Taxi Licensing General FAQs

Read the information available on the Become a Taxi Driver page. Download and complete the relevant forms.

Our Customer Services Team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. You don't need an appointment to submit a new driver application or collect a licence.

You must be registered with the update service and you must bring your original certificate with you for us to complete the online check. Otherwise, you will have to complete and pay for an enhanced DBS through our provider, Carecheck. 

You must obtain an enhanced check and select Other workforce 'Taxi driver'.

An applicant for a driver licence is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act and therefore all convictions, cautions or warnings will be disclosed, irrespective of their age. We will consider all information disclosed as part of the DBS check along with any relevant information as part of the application, but each case will be considered on its individual merits.

No, but we recommend that it is done at your own GP’s surgery where your records are held. You must ensure the medical form [PDF, 0.3MB] is downloaded from our website. The medical is done to a Group 2 standard, in line with HGV drivers. 

A medical is required as part of any new application and every six years after that, as part of a renewal application After 65 we require an annual medical. Certain medical conditions require more frequent medicals. You must ensure the form you use is the HDC medical form [PDF, 0.3MB]

New applicants will not be required to pay the licence fee until all checks have been completed by the Licensing Team. Medicals, driving assessments and DBS fees are paid directly to the relevant company.

Applicants will be required to visit our offices at Pathfinder House and wait in turn for a member of the Customer Services team to be available. In general, it may take up to 1 hour for the appointment.

From the 1 January 2019 we will be introducing an age limit of 5 years at first licensing. Please read the Taxi Licensing Policy and Condition [PDF, 0.4MB] for more information.

The fee is for the issue of the licence. No refunds are payable once issued.

No. There must be one tariff Approved by Huntingdonshire District Council only, which is reflected on your meter.

Only hackney carriages can sit on a taxi rank and only if a permit has been issued by the station itself.

Adams Autos, Unit 6 Venture Court, Edison Rd, St Ives PE27 3JX. You need to contact the garage on 01480 494621 or via their website  to arrange and pay for a test in advance. The licensing fees from 1 January 2018 are:

It’s important that you arrive promptly for your appointment - if you are late we may not be able to see you. If you are 10 or more minutes late your appointment will be automatically cancelled and you will need to rebook and pay for a re- test.

If you intend to be an owner operator you will not be able to drive a vehicle once licensed if you do not have a drivers badge. You may licence a vehicle without a driver's badge but it must be driven only by a licensed driver with the correct private hire or hackney carriage insurance.

You must report any accident to the Licensing team within 72 hours. An accident report form is required.

Bus lane restrictions vary from town to town. You must familiarise yourselves with the restrictions accordingly.

Unfortunately we can’t. You may download the forms from our website. If you wish, you can come to the office to collect the application forms.

All payment is by either credit/debit card or cheque.

• New drivers will be required to pay once the application has been approved. The Licensing Team will contact you directly to take payment. Renewal drivers will be required to make payment at the time of submitting the application.

• Vehicle tests require payment directly to the garage when a test booking is being made.

• Vehicle licences will require payment to be made when the plate and licence are collected from our reception at Pathfinder House.

• Operators will be contacted for payment once the application has been approved (unless a cheque has been received with the application).

Fees for hackney carriage and private hire licensing

If you see anyone (other than a Huntingdonshire-licensed hackney carriage) using the ranks, make a note of the vehicle make and registration number along with the plate number (if any) and let us know. If possible take a photo of the vehicle and driver. It is illegal for other vehicles to use the ranks and where there is sufficient evidence and we can trace the driver, we will take enforcement action. As a witness you will have to be prepared to give a statement, attend a hearing or appear in court if needed.

The Immigration Act 2016 introduced statutory right to work checks in relation to the hackney carriages and private hire vehicles trade. This means councils have a duty to check applicants' right to work and leave to remain in the UK.

Driver licences are normally granted for 3 years. Where the right to remain is less than this, then a shorter licence will be issued, subject to the terms of any Home Office permissions.