Vehicle licence for a hackney carriage (taxi)

Information about hackney carriage licences

Please complete an application form and send to us by email to licensing@rushmoor.gov.uk. You can also post it or drop it into the council offices. Once we have received your application, we will contact you to arrange an appointment to inspect the vehicle. A minimum of 48 hours before the inspection, you will need to provide the following:

• Vehicle registration document, if you do not yet have this, documentation proving you purchased the vehicle
• Insurance certificate
• A vehicle history check that meets with our taxi licensing policy, you can use any supplier that meets the requirement but an example is the vehicle history check from HPI
• If you do not hold a driver's or operator's licence with us you will need to provide a basic DBS check dated no longer than 1 calendar month before your application
• If the vehicle is not brand new (within 56 days of registration) you will need to have an MOT on the vehicle in the proceeding 28 days before you inspection appointment
• The taxi licence fee

The vehicle will need to have no outstanding safety recalls and meet the current Euro Emissions standard (Euro 6).

Once we have received this, we will inspect the vehicle (at the pre-arranged appointment) and if the vehicle meets the required standard we will attach the plates. We will send you the licence document by email.

About you

You will need to be aged 17 or over.

About the vehicle

• The vehicle needs to be an approved vehicle for hackney carriages (taxis)

Licensing a vehicle not on the approved vehicle list

If you would like to licence a vehicle as a hackney carriage that is not currently listed on the approved vehicle list, please contact our Licensing team to discuss the possibility of us viewing the vehicle.

Hackney carriage vehicles are required to meet the Hackney Carriage vehicle specification within our taxi licensing policy.

How to renew your hackney carriage licence

Your licence usually lasts for 12 months. It is your responsibility to contact us and make an appointment to renew your licence. We will not renew a licence for a vehicle which is not within 2 iterations of the current Euro Emissions standard.

How to transfer your interest

If you sell your vehicle then you must tell us the name and address of the new owner, as soon as is reasonably possible.

The new owner must then contact us, using the contact details below, to transfer the licence.

Taxi licensing policy

Please see our taxi licensing policy and guidance document for more information about how we carry out our taxi licensing functions and responsibilities.