Hackney carriage vehicle licence

Hackney carriage vehicle 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.

A Hackney carriage vehicle licence is required for any vehicle that will ply for hire, be flagged down or hired at a taxi rank.

Your vehicle

We do not licence any category write-off vehicles. So be aware of this before buying any vehicle. It may be worth considering having a full HPI test done on the vehicle. HPI tests show if a vehicle is written off, stolen, how many owners, VIN number and if there is any outstanding finance on the vehicle.

If your current licensed vehicle has an accident and the insurance company write it off you cannot continue to use that vehicle for Private Hire or Hackney Carriage work. Anyone trying to bring a write-off back into the trade will have the plates cancelled immediately.

Listed below are the categories insurance companies use to determine write-offs:

  • CATEGORY A: Scrap - This vehicle has been inspected by an appropriately qualified person, declared unsuitable or beyond repair and has been identified to be crushed in its entirety
  • CATEGORY B: Break - This vehicle has been inspected by an appropriately qualified person and declared unsuitable or beyond repair. Usable parts can be recycled
  • CATEGORY S: Repairable structural - Repairable vehicle which has sustained damage to any part of the structural frame or chassis and the insurer/ self-insured owner has decided not to repair the vehicle
  • CATEGORY N: Repairable non-structural - Repairable vehicle which has not sustained damage to the structural frame or chassis and the insurer/self-insured owner has decided not to repair the vehicle. While the damage has been noted as non-structural, there may still be some safety critical items that require replacement e.g. steering and suspension parts

New guidance notes were introduced on Wednesday 4 July 2018:

  • any vehicles with window tints that show a light transmission below 20%, or any additional tint film, will not be permitted
  • vehicles used for school transport contracts should not have tinted windows of any description, and minimum light transmission must be 75% through the front windscreen, and 70% on all remaining windows.

Apply

To apply please download the following application form: 

Before applying we advise you to read the guidance notes.

Fees

View our complete 2026 fees and charges.

You can also view our Hackney carriage fare table.

Licensing conditions

Hackney carriage vehicle licenses are subject to certain licensing conditions. 

Please do not let your hackney carriage vehicle licence expire as once a licence has expired it cannot be renewed. You should be aware that a new hackney carriage vehicle licence can only be issued to a brand new hackney carriage vehicle.

Hackney carriage vehicle licensees

If you hold a Hackney carriage vehicle licence the following forms are available to download: