What is a Private Hire Driver's Licence?
Anyone who drives a licensed private hire vehicle must hold a licence to do so from the city council, in every circumstance. This is because the vehicle remains licensed whether or not it is hired or available for hire.
Private hire vehicles may only be pre-booked, and may not be hailed in the street or stand and ply for hire. Their fares are not regulated by the city council, and must be the subject of agreement between passenger and driver before a journey commences. Southampton's licence conditions require such vehicles to be a colour other than white.
How do I apply for a licence?
All prospective applicants for private hire drivers’ licences must satisfy the city council, as licensing authority, that they are fit and proper persons to hold such a licence. The council’s policy requires that all applicants:
• are aged over 21;
• have held full licence for at least two years;
• pass a basic skills assessment;
• pass a driving skills assessment;
• fully complete the appropriate application form;
• consent to an enhanced criminal record disclosure;
• consent to a driving history check from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency;
• pass the council’s test of their knowledge of the topography of the city and the responsibilities of a licensed driver;
• provide a medical report from the applicant’s own medical practitioner certifying that they are fit to a Group 2 standard in accordance with the current DVLA medical standards of fitness to drive;
Please note that the evidence of passing the basic skills assessment and driving skills assessment must be submitted prior to the submission of the application form. The application form and a medical assessment form can be found below.
Forms must be submitted by the applicant in person at the licensing office at Southbrook Rise, when the forms for disclosure of any criminal record and a check of your driving history with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will be completed. In order to undertake this part of the process you must be able to conclusively prove your identity to our satisfaction. Both these checks must be no more than six months old and the medical certificate must be no more than twelve months old at the date of grant of any licence.
It is also the policy of the city council that all licensed drivers obtain a BTech qualification for transporting passengers by taxi and private hire vehicle within six months of the grant of their licence.
Exceptionally, in the case of applicants for a restricted licence to drive specialist private hire vehicles, it may not be necessary for the applicant to complete the topography test.
Contact details for basic skills assessments, BTech and driving skills assessments are available below.
A form for notification of the change of address of an existing licence holder can be found below.
Copies of the private hire driver policy and conditions and the 1970 byelaw for hackney carriages and motor vehicles let for hire are available below.
Criminal Records
The licensing team has a responsibility to ensure that licensed drivers are fit and proper persons to hold such licences, given the circumstances of their employment. In order to assist in making such decisions, a check is made with the Criminal Records Bureau before a licence application is determined, and thereafter on a three-yearly basis.
The Government's intention to require all those working with children and vulnerable adults to be registered with The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been suspended pending a review of the proposed vetting and barring scheme. Further details can be obtained via the link below.
A note of the city council's current guidelines on convictions of licensed drivers can be found below.
The latest information on the criminal record check process can be obtained from the Criminal Records Bureau’s web sites (see links below); their guidance on dealing with disclosure forms and the applicant’s guide will be of particular interest.
Southampton City Council
