Private hire vehicle licence

Private hire 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

From Thursday 1 December 2022 the Licensing Team will be located at:

The Core
Theatre Square
Homer Road
Solihull
B91 3RG

Our appointment service for customers will also be delivered from Solihull Connect at The Core. Please contact licensing@solihull.gov.uk to book an appointment, as unfortunately we will not be able to accommodate anyone without one.

Private hire vehicles cannot apply for hire in the street or at taxi ranks. Journeys must be pre-booked, normally by phone or in person at an operator's office (cab office)

We do not regulate fares for private hire vehicles, the cost of a journey will normally be based on a rate per mile or should be agreed with the company before the journey.

Proprietors and drivers of Private Hire Vehicles should ensure that they have the appropriate level of insurance cover in place which includes public liability.

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.

Fee

View our complete fees and charges.

Private hire vehicle licensees 

If you hold a private hire vehicle licence the following forms are available to download