Private hire
Last updated 2 August 2023
2. Apply for a new licence
As a licensed private hire driver in Stockport you:
- must be over 21 and have held a driving licence for over 12 months
- can only drive a private hire vehicle licensed by us
- can only pick up passengers who have pre-booked the journey through a licensed Stockport private hire operator
- cannot pick up passengers who have flagged you down on the street
- cannot pick up passengers from taxi ranks
Before you apply you'll need:
- to have passed the Driver Knowledge Test within the last 12 months
- an enhanced DBS Certificate dated within the last month
- your DBS Update Service subscription ID confirmation number
- a Medical Report of Fitness issued within the last 28 days
- to read the guidelines relating to the relevance of convictions (PDF 380Kb)
For your application you must complete and submit:
To submit your application you'll need:
- Declaration of convictions, cautions and pending prosecutions
- Medical Report of Fitness issued within the last 28 days
- an enhanced DBS certificate issued within the last 28 days
- screenshot of your taxi driver knowledge test results
- to have passed a taxi driver assessment and show proof of your certificate. You can book a test with either of our partner assessors Mitchells School of Motoring or TfGM
- EEA or UK photocard driving licence - both sides and showing your current name and address
- utility bill or bank statement issued within the last 3 months showing your current name and address
- passport sized photo
- your passport
- if you are not a British citizen, your Home Office Right to Work Employers Share Code
- evidence of your National Insurance number
- screenshot of your DVLA code. This gives us access to your driving history
- a Certificate of Good Conduct. This must be authenticated by the appropriate countries embassy if you've:
- lived in the UK less than 5 years
or - spent 6 continuous months or more living outside the UK since the age of 10
- lived in the UK less than 5 years
If you do not submit all the required documents, there may be a delay in your application.
Cost of licence
- £175 - 1 year
- £215 - 3 years
Legislation and conditions
As a licensed private hire driver you must make sure that:
- your Medical Report of Fitness is submitted every 5 years. If you're over the age of 65 this should be submitted every year
- a new DBS certificate is submitted every 3 years. If you subscribe to the DBS update service you'll only need to submit a new certificate if there are any changes reported by the DBS. Make sure your subscription is up to date or you'll be required to submit a new DBS certificate and your licence may be suspended
- your name, address, mobile number and email address are kept up to date. This is a condition of your licence. If there are any changes to your personal details email taxi.licensing@stockport.gov.uk so that you can continue to receive important updates. Note: we are not running surgeries, appointments or drop-in sessions at this time
- you register with HMRC for tax purposes. You'll need to confirm with us that this has been done before you renew your licence
- you comply with the taxi driver's dress code