If you’re a new licensee, your vehicle must meet the approved standards to be licensed in Stockport.
If you already hold a vehicle licence with us, then you have until 31 December 2026 to license a compliant vehicle.
There is an exemption to this date, which allows non-emissions compliant vehicle licence holders to continue to renew their current vehicle licence with the same non-emissions compliant vehicle, until 31 August 2030.
You should also refer to the set of conditions which were issued along with your current vehicle licence.
Vehicle emissions and age
Vehicles with a petrol engine must meet the ‘Euro 4’ standard.
Vehicles with a diesel engine must meet the ‘Euro 6’ standard.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles installed with retrofit technology must be approved as part of the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme, and must be under 19 years old at the point of application. These type of vehicles will not be relicensed once they reach 20 years old.
Vehicle testing
All vehicles under 3 years old will need a vehicle test on application and on every point of renewal.
All vehicles over 3 years old will need testing every 6 months.
General standards
Your vehicle must meet the EU category M1 standard. Any modified vehicle at category M1 standard must have an appropriate test to make sure it conforms with single vehicle type approval.
Your vehicle must not have:
- any roof signs if it's a private hire vehicle
- any advertising other than the operator name and signage issued by us
- any magnetic stickers
We may approve some adverts on Hackney carriages only.
You can find the accepted vehicle make and models on the:
If you're considering applying to licence a vehicle that does not appear on these lists, email taxi.licensing@stockport.gov.uk.
Private hire vehicles must not be of such design and appearance that could be mistaken for a Hackney carriage.
You must supply a basic DBS certificate as part of a vehicle application if you're not already a licensed driver with Stockport Council.
Window tints
Window tints must meet the following specifications:
front windscreens must have a minimum of 75% light transmission
front side door glass must have a minimum of 70% light transmission
All other window tints must be factory fitted.
Accepted categories
We may accept Category N vehicles (formerly known as Category D) if you provide a report from an engineer confirming that the vehicle has sustained no structural damage and that it's safe and suitable to be licensed. The report must be carried out by an authorised mechanic approved by the council and suitably competent to assess the damage.
We will not accept Category S vehicles (formerly known as Category C).
Imported vehicles
All imported vehicles must comply with our Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Minimum Standards before a licence can be issued. Applicants are required to submit a full V5 registration document to confirm that the vehicle is registered with the DVLA and has successfully completed all mandatory tests for imported vehicles. In addition, the vehicle must meet our approved standards, including compliance with EU category M1, emissions requirements (Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel), and any additional safety or structural integrity checks as specified by us.
Vehicle conditions
Your vehicle must meet the following conditions:
If you’re not sure whether your new vehicle meets these standards, before booking your vehicle test, email us at taxi.licensing@stockport.gov.uk with the vehicle details.