Apply for or renew a private hire operator licence

You will require an Operators Licence in order to accept bookings and dispatch vehicles for hire or reward.

All dispatched vehicles must be licensed by the council that issued the operator licence. The drivers of those vehicles must also be licensed by the same council.

An operator's licence can be granted for up to a maximum of 5 years.

The application must be completed by the proposed licence holder and it is essential that all questions are answered accurately and honestly.

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 entered in as the name of the limited company
• the application is made and signed by a director or partner of that company

If there have been any changes to the directors in your company that you have not already told us about, you will not be able to amend this in the application form. You will need to complete a variation application.

To apply for a new licence, a renewal or a licence extension, you'll need the documents listed below.

All documents must be uploaded to the application form as either PDF, PNG, JPEG or TIFF format.

You will also need to have a credit or debit card to make the payment at the end of the application form.

For the licence holder (if held in an indivuduals name) or all Directors/Partners (if the licence is held in the company/partnership name) dated within the last 3 months. If you hold a valid driver licence with this authority and your Enhanced Certificate is signed up to the Update Service, you do not need to provide a Basic DBS.

• Evidence of your right to work in the UK
• DVLA Driving Licence
• Proof of Home address such as bank statement/utility bill dated within 3 months

If you have been out of the country for more than 3 months since the age of 18.

This must be dated within the last 3 years. Find out more and book onto a course.

• A list of your licensed drivers and badge
• A list of your licensed vehicles and plate numbers

If your operating base is open to the public (for example, if there is a waiting area for customers), you must provide public liability insurance with a minimum indemnity providing at least £10m cover for any one occurrence/incident.

If you employ or intend to employ any member of staff, employer's liability insurance is required. This is a legal requirement for any employer in the UK.

If you are applying to renew an existing licence or have held an operators licence within the last 12 months (with this or any other authority), you will need to supply an HMRC Tax Check Code.

Find out how to complete a tax check.

Such as a signed and dated lease agreement or up to date land registry document.

You'll need an online account to apply, renew or make changes to your licence. View our guidance on how to set up an account or make an application.

If you complete your application without the correct documentation it may be rejected. Make sure you have everything to hand before applying.

Once you have applied and we have checked your application, an officer will contact you.

Your application will be reviewed by the caseworker. They will check your documents and application form and communicate with you should there be any follow-up or queries regarding your application.

Once validated, the application will then be referred to an enforcement officer who will arrange a visit to your proposed trading address. They will discuss your responsibilities and understanding of our policy as well as assess record keeping. They will ask you to provide:

• Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy
• Data Protection Policy
• Complaints Procedures

We are the controller for the personal information we use about you. We're committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services.

The law requires us to give you details about how we use and protect your information, view the taxi licensing privacy policy.

For information and support with the licensing process, you can contact taxi licensing.

The taxi and private hire trade is important for so many people in Buckinghamshire.

Licensed drivers and operators can help the White Ribbon campaign and make our community safer, especially for women and girls. View how you can help with the White Ribbon campaign.