Taxi driver licence

We are open for Stage 1 - Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) applications. Please download and complete a new application pack to apply for a test date.

The consultation on proposed changes to the draft Taxi Policy has now closed. We have received a large number of responses which will now be reviewed and collated. Responses will be presented to the General Purposes and Licensing Committee for consideration in January 2025 to agree any amendments to the draft policy before it is approved. Please visit the taxi and private hire policy consultation webpage for more information.

You must have a taxi driver licence before you can drive a licensed vehicle as a taxi. Both driver and vehicle licences must be issued by the same council.

For taxi drivers we issue a dual driver licence, which permits the holder to drive both licensed hackney carriage vehicles and private hire vehicles, but the conditions that apply to each type of vehicle must always be complied with.

Hackney carriage vehicles and private hire vehicles have different specifications and operate in different ways. Find out more about taxi vehicle licences.

Taxi driver licences are issued for a maximum period of three years.

On this page:

Pre-application requirements

To be able to apply for a taxi driver licence, you must:

be at least 21 years of age
have a right to work in UK and be able to prove it
have held a full DVLA driving licence for at least two years
have a knowledge of the New Forest District Council geographic area
understand the regulations that apply to taxi licensing
if you are a Non-British Citizen, or a British Citizen who has lived outside of the UK in the last five years, produce original evidence of 'Good Conduct' from all countries you have lived, other than the UK.

To hold a licence you must prove that you are a 'fit and proper' person. To prove this a number of checks on your personal details will be carried out, including background checks, and criminal record checks.

Criminal or motoring convictions

As part of the application procedure you must declare any and all motoring and criminal convictions, even those you think may be spent.

You can refer to the Statutory taxi and private hire standards for more information.

If you have any doubts as to whether you would be suitable to apply for a licence please send an email providing details of your conviction(s), including dates and the sentence received to licensing@nfdc.gov.uk. We can then provide further advice on whether you should apply.

During the application procedure we will request an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and this will confirm if you have ever had a criminal and/or motoring conviction (whether spent or not).

Apply for a taxi driver licence

Applying for a taxi driver licence is a two-stage process, as detailed below.

Stage one

You must first pass our Driver Knowledge Test (DKT). This is held under classroom conditions at our main office in Lyndhurst.

The test consists of two sections with 55 questions in total. Question areas included in the test are:

Section 1

hackney carriage and private hire regulations and the law

Section 2

general driving and the Highway Code
english and numeracy
geographic knowledge of the New Forest area

You will need to download and study the information below before taking the test.

New Forest District Council Taxi Licensing Policy (PDF) [171KB] (opens new window)

Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 (PDF) [468KB] (opens new window)

Town and Police Clauses Act 1847 (PDF) [60KB] (opens new window)

You should also study the Highway Code, road safety and vehicle rules on the GOV.UK website as the test will contain questions on current driving regulations.

No assistance will be provided for geographical knowledge of New Forest so it is important that you are familiar with towns, routes, transport hubs, pubs, leisure activities, main tourist attractions and medical centres etc.

When you have revised all question areas, you can complete the booking form and return it to us in person, by email or post, along with any required documentation (further details can be found on the application form).

Allow up to 4 weeks for receipt of your application to be acknowledged. Please do not chase up your application within this time.

If you are a Non-British Citizen, or a British Citizen who has lived outside of the UK in the last five years, you will need to produce original evidence of 'Good Conduct' from other countries you have lived in along with your booking form. Refer to the test pack for further information. If this is not provided then your application may be delayed or rejected.

Due to the number of applications we receive, there will be a waiting period for a test date. Should you fail the test, it may be some time before a re-test date can be provided.

Payment of the current fee is required before a test date can be allocated.

You can download the application pack, including the booking form, below.

Taxi Driver Knowledge Test Application Pack (PDF) [667KB] (opens new window)

If you require a hard copy of the application pack, you can collect one from any of our information offices.

You must bring your DVLA Driving Licence card and Passport (or Birth certificate if you do not have a Passport) with you to the test .

Your results will usually be emailed to you within a week of your test.

Stage two

Once you have passed our Driver Knowledge Test, we will send you a Licensed Driver Application Pack to complete, along with guidance notes.

When submitting your application, you will need to provide:

a completed application form
your DVLA driving licence card showing your current address
a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application form to request an enhanced level check
relevant ID documents to support your DBS application
a medical examination form to DVLA Group Two standard of fitness, to be completed by your own GP or doctor from the practice, which is less than 3 months old (or an HGV or PCV licence as proof of medical fitness)
a passport-type photograph taken within the last month
completed DVLA mandate to request a full driving licence check
proof of your right to work in the UK
the correct licence fee
a certificate to confirm that you have passed the Blue Lamp Trust Virtual Classroom Taxi Safeguarding Course, which is less than 3 months old.

In some cases, further documentation will be requested to support your application.

We require all documentation to be originals, not copies or scans. You will need to present these at one of our local offices, where we will photocopy them, verify the copies and return the originals to you. Applications will not be accepted without your supporting documents.

The medical form or safeguarding course does not need to be completed when you make your application. You may wait until the necessary other checks have been returned to us or until you can get an appointment. A licence will not be issued until they are received though.

We normally allow at least eight weeks from receipt of your application for the return of DBS checks, but it can sometimes take longer. Your DBS certificate will be posted directly you when complete, which you will then need to provide to us.

Receiving your taxi driver licence

Once we have received all the documentation required, we will produce your licence and post this to you. Allow up to 10 days from receipt of the final document to the issue of the licence.

If there are any problems with the documentation, we will contact you.

Your licence will include the following:

a paper licence with conditions, which you must take note of
a photo ID badge. This must be worn and clearly visible to the public at all times while you are working

Licence fees

A list of taxi driver licence fees for the 2024/25 financial year can be found below.

Driver Knowledge Test: £50
New or renewal dual driver licence for three years (includes driver's badge): £162
DBS fee: £40 (£49.50 from 02 December 2024)
DBS Update Service: £13 annually (£16 from 02 December 2024), payable directly to the DBS
DVLA fee: £5
Replacement driver badge: £12.50
Medical: Varies, payable directly to your Doctor's surgery
Blue Lamp safeguarding course: £30 payable directly to the Blue Lamp Trust (or their payment provider)

Driving wheelchair-accessible vehicles

To drive a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, you will need to have undertaken a Wheelchair Assessment in addition to having a taxi driver licence.

Once you have passed this assessment, you will need to provide us with your certificate. We will then endorse your badge.

Wheelchair Assessments are run by the Blue Lamp Trust, a non-profit organisation promoting community safety throughout Hampshire. You can book an assessment on its website using the online form below.

Book a wheelchair assessment

Public registers

We maintain public registers of the following taxi licences:

wheelchair-accessible vehicles
hackney carriage vehicles
private hire vehicles
taxi drivers
operators

View a register of all our licensed taxi drivers using the link below.

Taxi drivers register

Contact details

You can contact us if you have any questions about taxi driver licences.

Email: licensing@nfdc.gov.uk

Phone: 023 8028 5505

Licensing Services
New Forest District Council
Appletree Court
Beaulieu Road
Lyndhurst
SO43 7PA