Private Hire Licensing
Guidance & Information

 

Please click on a link from the list below most relevant to your enquiry:

Private Hire Drivers

• Applying for a New Private Hire Driver's Licence
• Renewing your Private Hire Driver's Licence
• Applying for a Criminal Records Disclosure
• Organising a Medical Examination
• References
• The Knowledge Test
• Making an Appointment
• Required Documents

 

Private Hire Vehicles

• Applying for a New / Renewing a Private Hire Vehicle Licence
• Organising a Vehicle Test
• Making an Appointment
• Required Documents

 

Private Hire Operators

• Applying for a New Private Hire Operators Licence
• Renewing your Private Hire Operators Licence
• Planning Permission
• Record Keeping
• Inspections

 

• Contact Us

 

Private Hire Drivers

 

Applying for a New Private Hire Drivers Licence

A Licensed Private Hire Driver is in a position of great responsibility, you are entrusted with the safety of your passengers, you will often be working with young children and vulnerable adults and very often will be the first impression of Chester many visitors receive upon arrival. It is for these reasons and many more that all Private Hire Drivers are required to undergo an extensive vetting process before they can be allowed to transport the fare paying public.

You will need to apply for a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure, undergo a Medical Examination, provide references and you must have held a full UK/EU Drivers Licence for at least 12 months. You must also register with a Licensed Private Hire Operator, they will need to sign your application form to say they agree to provide you with work once you are Licensed.

You can obtain an application form by visiting the Application Forms page or by contacting the Licensing Team on 01244 402 300 or licensing@chester.gov.uk.

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Renewing Your Private Hire Driver's Licence

You must renew your Licence every year, although we will make every effort to send you a reminder before your licence expires - It is your responsibility to ensure you make application to renew your licence before it's expiry. Once your licence expires, it cannot be renewed and you must apply for a brand new licence (Including a Criminal Records Disclosure, Medical Examination and provide References).

All Private Hire Drivers must submit a new Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure every three years, you must also undertake a Medical Examination with your GP every 6 years until you turn 60, from this point on you must undergo a Medical Exam every year upon renewal of your licence.

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Applying for a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure

Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure's are required from all Private Hire Drivers upon initial application and every three years thereafter. This is an important part of the vetting procedure required for a position affording this level of trust and responsibility.

The first stage of the process is to obtain an application form from the CRB:

• Firstly, call the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) on 0870 90 90 844 or visit their website at www.crb.gov.uk.
• Then request an Enhanced Level Disclosure.
• They will ask you for an organisation number, this is
  212 375 000 00
• They will also ask whether you have our permission to use the above number - as long as you are applying for a Private Hire Licence with Chester City Council, you can answer yes.
• The CRB will then ask you a series of questions such as your name, address and date of birth. It is very important you answer all questions honestly and in full detail, any errors regarding your details could lead to your application being rejected.

The CRB will then send you an application form DO NOT SEND IT BACK TO THE CRB, you must bring this with you to your appointment together with a cheque or postal order made payable to 'Criminal Records Bureau' or 'CRB' and we will send it to the CRB on your behalf.

IMPORTANT Whenever you are due to undergo a CRB check, you must bring with you documentation to prove your identity and address, please look at the list below for examples of what may be required.

• Passport
• Driving Licence (Full UK or EU)
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate
• Bank / Credit Card / Store Card Statement (Under 3 Months Old)
• Utility Bill / TV Licence / Council Tax Bill (Under 3 Months Old)

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Organising a Medical Examination

Before you can be Licensed to drive a Private Hire Vehicle, you must first be declared medically fit to do so. To acheive this you must take one of our Medical Examination Forms , which can be found in the Applications Forms section, to your GP for them to complete.

The examination must be performed by your own GP or by another Doctor at the same practice. It must be performed at your regular practice so as to ensure that the doctor performing the examionation has access to your medical history records.

Your GP may well charge a fee for this service, the cost of which must be met by the applicant and cannot be reimbursed by the City Council. It is also important to note that there may be a waiting period involved so it is useful to book the exam within plenty of time before your appointment with the Licensing Team.

A Medical Examination must be performed before your Licence can be granted and every 6 years thereafter until you reach the age of 60, after your 60th birthday you must undergo a Medical Examination every year.

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References

All new applicants for a Private Hire Drivers Licence must provide two positive references, one of which must be from an individual with which they have had professional dealings. Chester City Council will contact these people and request character references to support your application.

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Knowledge Test

All new applicants for a Private Hire Driver's Licence must pass a knowledge test. This will be a dual purpose test that will test for the following:

• You must prove that you have a working knowledge of the law for Private Hire Drivers.
• You must demonstrate that you are familiar with the local area and be able to plot the quickest route to your customers destination.

The knowledge test will be a multiple choice test and will last approximately 45 minutes. Speak to a member of the Licensing Team when making your application to book your test date.

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Making an Appointment

It is important to note that the Licensing Team for Chester City Council operates an Appointment Only system. If you arrive at the office without an appointment you will not be seen until the next available appointment time. The hours offered for apointments are as follows:

Monday to Thursday 9.00am until 11.40am and then 1.20pm until 4.00pm.

Friday 9.00am until 11.40am and then 1.20pm until 3.00pm

Please note the offices are not open on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.

To book an appointment either to make your application, or just to discuss becoming a Private Hire Driver, Operator or Licensing your Vehicle, please call the Licensing Team on 01244 402 300.

 

Required Documents

For your intial application appointment, you will require the following documents:

• Full UK or EU Driver's Licence (Both the Card & Paper Sections)
• Completed Application Form (Must be signed by your Operator)
• Completed Medical Examination Form
• Criminal Records Bureau Application Form (Including the required documentation to prove your identifcation and your address - for more details, see the Criminal Records Bureau section above)
• Cheque or Postal Order for £36 made payable to the 'Criminal Records Bureau' or 'CRB'

For an appointment to renew your Licence you will need:

• Full UK or EU Driving Licence
• Completed Renewal Application Form
• Your old badge 
• Every 6 years (Every year if you are over 60) you will be required to undergo a Medical Examination and submit the completed Form before your badge expires.
• Every 3 years you must submit to a new Criminal Records Bureau check. For your appointment your will once again need to supply the application form and documentation to prove your identification and address even if you have not changed address since your last CRB check.

In accordance with current legislation, the Licensing Team reserve the right to request any additional information or documentation that they deem necessary. This may include a DVLA check of your Driving history. Any additonal costs incurred by these or other checks must be met by the applicant.

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Private Hire Vehicles

 

Applying for a New or Renewing a Private Hire Vehicle Licence

For a vehicle to be Licensed as a Private Hire Vehicle, it must undergo extensive testing and vetting to ensure it is suitable to transport members of the public. Licences last for one year for Vehicles under 8 years old and six months for Vehicles over 8 years old. Vehicles must undergo the Council's Vehicle Test whenever the Licence is due to be renewed (Once a year if under 8 years old and every 6 months if over 8 years old).

To apply for your vehicle to be Licensed you must first organise a a Vehicle Test at one of the City Council Approved Testing Stations (See Below). Once the Vehicle has passed this test you must telephone the Licensing Team on 01244 402 300 and arrange an appointment to Licence the Vehicle. Be sure to bring all the required documents (See Below) to prevent your application being delayed.

To obtain an application form for a new Private Hire Licence or to renew an existing Licence, please visit the Application Forms Section.

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Organising a Vehicle Test

All Private Hire Vehicles must undergo a thorough mechanical and cosmetic examination to ensure it is both safe to carry members of the public and is in good condition. Under the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1976, Local Authorities are given the power to set a higher standard of Test and insist that Vehicles conform to these requirements in order to be Licensed.

In May of 2007, Chester City Council certified 7 garages within the Chester District as Approved Vehicle Testing Stations. You will need to contact one of the stations to arrange an appointment to test your vehicle before you arrange an appointment to Licence your Vehicle.

Ensuring Public Safety is the City Council's highest priority when Licensing either Vehicles, Drivers or Operators. Therefore the City Council's Vehicle Tests are to a very high standard, higher than that of a standard Vehicle MOT. Once your vehicle has passed it's test, the Garage will issue you with a Test Certificate.

The fee for a Vehicle Test is set by the testing Garage. The City Council have set a maximum fee that can be charged of £75. This is determined by the current maximum MOT fee of £50 and a maximum of £25 for the additional requirements of the Council Vehicle Test. It will be the choice of the Garage to decide their own fee within either below or at this maximum level.

You can download a list of the approved testing station and a breakdown of the testing standards employed during the test by clicking the appropriate link in the list below. (Please note that you will need Adobe Reader Software to view these files. You can download this software free of charge from www.adobe.co.uk)

Guidelines for Vehicle Testing  (67Kb)

List of City Council Approved Testing Stations (15Kb)

It is very important to note that your Vehicle Test Certificate will only be valid for One Month. You must apply for your Vehicle Licence before this period expires.

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Required Documents

Once your vehicle has passed it's test, you will need to bring certain documents with you to your appointment with the Licensing Team.

• Completed Private Hire Vehicle Application Form
• Vehicle Test Certificate
• Your Old Plates
• Vehicle Registration Document (V5 - This must be in the Applicant's name and current address)
• Valid Insurance Certificate or Cover Note

All documents must be ORIGINALS, photocopies and faxes will not be accepted.

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Private Hire Operators

 

Applying for a New Private Hire Operators Licence

Just as with holding a Private Hire Driver's Licence, a Private Hire Operator is in a position of trust and responsibility. To ensure the Safety of the Public and Compliance with the Law, there is a strict vetting procedure you must undergo before a Licence can be issued. Private Hire Operators are subject the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976, under which Local Authorities are given the power to create their own conditions to attach to any Licences issued.

You must complete the Application Form, provide at least two excellent references, which must be proffessional and or business related. We will also require all applicants to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure before a Licence can be issued and periodically thereafter or when requested by the Licensing Team.

Before a Licence can be issued, the premises to be utilised a the Operator's Offices will be inspected by a Licensing Officer.

We recommend that anyone wishing to become a Private Hire Operator, before completing the application form, first makes an appointment to speak with the Licensing Team to discuss their aspirations.

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Renewing a Private Hire Operator's Licence

An Operator's Licence can be renewed yearly by completing the appropriate Application Form. Private Hire Operator Licence holders will be required to submit to a new Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure periodically or when requested by the Licensing Team.

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Planning Permission

Any premises utilised by a Private Hire Operator would be used to provide a public facing business. As a result, depending on the style of business a Private Hire Operator wishes to run, Planning Permission may be required before a Licence can be issued.

For advice and guidance we would recommend you speak with the Planning Department before submitting an application.

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Record Keeping

The Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1976 states that strict record keeping must be maintained by Private Hire Operators. Details must be recorded of all bookings and journeys made through an Operator including the following:

• The Name of the Hiring Passenger
• The Date & Time of the Booking
• How the booking was received (IE Telephone, E-mail, In Person etc)
• The Name & Licence Number of the Driver & Vehicle collecting the Passenger(s)
• The Date, Time and Address of Collection
• The Destination (Must at least include the Street Name and area)

Records must be kept for a minimum of six months. An example of a Record Keeping sheet is available for download by clicking the link below:

Example of Private Hire Operator Booking Record 

Record keeping is essential to ensure the safety of the travelling public and to protect both the Operator and Driver from false recrimination. Inadequate record keeping is in violation of the law and could lead to revokation of an Operator's licence and / or other penalties.

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Inspections

Before a Private Hire Operator's Licence can be granted, a thorough inspection of the Operating Premises must be undertaken by Authorised Officers of the Licensing Team. This inspection will include a detailed scrutinisation of the facilities for the public, for communication and for the keeping of records. Regular inspections of the premises should be expected as part of standard Enforcement exercises.

It is important to note that once a Private Hire Operator's Licence is issued, authorised Officers of the Licensing Authority will hold Power of Entry to the Licensed premises and must be granted access if it is requested.

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Contact Us

If you have any queries that are not answered by the above guidance, please feel free to contact the Licensing Team directly:

Telephone: 01244 402 300
E-mail: licensing@chester.gov.uk

Postal: Licensing Team, Chester City Council, The Forum, Chester, CH1 2HS

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