A new applicant is defined as someone who has never been granted a taxi driver licence by us or someone whose last KMBC licence has expired by more than one month. All new driver applications must be paid for, in full, when being submitted online.
Once submitted application fees will not be refunded under any circumstances.
We have adopted the National-Government-issued Statutory Guidance on Convictions via a “Fit & Proper Person Policy" . If you have convictions or relevant matters, you must check the periods applied to offences thoroughly, if you breach the policy, you will not be refunded if we follow the policy and refuse to grant of licence. No conviction is ever spent for hackney driver applicants as a Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order applies - all offences must be disclosed. Any failure to disclose can be a reason to refuse a licence.
Completing an application
Please ensure the documents as listed below are available and ready to upload before applying for a licence. Any missing documents or incorrect information will delay the processing of your application.
- All pages of your full Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate. This can be obtained via Apply to Taxi Plus for a DBS (enhanced) Certificate. Please see ID checking guidelines for the documents required. If you already have such a DBS Certificate and have subscribed to the DBS Update Service, then the original DBS certificate must be uploaded. You can subscribe to the DBS Update Service. If you do not subscribe to the DBS Update Service, you will need to provide a new DBS certificate when renewing.
- British or Irish passport or UK or Irish birth certificate or proof of your right to work and reside in the United Kingdom. You can obtain a Home Office Right to Work Share code via Prove your right to work to an employer: get a share code - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk),
- Front of your current Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) photocard licence. This must be a colour image. If you only have a paper licence, then that should be uploaded instead.
- A current colour passport style photograph of you. A jpeg or jpg format is preferred for reasons of size.
- A satisfactory current Group ll DVLA Standard Medical. You can download the questionnaire here. Current Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) or Public Service Vehicle (PSV) drivers may not need a further medical but will have their licence issued to the DVLA date of issue and expiry. Please see the DVLA Medical guidance for Group II licence rules.
You may only obtain the Group ll standard medical from either a General Practitioner (GP) at your registered surgery or another practitioner with full electronic access to your medical records before completing the assessment. Medical questionnaires completed by any other GP without access to your records will be rejected.
6. VRQ Level 2 in Transporting Passengers by Taxi & Private Hire. You will need to book a place with a vocational trainer. Any accredited VRQ provider can provide this course. Please see FAQs for further information.
7. Certificate of good conduct. This applies only if you have lived outside of the UK for three months or more within the last five years. You will also need to show the Council an original certificate of good conduct from the country or countries you lived in. If this applies to you, an original certificate, and English translation, dated within the last six months, with a receipt from the embassy or consulate that issued it are required.
8. HMRC tax code. If applying for the same type of licence that you have previously held with Knowsley or a different authority, which expired less than 12months ago you must input a tax check code when requested in the online application. Further guidance can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Payment
All new driver applications must be paid for in full by card, when completing your application. Once submitted application fees will not be refunded under any circumstances.
Please view Fees
Apply for a licence
If you need help to make an application, please watch the video below.
The documents required are not listed within the form, therefore you will need to note the items required as above in steps 1 - 8.
Once you have applied for a licence and paid the fee you will receive a confirmation email which will contain a DSFX reference. This reference must be quoted if you need to upload further evidence later.
After submitting your application
Providing further documents
If you need to provide further evidence in support of your application, please submit using the Upload Evidence Facility
Hackney boundaries test
As a new hackney driver applicant, you will be emailed an appointment to attend a boundaries test. You must bring your original passport and/or DVLA licence and right to work documents with you. If you do not pass the test, you may not be granted a licence.
Essential skills assessment
The ESA is currently suspended but new Hackney Driver applicants can apply for a licence pending resumption of the ESA. When the ESA is resumed then any licensee who has been issued will be required to attend by appointment and undertake the assessment prior to any renewal.
DVLA check
By applying for a driver licence, you are consenting to an online DVLA record check to be undertaken by the Council at no extra cost to you prior to the grant of your licence.
National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S) check
By applying for a driver licence, you are consenting to a check of the NR3S register, prior to the grant of your licence. See FAQs for further information
Receiving your new licence and badges
Once your application including all required documents is processed, a new licence document will be issued as a pdf via email. If you have declared a Private Hire Operator and they accept via email, will also receive a copy of the licence. The email will contain instructions for collecting your badges.
When will the process take longer?
Supporting evidence as listed above in 1-8 must be provided during the application process. If your application is incomplete or incorrect, it will take longer to process.
- Name and address on all documents must match and be spelt in the same way. If there are any discrepancies with the names on the documents, then the application will not be able to be processed further until the correct documents have been received.
- If your DBS certificate or DVLA licence check reveals convictions for offences that are not clear of our guidelines.
If your NR3 check shows previous refusal, revocation, or suspension.
If you need to notify us of a change such as name, address or email, please complete the change of details online form