Legal Basis for Private Hire Operator Licensing
For anyone to invite or accept bookings for private hire within Knowsley, it is necessary to obtain a Private Hire Operator licence issued by Knowsley Council for premises located within Knowsley.
Planning Approval may be required
Before you apply for a new licence, you will need to find premises with existing planning permission or obtain planning consent via a Certificate of Lawful usage for the premises you intend to use. To apply to Planning for a Proposed Use approval, please use this form. An application fee is payable to planning for approval.
If you only require a new one vehicle maximum Operator licence from a premises at which you are resident, planning consent may not be necessary if certain licence conditions are imposed. To enquire about this possibility please email [email protected]
New Private Hire Operator Applications
Applications must now be made by accessing the New Operator portal and completing the form online. You must pay the appropriate fee by card at the time of applying for a licence and you will receive a unique reference number.
The reference number must be used to submit any requested further evidence via the Council Upload Evidence Portal.
If you need help uploading your evidence, watch the video below:
If you need help with making an application, watch the video below:
Private Hire Operator Licence Fee Table
Knowsley sets fees to recover the cost of issue and compliance in respect of each Private Hire Operator licence. Fees will depend on how many vehicles you wish to operate. Each licence can be issued for either a one year or a five-year period.
The 2022-23 Fees as from the 1 April 2022 are:
| Number of vehicles |
1 Year New |
5 Year New |
| 1 Car |
£220 |
£770 |
| 2-10 Cars |
£280 |
£980 |
| 11-50 Cars |
£425 |
£1,480 |
| 51+ Cars |
£500 |
£1,745 |