Apply for a taxi or private hire licence

Introduction

Welcome to our new ‘Private Hire Driver Renewal’ page. This page outlines our new application process from 9th April 2018 and is intended for customers that currently hold a Private Hire Driver Licence with Reigate & Banstead BC. The application process is mapped out for you below and is broken down into an easy to follow 7 Stage process. We strongly advise you read and follow all the information on this page before proceeding with your application. You will find all the information you may need to assist with your application on our licensing webpages.  

To renew your licence you will need a unique alphanumeric code that looks similar to this e.g NJT0LWMV0K890. If you do not have a code like this on a recent email from the licensing team please call licensing on 01737 276672 and we will provide you with this code so you can proceed with your licence renewal. The earliest you will be able to renew your licence and use your code is 3 months before your expiry date. 

For a summary of what our new system changes are clicking here.

Polite Note October 2019: Responding to numerous individual requests for status updates on applications is currently impacting on our ability to process and issue licences as quickly as we would like. Please allow at least 6 weeks for your application to be processed before you contact us to chase or ask for an update. If we need to get in touch to clarify or request anything, we will do so. In the meantime you may wish to refer to the comprehensive information on the application process available on this website. Fewer enquiries will allow us to process licences more quickly.

7 Stage Application Process 

Stage 1) Read and understand our ''Who can apply for a licence?'' webpage and other relevant Licensing webpages.

We have put extensive information regarding the licensing process, our fees, our policies and conditions on our webpages to help our customers. We strongly advise all drivers to read and understand our licensing webpages relevant to your application before proceeding to renew your licence.

When you are content that you continue to meet our licensing requirements, as outlined on our 'Who can apply for a licence page' and would like to renew then proceed to Stage 2.

Stage 2) Check you have the required information, documents and means of making payment before commencing your application.  

In Stage 3 you will make your online application and payment to us via a webform hosted by a company called Idox. Please note that there is no means to save your application part way through, so you need to ensure you have sufficient time to fully complete your application - 30 minutes should be sufficient. You will need to have the following to hand before starting your application.

1. DVLA Driving Licence.
2. Unique alphanumeric renewal code* (see below for further information on this code)
3. Access to a valid email address and account.
4. Means of making an online payment by credit or debit card (with the permission of the card holder to do so, if it is not your card).
5. Your National Insurance Number.
6. Know which operator you will be working for.
7. Evidence of your Right to Work in the United Kingdom e.g. Passport, Biometric card etc.
8. Details of any past and current motoring offences, previous convictions from the UK and abroad, and any matters pending. You should not withhold any details (this includes spent convictions) when applying to be a taxi or private hire driver. 
9. If you have lived abroad for 6 continuous months of more since the age of 16 you will be required to provide a criminal record check from the country / countries visited covering the period or a certificate of good conduct authenticated by the relevant embassy.
10. Passport sized photograph.
11. Complete a tax check.
12. Information on any medical condition that shows you can meet the DVLA Group 2 guidelines e.g. the medical condition, medication you are taking, and results of any tests required etc.
13. Our ‘Application Guidance Document’ - to help you in making your application we have developed a guidance document with handy hints and walkthrough screen by screen pictures of the online application process. We strongly recommend you familiarise yourself with this document prior to making your application in Stage 3.

* To renew your licence you will need a unique alphanumeric code that looks similar to this e.g NJT0LWMV0K890. If you do not have a code like this on a recent email from the licensing team please call licensing on 01737 276672 and we will provide you with this code so you can proceed with your licence renewal. 

Stage 3) Complete your online application form to renew your existing Private Hire Driver Licence

Please ensure you have read Stages 1 and 2 above and familiarised yourself with the content on our licensing webpages that may be relevant to your application. When you are satisfied that you continue to meet the requirements to renew as a licensed private hire driver with this Authority, click on the green button below to make your renewal application.  This application form is for renewing and not new drivers.

Please be aware as of 1 April 2022, all applicants will have their details checked against the National register of hackney carriages and private hire driver licence refusals and revocations.

Apply to Renew a Private Hire Driver Licence

When you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email. To progress your licence application please see the steps below and the 'Important Information on How to Progress Your Application' button below. 

Important Information On How to Progress Your Application 

Note as part of your application you will need to supply either electronically or in hard copy a passport sized photograph of yourself, and this photograph will be used on your driver badge.

Renewing a 1 Year Licence?  You can continue to renew your driver licence annually up to the point where you need to redo your DBS/DVLA checks that are valid for 3 years.  There is no longer an application form for an annual renewal but you must submit your medical report, in plenty of time before your licence is due to expire e.g. two months before and pay the £95 fee over the phone. You can submit a copy of your medical report either via email or to our reception during opening hours. We advise you retain a copy of the medical for your records.

When your DBS/DVLA check is due, you will need to apply and pay for a standard 3 year licence online and supply a yearly medical report as you do currently. If everything is satisfactory we will  issue your licence with an expiry date that will coincide with the 'Group 2 Medical' expiry. In each of the second and third years you will need to supply a new medical report in plenty of time before the expiry date on your licence.  When we have determined the medical is satisfactory, we will issue you with a new badge with a revised expiry date for a further year. You will need to pay the replacement badge fee for the second and third year.

These changes have been brought about by the Deregulation Act 2015 which changed the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 in such a way as to encourage a standard duration of three years for taxi and private hire vehicle driver licences.

Stage 4) Complete your DBS and DVLA checks

DBS Check

You MUST read or download the PDF document below ' DBS & DVLA Information Document' as it tells you how to complete your Enhanced DBS check and includes all the information you need to do the check such as what website to go to and what information to input into the website. DBS information is included from pages 7-11 in this document:

DBS & DVLA Information Document 

Please Note: As of 31 March 2021, the U.K. background screening business of GBG has been acquired by First Advantage, a leading global provider of technology solutions for background screening. Your Online Disclosures experience will not be impacted

DBS Update Service

We can only accept this if you have paid for it and the certificate is for an Enhanced DBS where the “Position applied for” is “Other Workforce” AND “Taxi/Private Hire Driver”. We will need to see the original certificate so we recommend you bring it to one of our  Document Drop In Sessions. See https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service for more details.

Note: You must follow the instructions in the document above to ensure that we receive the correct  Enhanced DBS check. We will not accept a Basic DBS check.

DVLA Check

You MUST read or download the PDF document below ' DBS & DVLA Information Document' as it tells you how to complete your Enhanced DBS check and includes all the information you need to do the check such as what website to go to and what information to input into the website. DBS information is included from pages 7-11 in this document:

DBS & DVLA Information Document

Stage 5) Successfully Complete Online Safeguard Training Course (provided by Barnardos).

Please click on the green button below for further information on what you must do to successfully complete the required training course.  A Course fee of £18 is payable direct to Barnardos.

Safeguard Training Course

All drivers are required to have completed the online safeguard training course provided by Barnardos before we are able to grant your renewal.

Stage 6) All Drivers Must Read & Comply With This Stage

A- Passport Style Photo

Please send us a copy of your passport style photo with your full name clearly written on the back or included in a cover email:

• by email to licensing@reigate-banstead.gov.uk with 'driver photo' and your name and applicant reference number (if known) in the subject line;
• by post to Licensing Department, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SH; or
• by dropping into our reception.

Further guidance on what makes a suitable photograph can be found here. 

B- Right To Work in the UK

All drivers must show us the original document(s) that demonstrate they have the right to work in the UK e.g. passport or biometric card.

We need to check this once after 1 December 2016 (and repeatedly for those who have limited permission to be in the UK and work until such time as they can demonstrate that they are entitled to remain indefinitely in the UK).

If you do not have British or Irish citizenship (including ‘dual citizenship’), or indefinite leave to remain, you may need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 to continue living or working in the UK. Applicants to the Scheme must have arrived in the UK by 31 December 2020.  

C- Drivers over 45 at the Renewal Date and those who have a yearly licence - Medical

This step is only required if you are over the age of 45 at the time of your renewal or you are required to supply a medical report  due to having a medical condition that can affect your driving ability. 

Only a Reigate & Banstead BC medical report completed in full by a GP from the medical practice you are registered at, will be accepted by this Authority: 

Medical Report Form

Your doctor may charge you for the cost of completing the medical report. The report must be completed in full and be stamped/signed and dated by the GP. If questions are not answered fully or information is omitted and boxes not ticked, this could delay your application and you may have to go back to your GP. Before submitting a copy of your medical report, please check it is completed fully and read the instructions on the form carefully. If a medical condition is identified, please ensure that this is explained fully in Section 8 of the medical report and that the box in Section 9 is completed by your GP. 

Please send a copy of your completed medical report with your applicant reference written on the front either:

• by email to licensing@reigate-banstead.gov.uk with 'driver medical' and your applicant reference number in the subject line;
• by post to Licensing Department, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SH; or
• by dropping into our reception.

There is no need to wait at a document drop in session just to provide a copy of your medical. You can supply a copy of your medical report, however you must keep the original document for the duration of your licence. If you supply the original report to us, we recommend you take a copy as we will not return it and it may go missing. The Licensing Authority reserve the right to request to have sight of the original document at any time during the application process and throughout the duration of your licence held with this Authority.

Please Note: It is the duty of you as the licence holder to inform us if you are undergoing treatment or have a medical condition that may now, or in the future, affect your safety as a driver. Please inform us in writing and supply supporting medical reports / letters.

Stage 7) Become a Licensed Private Hire Driver with Reigate & Banstead BC

Once all enquiries have been completed  and we are satisfied that you are a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver licence with this Authority, we will finalise your application. After an administration processing period we will be able to create your licence and badges. This processing period varies depending on applicant numbers so we are unable to advise on specific timescales. Your licence and badge will be posted to the address we hold on your driver file. We no longer have the facility for you to potentially pick up your licence and badge from our reception. 

We strongly advise our drivers upon receipt of their licence to diarise their expiry dates in their phones and calendars etc.  It is your responsibility as a licensed private hire driver to ensure that your current licence is valid and that any renewal application is started in plenty of time.