Hackney carriage drivers licence

What you will need to apply for a Hackney carriage drivers licence, how to declare your criminal convictions and information for drivers who already have a licence.

In this section:

Hackney carriage drivers licence

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 for a licence 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
  • no unspent criminal convictions. To check if your conviction is spent, please refer to guidance on rehabilitation periods

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 your local police station and ask for a Police National Computer (PNC) check.

The Police National Computer is one of the main sources of information accessed when a Disclosure and Barring Service check is made and holds records of a person's convictions and cautions which will be revealed in a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

The police may charge for this information.

Fees and charges

View our complete fees and charges.

The preferred methods of payment are card or cheque. Cash payments can be taken at:

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.

Renew or update your licence

If you hold a Hackney carriage licence the following forms are available

If you hold a licence and move address you must notify us in writing. You must also ensure that you obtain an updated driving Licence from the DVLA.

Contact us

You can contact us by: