during the last 10 years while aged 18 or over.

Where existing operators commit offences and/or breaches of licence conditions, the nature and number of incidents will be taken into consideration along with the Council’s Criminal Convictions and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy when making any decisions about what action should be taken. Complaints or warnings will usually be held on file during any licence or application period and can also be taken into consideration if there is a period when the operator is not licensed. If your licence is revoked for persistent breaches of licence conditions, we would not usually grant another operator licence to you for a period of 3 to 5 years from the date of revocation.

The Council will not normally issue an operator licence to anyone who does not comply with the minimum requirements set out in the Council’s Criminal Records and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy (see Appendix 4). Where several minor offences or failures to comply with instructions or requests have been committed, the Council will take into consideration any pattern of offending. The Council will take all relevant information into consideration when considering an application for a private hire operator licence.

Once licensed, or while your application is being considered, you must tell us in writing within 48 hours if, you are interviewed by the police, receive a notice of intended prosecution, arrested, charged, cautioned, or convicted of any offence, including motoring offences.

If you are given a Traffic Offence Report, Notice of Intended Prosecution or Fixed Penalty Notice you need to notify us in writing within 48 hours of receiving the document, not when the driving licence has been updated. You (or someone on your behalf) must also notify us in writing within 48 hours if you have been detained by the police

Operators are also required to check that any staff they employ are safe and suitable in terms of any criminal history. In order to achieve this operators will need to require Basic DBS Disclosures from any new member of staff and confirm that they comply with this own Policy for Employing Ex-Offenders. Staff DBS checks should be carried out on an annual basis.

All new applicants are required to demonstrate knowledge of relevant conditions and legislation.

Knowledge will be assessed principally by interview with Council officers on initial application. Operators will be expected to maintain their knowledge and this will be assessed periodically throughout the duration of the licence. New operators may be required to sign certificates of conformity or compliance to confirm they have read the Council's Policy and any related guidance. This requirement may apply to all company directors where the licence applicant is a company.

The Council is committed to safeguarding the needs of children and vulnerable groups and ensuring that all passengers are treated fairly and with respect. It is important that all licensed operators and their staff are properly trained to help them recognise and respond to signs of abuse, including domestic abuse, neglect, or exploitation, particularly involving children and vulnerable adults. It is also important that operators and their staff receive training to promote understanding and respect for diversity and equality.

As part of the application process operators are required to provide evidence of attendance on training courses approved by the Council. Further details about the training requirements can be found on the Council’s website.

Once licensed, operators are required to attend Council approved refresher training every 3 years in line with the requirement for drivers.

Additionally, all operating staff with customer facing roles are required to attend disability awareness and safeguard awareness training as stipulated by Buckinghamshire Council on first appointment, with refresher training at least every 5 years.

Buckinghamshire Council is dedicated to ending domestic abuse, especially against women and girls. Although anyone can be affected, statistics show 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in England will experience domestic abuse. The Council enforces zero tolerance for all forms of abuse toward women and girls, aligning with national safeguarding guidelines and a unanimous Council motion in April 2024. This motion includes commitments to raising awareness, improving safeguarding training, supporting the White Ribbon campaign, and enhancing reporting within the licensed trade. In addition to training and guidance applicants and licence holders receive, all applicants are required to indicate their commitment to understanding the risks faced by women and girls in taxi and private hire settings, and to maintain high safety standards at all times.

Separately, the Council applies a universal zero‑tolerance standard prohibiting abusive, threatening, discriminatory, or inappropriate behaviour towards any person, regardless of gender or protected characteristic. Abuse directed at passengers, members of the public, other licence holders, operators, or Council officers constitutes a serious breach of the fit‑and‑proper person test and may result in refusal, suspension, revocation, or the imposition of additional safeguarding conditions. All applicants must formally affirm their understanding that such behaviour will not be tolerated as part of the licensing process. This requirement underpins the Council’s broader commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful, and accountable licensed trade.

Only trading or business names which have been authorised in writing by the Licensing Service can be used. This requirement includes any names used on promotional material, advertisements, website information or any other written documents.

To prevent confusion to the public, trading names will generally not be authorised if they are actively being used by a company in Buckinghamshire Council’s area or an adjoining authority and, in these circumstances, any trading names would not then normally be authorised until they had not been actively used for a period of at least 18 months. Trading names will only be authorised or retained where there is evidence that they are actively used by the operator. Trading names can also be removed in appropriate circumstances.

Applications may be submitted on behalf of a company, provided that all company directors are listed on the application form. Each director must meet the "fit and proper" person criteria for the licence to be granted. Consequently, directors must adhere to the same standards as individual applicants, including presenting valid identification documents, demonstrating knowledge of applicable licence conditions and legislation to the satisfaction of the Council, providing a Basic DBS certificate and/or Certificate of Good Conduct, and completing the Safeguarding and Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Training outlined above.

Any changes in company directorship during the licence period must be reported in writing to the Licensing Service within seven days. All newly appointed directors must meet the same “fit and proper” person criteria referenced above, and are required to fulfil the same obligations within two months of notification of their appointment.

Should any appointed director fail to satisfy these requirements, the Council reserves the right to initiate formal proceedings concerning the operator licence.

To make sure that we can carry out any necessary checks or enforcement, the Council will not issue an operator licence to anyone whose operating centre or intended operating centre is outside of the Council’s area.

If you do not own the premises you will have to provide evidence, such as a signed lease or a tenancy agreement (with a minimum of 12 months remaining) issued by the freeholder/landlord that you have a right to use the building as an operating centre. The premises must also comply with the operator licence conditions.

You will need to provide details of a phone number along with evidence that the bookings are made via the operating centre. Only telephone numbers which have been approved in writing by the Council can be used for the acceptance of bookings.

The phone number does not need to be a local fixed landline number, operators may use any telephone number for bookings, provided it does not indicate or imply the licensed operating base is located in another geographical area.

Public liability insurance will be required if members of the public are permitted to visit the operating centre and the operator is responsible for the safety and behaviour of any staff that they employ or use.

Specific conditions may be placed on operator licences depending on the circumstances and these may include measures to prevent noise and other nuisance to local residents or other businesses. Drivers and members of the public will not usually be allowed to visit operating centres in residential areas and no more than two licensed vehicles would usually be permitted to visit or be kept at premises in these areas.

Any changes to the operating centre must be approved in writing by the Licensing Authority before they are implemented.

You may also need to obtain planning consent to operate private hire vehicles from your proposed operating centre. Before you submit your application for an operator licence you are strongly advised to contact the Council’s Planning Department to confirm whether you also need to apply for planning permission. Operating private hire vehicles without any required approval could result in action being taken against your licence.

It is the responsibility of existing licence holders to ensure that they apply for the renewal of their licence before it expires. The Council will not accept a renewal application after the licence has expired – in these circumstances a new licence application will be required. Licence holders are responsible for ensuring their renewal applications are submitted in good time.

Applications for operator licences may be made up to three months in advance of the expiry date to allow sufficient processing time. Failure to submit a complete renewal application with sufficient time before the licence expires may result in the licence lapsing before the renewal application is determined, meaning the operator will not be considered licensed until the application has been determined and a licence granted.

Under no circumstances will renewal (or new) licences be issued without full and satisfactory checks having first been carried out.

We aim to send reminders to current licence holders to help them renew on time. To receive these notifications, licence holders should keep their contact information updated.

The Council has a legal duty under the Immigration Act 2016 to ensure that all applicants for hackney carriage, private hire or operator licences have the lawful right to live and work in the UK. Licensing authorities must carry out right to work (RTW) checks for every applicant. These may be completed using either approved document‑based checks or the Home Office online checking service, which uses a share code and date of birth to confirm an applicant’s immigration status in real time.

Where an applicant’s permission to work is time‑limited, the Council will only issue a limited‑duration licence that expires on the same date as the individual’s immigration leave. Any licence issued to an individual whose immigration permission later expires, is curtailed, or revoked will automatically lapse. Applicants with pending extension or variation applications must be assessed in line with Home Office guidance, and the Council may be required to undertake a Status Verification, Enquiry and Checking (SVEC) request to confirm the individual’s ongoing right to work.

Further information on licensing requirements, including right to work obligations, is available on the Buckinghamshire Council website.

If we are considering refusing your application or suspending or revoking your licence you will usually be invited to attend a meeting with an officer of the Council to discuss our concerns and to give you the opportunity to respond. If you don’t want to attend a meeting you will be given the opportunity to provide your comments in writing. The final decision about what will happen with your licence will then be made by a senior member of staff in line with our decision making process which is set out at 6 below.

If your licence is suspended or revoked or your application is refused you have the right to appeal to a Magistrates Court and you must do this within 21 days of receiving the Council’s decision notice. In these circumstances you may continue operating during the 21-appeal period, and if an appeal is lodged, until the appeal has been concluded.

Please note that if you choose to appeal, you may be responsible for costs associated with the appeal process, including but not limited to the cost of lodging an appeal, legal expenses, and, if your appeal is unsuccessful, costs incurred by the Council. You are also responsible for ensuring that appeals are lodged within the legal time limit and submitted to the correct Court. You are also responsible for ensuring that should a licence be subject to expiry during the appeal period that a valid renewal application is submitted to maintain the licence in the event of a successful appeal.

Given the legal implications of the appeals process, it is recommended that independent legal advice is sought as soon as possible.