Key facts
- Issued by
- The local council, or Transport for London in London[1]
- Maximum length
- 5 years[1]
- Same-authority rule
- Driver, vehicle and operator must be licensed by the same authority[2]
- Renewal
- Needs an HMRC tax check[3]
- Passing on bookings
- Allowed to an operator licensed by another council, in London or in Scotland[4]
- Councils requiring DBS checks for booking and dispatch staff
- 187 of 289 (2026)[5]
- Fee range seen (5-year licence)
- £236 (York, 1-10 vehicles) to £37,563 (Birmingham, over 1,000 drivers)[6]
How to get a private hire operator licence
- 1
Choose the operating centre
The licence names the address where you take bookings. Some councils need planning permission for a booking office; Luton, for example, says so in its guidance.[9]
- 2
Check the council's conditions
Every council publishes operator conditions: records to keep, insurance, complaints handling, staff checks. Read them before you apply.
- 3
Get your checks ready
Expect a basic DBS check for the applicant, identity documents and, in many areas, DBS checks for the staff who take bookings and dispatch.[5]
- 4
Apply and pay the fee
Apply to the council where your operating centre is. Fees vary by council and often by fleet size.
- 5
Set up records and dispatch
From the first booking you must keep the records your council lists, which a dispatch system does automatically.
- 6
Renew before it expires
Renewal needs an HMRC tax check; without a valid licence you cannot take bookings.[3]
Who needs a private hire operator licence?
Anyone who accepts or invites bookings for private hire vehicles in England or Wales. A driver who works for an existing operator does not need one; a taxi firm that only works from ranks does not either, though taxi drivers may do work booked by an operator.[1]
What records does an operator have to keep?
Every council sets out what to record for each booking. In the Department for Transport's 2026 survey of 289 councils, almost all required the pick-up point, destination, pick-up time and passenger name, and around seven in ten also wanted the name of the person who dispatched the job.[5]
| Detail | Councils requiring it |
|---|---|
| Pick-up point | 286 |
| Main destination | 285 |
| Time of pick-up | 280 |
| Passenger name | 279 |
| Vehicle registration number | 274 |
| Date of pick-up | 273 |
| Name of driver | 273 |
| Time booking is made | 268 |
| Driver licence number | 263 |
| Date booking is made | 263 |
| Name of booker | 212 |
| Name of dispatcher | 206 |
In TaxiDex every booking is on record, searchable and exportable to a spreadsheet, and each one opens its own audit trail of who created or changed it and when; see booking records and the audit trail.
How much does an operator licence cost?
It depends on the council and usually on fleet size. On the councils' own fee pages in November 2026, a 5-year licence cost from £236 in York (1 to 10 vehicles) to £37,563 in Birmingham for an operator with over 1,000 drivers.[6]
| Council | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| York | £236 to £1,067 (5 years) | By fleet: 1-10, 11-50, 51-90, 91+ vehicles |
| Walsall | £350 / £550 new (5 years) | 1-2 vehicles / 3 or more |
| Wirral | £528 to £1,419 (5 years) | 1 vehicle up to 51+ vehicles |
| Norwich | £945.50 new, £903 renewal (5 years) | One rate |
| Rochdale | £1,042 for 1 vehicle (5 years) | Rises with fleet size |
| Leeds | £500 application; £1,500 to £3,000 renewal (5 years) | By number of drivers |
| Manchester | £2,790 (5 years) | New, renewal or additional base |
| Oxford | £2,886 / £5,772 (5 years) | 3 vehicles or fewer / 4 or more |
| Wolverhampton | £1,000 first year, then £750 (1 year) or £3,000 (5 years) | Small operators £250 / £750 |
| Luton | £3,550.50 (5 years) | Standard term is 5 years |
| Birmingham | £1,329 to £37,563 (5 years, new) | Small (1-5 vehicles) to over 1,000 drivers |
Can an operator pass a booking to another operator?
Yes. Section 55A of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 lets an operator sub-contract a booking to an operator licensed by the same council, another council in England or Wales, Transport for London, or an operator in Scotland.[4]
Do my call handlers and dispatchers need DBS checks?
In many areas, yes. 187 of the 289 councils in the DfT's 2026 survey required DBS checks for the operator's booking and dispatch staff, and 176 required operators to have a policy on employing people with convictions.[5]
Are the rules for operators changing?
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 provides for national standards for licences, including operator licences, and for enforcement officers to suspend licences issued by other areas. On legislation.gov.uk those sections were marked prospective (not yet in force) when we checked on 2 November 2026.[18]
Frequently asked questions
How long does a private hire operator licence last?
Up to 5 years in England and Wales. Some councils issue shorter licences; Wolverhampton, for example, grants a new operator a 1-year licence first.
Can I run a private hire operator business from home?
Often, but the council decides whether the address is suitable and planning rules may apply to a booking office. Check your council's operator conditions before you apply.
Do I need my own vehicles to hold an operator licence?
No. Many operators dispatch self-employed drivers who own licensed vehicles; the drivers and vehicles must be licensed by the same council as the operator.
Is a private hire operator licence the same as a PSV operator licence?
No. A PSV operator licence, from the traffic commissioner, is for operating buses and coaches; private hire operator licences come from the council or TfL.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] GOV.UK: Operator licences for private hire vehicles (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [2] GOV.UK: Driver licences for taxis and private hire vehicles (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [3] HMRC: Complete a tax check for a taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [4] legislation.gov.uk: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 55A (sub-contracting by operators) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [5] Department for Transport: Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics, England: 2026, data tables TAXI0104, TAXI0105 and TAXI0108-TAXI0112 (figures at 1 April 2026) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [6] City of York Council: Taxi licensing fees and charges (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [7] Walsall Council: Private hire and hackney carriage licensing fees (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [8] Wirral Council: Private hire and hackney carriage licence fees (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [9] Luton Borough Council: Private hire operator's licence (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [10] Norwich City Council: Taxi and private hire licence fees (last updated May 2026) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [11] Rochdale Borough Council: Public hire and private hire driver fees (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [12] Leeds City Council: Taxi and private hire licensing costs (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [13] Manchester City Council: All taxi licensing fees (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [14] Oxford City Council: Private hire operator licence fees and charges (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [15] City of Wolverhampton Council: Operator Licensing guide (June 2026) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [16] Birmingham City Council: Taxi licensing fees and charges (page updated 20 March 2026) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [17] GOV.UK: PSV (public service vehicle) operator licences (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [18] legislation.gov.uk: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, Part 2 Chapter 6 (licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles) (read 2 Nov 2026)
Related
- Taxi and private hire licensing in London
- Taxi licence costs across UK councils
- Minicab and private hire software
- Hackney carriage vs private hire: what is the difference?
- Taxi knowledge test: what it covers and how to pass
- How long does it take to get a taxi licence?
- Taxi and private hire licensing in Wolverhampton