Private hire drivers licence

Licensing Services

The Licensing Team is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for appointments. If you are renewing your licence, please ensure that you email us for an appointment at least one month before your expiry date.

Licensing Services

Our Licensing service is at Solihull Connect at The Core.

The Core
Theatre Square
Homer Road
Solihull
B91 3RG

Before your visit, please email us at licensing@solihull.gov.uk to book an appointment.

We are unable to serve customers who do not have an appointment.

To apply you will require:

  • a full UK driving licence held for at least 2 years
  • eligibility to work in the UK, applicants should note we will only accept Residency Permits if they are valid for a minimum of 12 months
    • when you submit your application you will need to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK, i.e. a British passport, a full UK birth certificate or an adoption certificate and an official document showing your national insurance number
    • applicants that hold a foreign passport, biometric residence permit, or an EU Settlement Scheme must apply for a right to work share code. Where an online check has been carried out, the ‘profile’ page confirming your right to work will be copied and retained by the licensing authority.

Mandatory Safeguarding Awareness Training

From 1 January 2024, all applicants for a Private Hire or Hackney Carriage Driver’s licence will not be granted a licence until they have completed safeguarding awareness training and have provided a certificate. The safeguarding training requirement was approved by the licensing committee on 27 November 2023. 

You can provide the certificate with the other application documents when first applying, or if you have already made an application but have not yet had your licence granted, by emailing a copy to licensing@solihull.gov.uk with your full name, address and date of birth in the body of the email. 

To book and pay for a course, the current organisations are: 

We may add more providers as they become available, so please keep checking back here for further information.

If you have undertaken a similar or same course within the last 12 months and wish to be considered for an exemption from this requirement, please email the certificate, along with details of the course to licensing@solihull.gov.uk  

All existing drivers will need to complete the training by 1 July 2024 and you will attempt to contact you by email/letter with this information, but please go ahead and complete the training as soon as you are ready.

If your driver’s licence is due to be renewed before 1 July 2024, you may provide the certificate with your other application documents at the time of renewal, rather than emailing us. 

Please note - If your driver’s licence is due to be renewed after 1 July 2024, and you have not completed the safeguarding awareness training, your renewal may be put on hold or your licence may be suspended until you have completed it and provided the certificate to us. 

Please contact us at licensing@solihull.gov.uk  if there are any queries. 

Previous convictions

Failure to disclose full details of any previous convictions or cautions may result in your application being refused. If you have any previous cautions or convictions, spent or not, and cannot remember the dates or sentence received you should contact ACRO. Scroll down to Subject Access Requests and follow the guidance.

Fees and charges

View our complete fees and charges.

You can pay by card or cheque. We are unable to take cash payments.

HMRC Tax Checks

You are required to provide proof that you have completed a tax check.

You can find guidance and also apply for your tax check online with HMRC.  Please do not contact us for further information if you have any queries about this, as we will not be able to help you.

If you cannot provide proof that you have completed a tax check, we will not be able to renew your licence.

National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S)

From 27 April 2023, the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022 places new duties on Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing authorities in England.

The Act contains provisions that require licensing authorities to record information relating to drivers’ licensing histories (refusals, revocations or suspensions) on a National Register. Furthermore, before a licensing authority in England decides whether to grant or renew a driver licence, it must search the Register for any entry relating to the applicant.

Whenever a licensing authority processes a new application or renewal, it is required to check the NR3S Register to confirm whether the applicant was subject to a previous licensing decision of which they should be aware. A licensing authority must not base its decision solely on an entry on the database. Every application must be considered on its own merits.

Our National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S) Policy provides more information.

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