Renew an operator application

Alert!

As of 5 April 2022 it is a legal requirement that all renewal applicants for:

Scrap Metal Licences
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers
Private Hire Operators

MUST provide a tax check code to Licensing before renewal if;

They are renewing a current or licence that expired more than one year ago.
If a renewal applicant does not have a Government Gateway Account they must go online and create a Government Gateway account. Further guidance can be found on the Gov.uk website.

If applying for a new licence or for one held which expired more than 1 year ago applicants need to follow the HMRC Guidance. Visit the Gov.uk website.

Please note that any check code is valid for 120 days only and even if applicants have a code as a driver, if they wish to be an owner or operator they need to provide a further code before being licensed.

The Licensing Service is now prioritising all renewal applications in date of expiry order. This means that although your licence will be renewed on time it will not be processed until a few days before expiry. In view of this we request that you refrain from calling or emailing the council requesting an update on your licence renewal unless your licence is due to expire within the next 48 hours. This is essential as it will allow all Licensing Officers to concentrate on issuing licences to those closest to expiry.

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

For existing Private Hire Operators planning approval or a planning waiver will already have been seen.
If you are expanding beyond the existing business, you might need planning approval. You would need to obtain planning permission or 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.

Renewal Private Hire Operator Applications

Applications must now be made by accessing the Renewal Operator portal and completing the form online. Your reminder will provide a unique reference number which you must use when applying. You must pay the appropriate fee by card at the time of applying for a licence.

If you need to submit further evidence via the Council Upload Evidence Portal, you must quote the unique reference number from your application when submitting the documents.

If you need help with uploading your evidence, watch the video below:

Private Hire Operator Licence Fee Table

Knowsley sets fees to recover the cost of issue and compliance in respect of Operator fees. Fees will depend on how many vehicles you wish to operate. Each licence can be issued for a one year or a five-year period.

The 2022-23 Fees as from the 1 April 2022 are:

Number of vehicles	1 Year Renewal	5 Year renewal
1 Car	£210	£730
2-10 Cars	£270	£945
11-50 Cars	£400	£1,405
51+ Cars	£480	£1,670