Taxi licensing

If you are applying to be a new Sefton Taxi Driver, please see the urgent update at the top of this page. 

Applicants must have:

• Your full driving licence [DVLA, EEC or Northern Irish] or your old-style paper licence. You must have held a licence for at least 12 months
• 2 other documents from either Group 1 or Group 2 (as described for a Disclosure and Barring Service check)
• A full list of all the addresses you have lived at in the last 5 years without any gaps
• Details of your doctor. You will require a DVLA Group II standard medical. This can be completed by your own registered GP or a GP who has access to your medical records (not needed for horse omnibus or pedicab driver licences)
• Your fees for the DBS check and DVLA referral
• The details of the Sefton licensed Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence Holder (Plate Number and address) that you intend to use

Please note: Applicants are no longer required to provide their own colour passport photograph. We will take a photograph of you during your visit which will be stored and used for licensing purposes only.

One Stop Shop

Bootle One Stop Shop located on 324 Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3ET.

Bootle One Stop Shop is operating during the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

All vehicles must be tested for fitness by one of our appointed testing stations including a taximeter accuracy check. The vehicle test standards are provided in the Vehicle Preconditions document.

To apply for a new licence, applicants must send in their application via email to taxiapplication@sefton.gov.uk and provide:

• The vehicle pass certificate
• Valid current proof of Public Hire Insurance cover for the vehicle
• The vehicle registration document (or bill of sale for recently purchased vehicles)
• Application Form

You will be contacted by a withheld number once your plate is ready to be processed and you will need to make payment for the plate by debit card before it is produced.

If your application is successful and payment is made, the licence and plates will be issued.

One Stop Shop

Bootle One Stop Shop located on 324 Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3ET.

Bootle One Stop Shop is operating  during the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

• When your licence is due present your vehicle to a testing station to be tested in the normal way.
• The testing station will provide you with a vehicle licence application form to complete or you can use this link to download one.
• Complete the application form ensuring up to date contact details such as name, address, email and telephone number are included.
• Email the One Stop Shop (OSS) attaching a copy of the test certificate, V5, the vehicle insurance and the application form to taxiapplication@sefton.gov.uk and for all renewals you must indicate in the subject line of the email the expiry date of the license (eg. EXP 01.01.22).
• All applications will receive a confirmation email from the OSS when the licence application has been received.
• You will be contacted by a withheld number once your plate is ready to be processed and you will need to make payment for the plate by debit card before it is produced.
• Owners of vehicles renewing should retain the old plates on the licensed vehicle and drivers should keep the confirmation email from the OSS, available at all times the vehicle is working, as evidence that the vehicle has a current and valid licence.
• Owners of new vehicle licence applications should wait until the plates are received and affixed to the vehicle before commencing any work.
• The plates will be posted to the address given on your application form or in certain circumstances can be collected from Bootle One Stop Shop.

You will also need to return your old internal and external vehicle licence plates when collecting your new plates.

One Stop Shop

Bootle One Stop Shop located on 324 Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3ET.

Bootle One Stop Shop is operating  during the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Any horse drawn or pedicab omnibus vehicles are required by law to be licensed by Sefton Council to stand or ply for hire along permitted routes. 

At the present time the only approved routes are within the tourist areas in Southport. These vehicles must charge at separate fares (per passenger).

To apply for a new licence, applicants must contact the Council Taxi Licensing Team by email and notify us that you wish to apply for a licence.

You will then be contacted by Taxi Licensing who will arrange an appointment with you for your vehicle to be inspected by a qualified examiner.

Once your vehicle has passed its inspection, you will be required to produce:

• A valid certificate of relevant insurance cover
• Your Licence and Vehicle inspection fees (this will vary depending on licence type)

For Horse Omnibus vehicles only

• A valid certificate of fitness issued by a specialist veterinary surgeon, for each horse that is to be used. [Each certificate remains valid for one year.]

If all the above is in order, you will be issued with a vehicle licence.

Any person who wishes to invite or accept bookings for private hire journeys from an address within Sefton is required by law to hold a licence issued by Sefton Council.

To apply for a new licence, applicants must contact the Council Taxi Licensing Team by email and you will need to provide: 

• Planning permission, or a letter from the planning department stating that you do not need planning permission. Use the link to apply for letter online.
• Proposed door signs.
• A Certificate of Incorporation if the application is to be made as a limited company.

If your application is successful and the name you wish to use does not resemble another then you will be contacted for payment and issued with a licence and a copy of the Private Hire Operator's Conditions.

You will be required to keep records of every journey and are responsible for ensuring that the journeys booked are completed.

We can only issue a Private Hire Operators licence if the premises that you wish to operate from is within the area of Sefton.

One Stop Shop

Bootle One Stop Shop located on 324 Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3ET.

Bootle One Stop Shop is operating  during the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

All Hackney Carriage, Private Hire, Horse and Pedicab Omnibus Driver’s Licences Fees & Charges

Driver Licences

All Drivers   (One Year) £30

Application Fee (new drivers only)  £15

All Vehicle Licences

Private Hire (up to 8 years old) One year         £145

Private Hire (over 8 years old)  Six months      £84

All Hackney Carriages (up to 8 years old) One year  £145

Non-Metropolitan Hackney Carriages (over 8 years old) Six months      £84

Metropolitan Hackney Carriages (8-11 years old) One year £145

Metropolitan Hackney Carriages (Over 11 years old)  Six months      £84

Horse Omnibus (any age) One year  £130

Pedicap Omnibuses One year  £70

All Private Hire Operator’s Licences (Max 5 years)

 Operating 1-2 vehicles  One year  £37

 Operating 3-50 vehicles  One year  £180

 Operating 51-100 vehicles  One year £220

 Operating 100+ vehicles   One year £250

Miscellaneous Fees

Transfer of Hackney to Private Hire licence  £25         

Transfer of Private Hire to Hackney licence £25

Transfer of Licence holder - any vehicle  £25

Change of vehicle registration - any vehicle  £25

Duplicate licence (any type)    £15

Duplicate driver's badge or internal vehicle plate   £8

Duplicate external vehicle plate  £15

Enhanced DBS check  £50

DVLA driver licence check   £5

Solicitor & RTA Written Response Fees (Minimal)

Simple release of data  £50      

Complex release of data (charge per hour)  £80

All prices correct at January 2020.

Before granting a licence we require applicants to:

• Undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check; 
• Undergo a DVLA Records Referral process; 
• Pass the handbook-based Knowledge Test (Not needed for horse omnibus or pedicab driver licence) Knowledge Tests cannot be booked until 4 weeks have passed since the initial application;
• Pass a British Driving Society test of competence with horse drawn vehicles (horse omnibus only);
• Produce a satisfactory Medical Certification from their own registered GP or a GP with access to their medical records (We have adopted the DVLA Group II medical standard) 
• Achieve the Vocationally Related Qualification in Transporting Passengers by Taxi & Private Hire (VRQ) (New Applicants).

If your application is successful you will then be required to pay a Licence fee. This will vary depending on licence type and length.

Sefton Council has a restricted number of Hackney Carriage Licences available (271) which are all currently allocated.

The Council maintains a waiting list for anyone wanting a licence should one become available. You can make an application for a licence at either Bootle or Southport One Stop Shop, but due to Coronavirus, restrictions mean you have to book an appointment with the Council Taxi Licensing Team by email* Please note that it may be several years before a licence becomes available.

If you have already submitted an application then check your reference to find your position on the list below.

Please complete the online form to report an issue. 

We will investigate and take the appropriate action. If you have provided your contact details we will aim to respond within 15 days of your enquiry.

Private Hire Vehicles

The Council’s current handbook of conditions state that a private hire driver, upon finding any property in his vehicle, should take it to a Police Station within 48 hours or return it to the passenger. Since September 2015, Merseyside Police no longer routinely accept lost property. It is now the responsibility of private hire operators to deal with enquiries regarding lost property left in vehicles. If you have left property in a private hire vehicle then you should contact the operator as soon as possible.

Hackney Carriage Vehicles

The current byelaws relating to hackney carriages state that property should be taken to a Police Station within 48 hours. If you have flagged down a taxi in the street or used a vehicle at a rank it may not be possible to trace the hackney carriage you have travelled in without recording either the details of the vehicle or the driver. If the vehicle was pre booked you should contact the company or operator you made the booking through as soon as possible.

Sefton Council do not retain any lost property but if you are having difficulty getting items returned then please get in touch by using the online form in ‘how to complain about a Sefton taxi’ and we may be able to help. The current handbook will be updated in due course to reflect the current guidance.”

The Council has adopted Section 165 of the Equality Act which makes it an offence for drivers of designated vehicles to refuse to carry a passenger in a wheelchair unless that driver has a valid exemption.

The current list of designated wheelchair accessible vehicles is shown below along with guidance for drivers on their duties as well as an explanation of the reasonable mobility assistance that is expected. Details on the type and size of wheelchairs that are covered is also contained in the guidance.