Taxi driver and vehicle licences

How to apply

You must contact Liverpool Direct to make an appointment and bring the following items to the interview.

• A full valid UK driving licence, which must have been held for at least 12 months.
• A passport or birth certificate.
• A fee of £99.00 This includes payment for the driver application fee (non refundable), criminal records disclosure, and DVLA mandates.   
• Please note that a final payment of £110.00 will be required to take out your licence. This is payable when your licence is ready to be granted and is subject to satisfactory medical, CRB and Liverpool standard Part one qualification. 

Professional driver qualification

From 24 January 2011 applicants for new taxicab and private hire driver licences are required to obtain a professional driver qualification prior to the issue of a driver's licence. The current qualification is the Liverpool Standard Qualification consisting of two parts and can be obtained only from the following approved training providers:

Unite the Union Education Centre
West End Community Centre
Bute Street / Fox Street
Liverpool
L5 3LA
Tel:   0151 207 7522 or   0151 207 7655

Davy Liver Limited
21 Stafford Street
Liverpool
L3 8LX
Tel:   0151 708 7080   

Alpha Cars Limited
6 Childwall Fiveways
Liverpool
L16 6YB 
Tel: 0151 722 8888
Mob: 07507213096
Email: info@alpha-taxis.co.uk

Frances Morris
Liverpool Community College
Bankfield Centre
Liverpool
L13 0BQ
Tel: 0151 252 3010 Mobile: 07961245367
Email: Frances.morriss@liv-coll.ac.uk

GD Management Services Ltd
85-89 Duke Street
Liverpool
L1 5AP
Tel: 0151 707 0007

Knowsley Community College
Cherryfield Drive
Kirkby
L32 8SF
Tel: 0151 481 4750 Mobile: 077939 68795

Choice of training provider

Your choice of training provider and attendance on that course does not mean you have a duty to work for that provider.  Applicants can choose to work for any licensed taxicab proprietor or private hire operator/proprietor of your choice after a Liverpool Standard Certificate has been obtained and a licence has been granted by Liverpool City Council.

As a guide, the following list of private hire operators and taxicab fleet owners can be contacted for advice on opportunities to be associated with a Liverpool licensed private hire operator or taxicab proprietor.  Applicants should be aware that individual taxicab/private hire vehicle licence holders require the services of newly licensed drivers.  This list is not exhaustive or intended in any way as a recommendation, but provided as a point of reference to new starters to the hire industry. There are many potential licensed companies and individuals for whom you may work.

Taxicab fleets

• G Gawith Taxis
• Curzon Limited
• Atkinson’s Taxis
• Taxifix Limited
• Tawd Street
• Connolly’s Taxis
• Stanley Autos

 Private hire operators

• Excel
• Village
• Botanic
• Davy Liver
• Alpha
• Blue Line
• Knotty Ash
• Central
• Acorn Cars
• Associated Cars
• Pool Cars
• South Liverpool

Find out more

• Guidance notes for taxi and private hire drivers.
• Quick reference guide on driver training.
• Hackney carriage byelaws.

Licence fees

How long does it take to get a licence?

It can take between six to eight weeks, depending on how long it takes you to pass the professional driver qualification test part one. We also need to arrange a medical examination and hear from the Criminal Records Bureau. 

Criminal or driving convictions may affect your application, but each case is dealt with on its merits. You will find more information in the guidance notes below.

How long does the licence last?

New licences are issued for three years. 

If you currently have a one year licence but are due to renew your licence and due a CRB check you will pay a fee of £150 plus a DVLA mandate charge of £7.50 for a new three year licence.

If you are not due a CRB check we will continue to issue an annual licence at a fee of £60 until a CRB check is due.

Medicals

Any GP can carry out a medical examination.  They will charge you a fee for this.  If you do not have a GP or don’t want to use your own GP, any of the following medical centres will do a medical at a charge of £40:

• Fulwood Green Medical Centre, 2A Jericho Lane, L17 5AR. Call 727 2440.
• Princes Drive Medical Centre, 485 Princess Drive, L14 8XE. Call 228 2036.
• Green Lane Medical Centre, 15 Green Lane, L13. Call 228 9101.
• Great Homer Street Medical Centre, 32 Conway Street, L5 3SF. Call 207 8266.
• Dr Singhal Surgery, 30 Hillside Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 8BJ. Call 480 4205.
• Windmill Health Ltd, Mersey Lodge, Speke Road, Liverpool, L19 2PQ. Call 0845 122 1828 or book online at www.gettingamedical.com.

You can download the medical form you need to take to the GP.

If you want to hold a licence for both a hackney carriage and private hire, you will need to pay double the cost.