WILTSHIRE COUNCIL APPLICATION PROCESS FOR A HACKNEY CARRIAGE/PRIVATE HIRE
DRIVER LICENCE
Before an application for a hackney carriage/private hire driver licence can be considered an applicant
must satisfy the council, that he/she is a fit and proper person, to hold such a licence. You should refer to
the Wiltshire Council Fit and Proper Person Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences and Wiltshire
Council Guidelines for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Licences.
You can view and download these from our website at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/licences-permits-transport
In order to meet the criteria:
• Applicants will be required to reside at an address in the United Kingdom for at least six months (if
applicants have not lived in the United Kingdom for the six months prior to application they must have
a residential address in the United Kingdom to enable a DBS to be carried out)
• Applicants who have not held a United Kingdom driving licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) for six months prior to application will also be required to complete five
separate hours of driving tuition in the United Kingdom to enable familiarisation of the Highway
Code and United Kingdom driving legislation. This must be completed by a driving instructor
currently registered by the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and a certificate of completion
will be required. This certificate will need to show the name and current address of the applicant and
show that their photographic driving licence has been checked and issued by the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA)
• Applicants must have held a UK or equivalent driving licence for at least 3 years
• Applicants driving licence must be a UK licence and in your current address
• Applicants must not have incurred any penalty points on your driving licence within the last 6
months
• Applicants will need to provide the following documents, all of which will need to be dated within the
last 6 months (further information is available in the step by step guide on the following pages):
Step
Documents Required (all of these documents
should be Wiltshire Council approved
documents)
Fees
(01/04/22
–
31/03/23)
To make an appointment
1
DBS Check – Disclosure & Barring Service enhanced
criminal records check (including overseas criminal
record check from relevant country (s) if necessary)
£60.00
Email required documents to:
fleet.licensing@wiltshire.gov.uk.
For a list of required documents
See Step 1 – To make an
application.
DVLA live driving licence check
£5.00
Right to Licence Check
No fee
New Driver application form, signed by prospective
employer
No fee
Passport style photograph
2
Medical Form, this must be on the Wiltshire Council
medical form for hackney carriage and/or private hire
drivers and completed by a doctor. You will be
required to meet the DVLA’s Group 2 Medical
Standards of Fitness.
As per
Doctor’s
fees
Contact Doctor – See Step 2
Driver Assessment form (see notes regarding fees in
step 2)
As per
ADI’s
fees
Contact ADI –See step 2 -
Driving Assessment for Contact
Details for Approved ADI’s
Online Safeguarding Training
No fee
email will be sent to applicant
when Step 1 completed
Guidelines Knowledge Test
£40.00
email:
fleet.licensing@wiltshire.gov.uk
Geographical Knowledge Test (If applicable)
£20.00
3
Licence issue fee (required after all above
documentation has been received and approved)
Licence duration 3 years
£293.00
PLEASE NOTE: MISSED APPOINTMENTS WITH THE FLEET COMPLIANCE TEAM OR
APPOINTMENTS CANCELLED LESS THAN 24 HOURS PRIOR TO APPOINTMENT DATE WILL INCUR
A FEE OF £50 (PER ½ HOUR APPOINTMENT).
WILTSHIRE COUNCIL DO NOT ACCEPT CASH PAYMENTS.
When all of the above documents have been received and approved, consideration will be given to issuing
a licence. You may be requested to provide any further information as required by the Council in order to
complete your application.
IMPORTANT: Please note you may provide these documents at any time during the application
process. You may do so even if your DBS check results have not been received. However, please
be aware that no decision has been made on your application at this point and any monetary fees or
payment for assessments made will not be refunded should you be refused a licence for any
reason.
STEP 1
DBS Check (Disclosure & Barring Service enhanced criminal records check)
All applicants will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check applied for via Wiltshire Council
regardless of how long they have lived in the UK.
Please note: You are required to declare any previous conviction(s), criminal or motoring that you may
have. Details of relevance of convictions and cautions policy can be obtained from the fleet compliance
team.
From the age of ten years, if you have spent six continuous months or more living outside the United
Kingdom you will also need to get a certificate of good conduct from the country/countries you have lived in,
this must have been officially translated in to English. Please see notes attached to this document.
Applicants who have lived outside of the United Kingdom
If an applicant, from the age of ten years, has spent six continuous months or more living outside the United
Kingdom, evidence of a criminal record check from the Country/Countries covering the relevant period will
be required. This must have been officially translated into English at the applicant’s expense. For information
about obtaining criminal records checks for overseas applicants from relevant countries please visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants.
Applicants will also be asked to provide documentary evidence that they are allowed to work in this country.
DVLA Check
A live DVLA check will be carried out on your DVLA driving licence this will be carried out online (If online
facilities not available this will be carried out over the phone with DVLA).
Holders of European Community/European Economic Area Driving Licences
The Driving Licence (Community Driving Licences) Regulations 1996 amended legislation to allow full
driving licences issued by EU States to count towards the qualification requirements for the application
of a
licence.
In order to be licensed as a taxi or private hire driver, an applicant must have held a full driving licence for
a minimum of 3 years issued in the UK, the European Community (EC) or one of the other countries in the
European Economic Area (EEA).
In addition to the above Wiltshire Council will require all applicants who hold an EC/EEA driving licence to
exchange it for a UK driving licence before a hackney carriage/private hire drivers’ licence can be issued.
Right to Licence Check
From 01/12/16, as part of The Immigration Act 2016, The Council is required to carry out ‘Right to Licence’
checks on all applicants. From 10 March 2022, to carry these out we will need to obtain, check & copy one
of the following documents:
1. A passport (current or expired) showing the holder is a British citizen or a citizen of the UK and
Colonies having the right of abode in the UK.
2. A passport or passport card (in either case, whether current or expired) showing that the holder is
an Irish citizen.
3. A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which
has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that the holder
has been granted unlimited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU(J) to the Jersey
Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix
EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules.
4. A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed
to stay indefinitely in the UK, has the right of abode in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in
the UK.
5. A current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office to the holder with an
endorsement indicating that the named person is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or has no
time limit on their stay in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent
National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.
6. A birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK, together with an official document giving the
person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or
a previous employer.
7. A birth or adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland, together with
an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name
issued by a government agency or a previous employer.
8. A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, together with an official document
giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government
agency or a previous employer.
To make Step 1 of the application:
Please complete the requirements below and send required documents via email:
*Please ensure that all of the requirements below have been supplied using the checklist and that
copies show the whole of the document, are clear enough to read and where photographic identity
documents are provided they are in colour*
Requirement
Checklist
Fully Completed New Driver Application Form – signed by employer where necessary
Passport style photograph
Valid DVLA photo card driving licence (copy of both sides required)
Proof of your National Insurance Number
Valid Passport. If you do not hold a passport issued in the UK or Republic of Ireland, you will
also need to provide documentation to confirm your right to work in the UK. To complete this
please click on the following link: Prove your right to work to an employer - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk). If you were born in the UK and do not hold a valid passport you will need to
provide a UK birth certificate.
One other form of identification showing your current address dated within the last three
months (utility bill, bank statement, credit card statement)
You will need to create a check code to enable us to check your DVLA licence online, see
instructions below:
To generate a check code please click on the following link:
https://www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk/driving-record/licence-number.
You will need to request a check code and then copy and paste this code into an email and
return to us. Please note the code is case sensitive if unable to copy and paste it must be
typed/written exactly as shown.
You will need to make payment online for your DBS and DVLA check.
To make payment please follow the instructions below:
Click on the following link:
https://www.civicaepay.co.uk/WiltshireEstore/estore/default/Catalog/Index?newSearch=False
Click on the drop-down box on the left-hand side showing All Shops, then select Fleet
Licensing scroll down page(s) to find relevant payment descriptions. You will need to select
the following payment options:
Driver - Online DVLA Check - £5
DBS Enhanced Disclosure Check - £60
Enter the relevant payment details requested to make the payment. The system will notify us
once you have paid this.
Once the documents and payment has been received you will be sent a Microsoft Teams meeting request,
using your email address. You will need to download a free copy of Microsoft Teams; this can be done via
an app or via the internet. To download please click on this link: Join conversation (microsoft.com)
At this meeting you will be required to have your camera enabled to allow us to check your original ID
documentation as supplied above.
Following this meeting your DVLA licence will be checked online, and the ID documentation provided will
be used to start the DBS process, once this has been completed you will be sent an email with your DBS
log-in details and asked to complete the DBS check online.
STEP 2
The results of your DBS will be sent to you directly in the post. Once you receive your certificate you will
need to sign up to the DBS Update Service using the following internet address;
https://secure.crbonline.gov.uk/crsc/subscriber. The information shown on your DBS certificate may be
copied by the Licensing Authority and shared with other relevant departments within the council
and partner agencies, if necessary, with your prior consent. You are required to submit the DBS
certificate to the Fleet Compliance Team prior to completing Step 2. Once this has been seen by the
Compliance Officer and they are satisfied with the result, you can continue with the application process as
follows:
Medical
You will need to submit a completed Wiltshire Council medical form for hackney carriage and/or private hire
drivers. This medical must have been carried out by a doctor and they must complete the Doctor’s
declaration on the last page. You must be fit to the DVLA’s Group 2 Medical Standards of Fitness. It is
advised that prior to booking your appointment you check that the GP will complete the medical and sign
the Doctor’s declaration on the back page.
Online Safeguarding Training
This training can be completed from your own home; all you will need is access to the internet. The
Compliance Team will need to get you set up with a log-in to complete this, this will be requested following
completion of step 1 and you will be sent an email with instructions, it may take up to 2 weeks for your login
to be live. The training has a short, 10 question, multiple choice assessment at the end and the pass mark
is 70%. The assessment can be taken as many times as required to achieve the desired pass rate, but if
you are experiencing significant difficulty with the assessment you should contact via e-mail at
fleet.licensing@wiltshire.gov.uk for further advice.
Guidelines Knowledge Test
You will need a copy of the Wiltshire Council Guidelines for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire. You must read
and understand this document. The fee for this test is £40. Subsequent retests will be charged at £40.
In order to obtain a licence, a pass mark of 80% is required. There is a time limit of 45 minutes in which to
complete the test. The questions you will be asked relate to the Wiltshire Council Guidelines for Hackney
Carriage and Private Hire Licences, as well as basic calculations and general Highway Code questions.
The test will consist of multiple-choice questions/answers.
Geographical Knowledge Test (not required for Private Hire only licences)
This consists of an oral test relating to local geographic knowledge based on the zone you are applying for;
this test will cover all areas of that Zone, not just one specific town. Wiltshire Council area is made up of
four zones, please see zone map for areas covered by each zone. The fee for this test is £20. Subsequent
retests will be charged at £20.
The geographic knowledge test consists of 25 questions relating to:
Public buildings, pubs, clubs, restaurants, doctors, dentist surgeries, hospitals, schools, churches, places of
interest, supermarkets, taxi ranks within the area. The location of taxi ranks and zones can be found on our
website at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/licences-permits-transport. In order to obtain a licence, a pass mark of 80% is
required.
If you fail to achieve the required pass mark on either test you may re-sit the test, subject to the following:
• A mark of between 50% and 80% will result in the applicant being required to re sit the test after a
minimum of fourteen days
• Applicants who fail to achieve a mark of 50% may re sit the test after a minimum period of twenty-
eight days
• Applicants who fail to pass the test after the 5
th
attempt will be required to wait three months before
re sitting the test.
Driving Assessment
A new driver applicant for a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver Licence will be required to complete
to a satisfactory standard an assessment of their driving ability conducted by an assessor approved by
Wiltshire Council.
The following criteria will apply:
• The assessment will be carried out by a professionally qualified Approved Driving Instructor (ADI)
with experience of carrying out vocational driving assessments.
• At initial application, the applicant will be provided with contact details in order to arrange the
assessment with the ADI direct. The time and date of the assessment is entirely at the discretion of
the applicant, but it must be understood that a licence cannot be issued until a satisfactory assessment
report is received by the Compliance Officer.
• The assessment will take about an hour and will cover aspects such as vehicle control (braking,
acceleration, clutch control, use of gears, steering) planning (observation, lane discipline, anticipation,
reaction to signs and speed limits) and road craft (courtesy, smoothness, use of mirrors and signals,
vehicle sympathy and manoeuvring).
• The assessment will include a verbal de-briefing and advice on corrective action.
• The cost of the assessment will be advised by the ADI and will be paid directly to them. There will be an
additional cost if the ADI supply the vehicle, additional costs will also be incurred for assessments done
on a weekend or evening. The ADI will advise you of this. Please confirm with ADI when booking your
assessment.
• The ADI will complete a report and supply this form to the Compliance Team.
• The applicant will provide a suitable vehicle for the assessment and at the time of the assessment will
be required to produce to the ADI his/her driving licence and the insurance for the vehicle. The
condition of the vehicle will also be inspected for safety. The ADI reserves the right to refuse to
undertake the assessment if these matters are not satisfactory and in such cases the assessment fee
will be forfeited. This will also be the case if the applicant fails to keep the appointment.
• If no suitable vehicle is available, the use of a vehicle can be arranged with the ADI at an additional
cost.
• If the applicant is assessed as not meeting the required standard, they will be given advice on what
training or other action is required. A further assessment can be arranged with the ADI at a later
date, for which a further fee is payable.
TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO CARRY OUT A DRIVING ASSESSMENT PLEASE SEE CONTACT
DETAILS BELOW FOR NEAREST APPROVED DRIVING INSTRUCTOR (ADI)
Mike
Buggins
07763 553045
natasha.carter252@googlemail.com
Chippenham
Richard
Gough
07951 678162
richjgough@googlemail.com
Chippenham
David
McGarry
davedrivertraining@hotmail.co.uk
Chippenham
Jo
McGarry
jodrivertraining@hotmail.co.uk
Chippenham
Martin
Ruddle
07793 583967
lionmartin67@gmail.com
Calne
Brian
Thorne
07909 970800
brian452thorne@btinternet.com
Salisbury
John
Clift
07789 680464
john.clift@hotmail.co.uk
Bath
If you cancel or do not arrive for your assessment you will be charged a cancellation fee of the price
of the original assessment, payable at the start of the assessment as well as the fee for the current
assessment, to be paid direct to the Driving Instructor. If the cancellation fee is not paid the
assessment will not take place and you will be unable to complete a driving assessment until the
fee is settled.
STEP 3
To complete the application, you will need to provide:
• Licence fee of £293
• Any further information as may be requested by the Council
Once all the information above has been submitted and relevant knowledge tests have been passed,
consideration will then be given to the issuing of a private hire or dual (hackney carriage & private hire)
driver licence and driver ID badge. The duration of this licence will be three years unless surrendered or
revoked. No renewal reminders will be sent out it will be the licence holder’s responsibility to submit a
renewal application at least 15 working days before the expiry date. The expiry date of your licence can be
found on the badge issued to you as well as on the paper copy of the licence.
Documents included in this pack:
• New Driver Licence Application Form
• Medical Form
• HMRC Tax Responsibilities
• Wiltshire Council Guidelines for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Licensing
•
Wiltshire Council Fit and Proper Person Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences
• Wiltshire Council Zone Map for Hackney Carriage Licences
