Private hire driver's licence

Anyone who drives a licensed private hire vehicle must hold a licence to do so from the borough council, in every circumstance. This is because the vehicle remains licensed whether or not it is hired or available for hire.

Private hire vehicles may only be pre-booked, and may not be hailed in the street or stand and ply for hire. Their fares are not regulated by the borough council, and must be the subject of agreement between passenger and driver before a journey commences.

A private hire driver's licence is granted for a period of 3 years.

Apply for a private hire driver's licence

Application form and supporting documents must be submitted by the applicant online, where the forms for disclosure of any criminal record and a check of your driving history with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will be completed. In order to undertake this part of the process you must be able to conclusively prove your identity to our satisfaction. We will not expect your medical certificate to be more than three months old at the date of grant of any licence.

All prospective applicants for private hire drivers’ licences must satisfy the borough council, as licensing authority, that they are fit and proper persons to hold such a licence.

The council’s policy requires that all applicants:

  • have attained the age of 19 years
  • have held a full UK driving licence for at least two years
  • be able to prove that you have a right to live and work in the UK
  • be the subject of a check with the National Anti Fraud Network database on driver refusals, revocations & suspensions of hackney carriage and private hire licences. Any driver suspensions, revocations or refusals will be registered on the NR3 database

Please complete the online application form below. You will need a credit/debit card to pay the knowledge test fee of £40.00 unless you are applying for a restricted licence for home to school transport. 

PLEASE NOTE - if we receive no contact from you for a period of 6 months, your application will be withdrawn and you will need to restart the process again.

Before you fill in this form

You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself at least five minutes to fill in the form.

Please ensure the private hire operator you wish to work for is licensed by Eastleigh Borough Council before submitting your application. No refund will be given for the knowledge test once the application is submitted.

You will need to upload the following documents with your application:

  • Driving licence showing number and date of expiry (both sides of the card)
  • Passport (showing the page with your photograph and passport details
  • Proof of national insurance number (on an official document)
  • Utility bill or Bank statement dated less than 3 months old
  • Safeguarding training certificate dated within the last three years, if you have completed this
  • Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificate (for category other workforce) that is registered with the update service, if you have already carried out this check
  •  Proof of your right to work in the UK (if non UK passport holder)
Apply for or Renew a Private Hire Driver's Licence

Once you have submitted your application form, a member of the team will contact you within 5 working days to arrange an appointment to attend Eastleigh House to complete the knowledge test. Further information on the knowledge test is available.

New drivers will also be asked to undertake the following process: 

  1. Pass a driving assessment to the council’s satisfaction.
  2. Consent to an enhanced criminal record disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service and sign up to the DBS update service.
  3. Consent to a driving history check from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency with us using DAVIS Licence Check.
  4. Successfully complete safeguarding training approved by Eastleigh Borough Council
  5. Medical Assessment - All new drivers are required to undergo a medical assessment with a medical practitioner to ensure that they meet the criteria for Group 2 vocational drivers licence. The medical practitioner undertaking the assessment must have full access to the patient's medical records. IMPORTANT - A medical report must be no older than 3 months from its date of issue when the licence is ready to grant. Should your own G.P be unable to carry out the medical check, D4Drivers would be able to assist you at an approximate cost of £62.00.
  6. When you have received your DBS disclosure certificate you will need to provide the original to the licensing team. 
  7. The fee for a 3 year licence payable by debit/credit card. 

Criminal Record Checks

The licensing team has a responsibility to ensure that licensed drivers are fit and proper persons to hold such licences, given the circumstances of their employment. In order to assist in making such decisions, a check is made with the Disclosure and Barring Service before a licence application is determined, and thereafter every six months. 

Tax Checks

From 4 April 2022 all renewing drivers and operators will have to undergo a tax check with the HMRC. Further guidance can be found here: Tax check requirement

Data Protection

Please note that the licensing authority may be required by law to disclose to the appropriate authorities, from time to time, further information relating to applications and licences for the purposes of law enforcement and the prevention of fraud.

Documents

Eastleigh Borough Council Licensing Team

Members of the licensing team are normally available at Eastleigh House on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week between 09:00 & 14:00. To submit any applications an appointment must be made before attending the office.