Private hire vehicle licences

Private hire vehicles:

must be pre-booked. They cannot be hailed in the street
cannot use taxi ranks
can set their own fares

You must have a licence to use your vehicle as a private hire vehicle.

What you will need

proof of insurance
valid MOT – unless the vehicle is exempt
V5 or proof of purchase
LOLER and weight test certificate (wheelchair accessible vehicles only)

Costs

Licence Fees and Charges 2024 to 2025 - pdf - 176 Kb

Vehicle requirements

for new and transfer applications, the vehicle must be less than 5 years old from the date of first registration
for renewal applications, the vehicle must be less than 15 years old from date of first registration
it must have: no smoking signs, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher

Wheelchair accessible vehicles are exempt from the age requirements. Other specialist vehicles may also be exempt.

Licence renewals

You can renew your licence at a reduced cost if you return the application form at least 7 days before your licence expires.

If your licence has expired, you’ll need to apply for a new licence at the full cost.

It is your responsibility to check the expiry date of your licence. We will not send you a reminder or any other documentation.

Apply

Application form for a private hire vehicle licence - pdf - 252 Kb

Return your completed application form, supporting documents and fee to ers@westoxon.gov.uk

Or you can post them to us at:

Licensing
Environmental and Regulatory Services
Council Offices
Woodgreen
Witney
OX28 1NB

How you can pay:

by phone (01993) 861000
by cheque sent with your application form

We’ll process your application within 5 working days.

Licence transfers

You can transfer your licence to another vehicle or person. Use the form below to apply.

Transfer applications have the same requirements as new vehicles. We’ll process them within one working day.

Application form for the transfer of a private hire vehicle licence - pdf - 164 Kb

We will not refund any licences.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)

If you are not a licensed driver or private hire operator with West Oxfordshire District Council, you will need to submit a basic DBS check with your application. Please visit the DBS for further information: https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record These must be carried out on an annual basis.

Report an accident

You must notify us if you have an accident that affects your vehicle or customer convenience. Complete the accident form below and return it to ers@publicagroup.uk no more than 72 hours after the accident.