Taxi licensing and safety

Email: taxilicensing@tandridge.gov.uk

How to submit a complaint, comment or compliment regarding a licensed vehicle, operator or driver to the taxi licensing department:

If you are submitting a complaint in relation to a crime, you should report the matter to the Police first and then submit a complaint to us with the Police reference number.

Complaints must be made in writing. The following is helpful for our investigations:

• Identifying the driver by name or badge number.
• Identifying the vehicle by plate number or vehicle registration.
• Note the time, date and place of the journey.
• For overcharging complaints, record the fare shown on meter (for Hackney carriages only).

Please complete our complaint form or write to the Taxi Licensing Department, Council Offices, 8 Station Road East, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0BT.

As part of the investigation into a complaint, the licensing department will contact the driver and/or operator with details of the complaint.

If the matter is to be taken further, you may be asked to provide a signed witness statement. You will be contacted if further details are required.

Hackney carriage

A Hackney carriage (taxi) can be hired from a taxi rank, flagged down or hired immediately without pre-booking. They may also be pre-booked. Journeys that are not pre-booked have to begin in the Tandridge district.

A Hackney carriage vehicle must have a roof sign and fare meter fitted. A light blue licence plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle and in the front windscreen. The driver must have their Hackney carriage licence badge displayed.

A Hackney carriage driver's licence means the driver may drive a Tandridge licensed Hackney carriage or Private hire vehicle. Both the vehicle and the driver must have a licence issued by us.

Fares for Hackney carriage vehicles are restricted to the maximum table of fares, which we regulate. This table of fares should be inside of all licensed Hackney carriage vehicles.

Private hire

A Private hire must be pre-booked through an operator, they cannot be hired from a taxi rank, flagged down or hired immediately without pre-booking. Journeys can start or end anywhere, they do not have to be inside the district.

A Private hire vehicle must not have a roof sign. An orange licence plate must be displayed on the rear and in the front windscreen (unless they are for executive purpose and the vehicle has been granted an exemption from displaying the plates, then the plate and exemption are held within the vehicle). The driver must have their Private hire licence badge displayed.

A Private hire driver's licence means the driver may drive a Tandridge licensed Private hire vehicle, they cannot drive a Hackney carriage. The vehicle, driver and the operator must have all their licence issued by us.

A Private hire operator's licence is required for any pre-booked work, the operator must be based within the Tandridge district. Private hire operator licences can be individually held or held by a company the driver works for.

We do not regulate fares for the hire of Private hire vehicles and they must be the subject of agreement between passenger and operator before a journey commences.

• Check your driver is wearing an identification badge we have issued. It will show their name, a licence number and a photographer of the driver.
• If the vehicle is on the taxi rank, check the car has a taxi sign on the roof and a light blue licence plate on the rear and in the front windscreen.
• If the vehicle is Private hire, check the car has orange licence plates on the rear and in the front windscreen.
• All doors should remain unlocked when the taxi is carrying passengers.
• If you are at all suspicious, don't get in, make a note of the number plate and report it.

Hackney carriage taxi ranks

The fare meter must be started at the beginning of the journey and should be clearly visible to passengers at all times. The meter is set to the maximum table of fares.

In Tandridge, taxi ranks can be found at:

• Station Road East, Oxted.
• Station Road West, Oxted.
• Station Road, Lingfield.
• Station Approach, Warlingham.
• Station Road, Caterham.
• Harestone Valley Road, Caterham.

Wheelchair users

Tandridge District Council supports and encourages all licensed taxi drivers to pay particular regard to the needs of the travelling public. Drivers should provide assistance to people in wheelchairs, carry them in safety and not charge extra for doing so. Tandridge licensed taxi drivers will carry guide, hearing and other prescribed assistance dogs in their taxis without additional charge. Drivers who have a medical condition which is aggravated by exposure to dogs will display an exemption badge on their windscreen. Currently there are no exemptions issued to any Tandridge licence for this.

Wheelchair accessible vehicles can be pre-booked by some of the Private hire operators and taxi proprietors. The Private hire licensed operators in Tandridge that may be able to provide wheelchair accessible vehicles can be contacted on the following number:

• EMED Medical Transport Services: 0800 6226199.
• Westerham Cars: 01959 562091.

Please read our documents:

• Licensing Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire
• Medical Examination Report form
• Taxi licensing fees April 2025 - March 2026

To begin, the applicant should read all the information in this section and raise any queries they may have by emailing taxilicensing@tandridge.gov.uk.

The applicant should note that the application form is an official document and it is an offence if they knowingly or recklessly make any false statement or omit any material information, they may be prosecuted for an offence and the licence may be refused.

Applications for a Hackney carriage or Private Hire driver licence must be fully completed within 4 months of submission of the application form or any of the supporting documents. If more than 4 months passes, the application will be considered as withdrawn.

Once an application is opened no fees are refundable and no fees are pro rata. All fees must be paid by debit or credit card – cheque, cash, Apple/Google pay, American Express are not accepted.

The applicant must have held a DVLA driving licence for 1 year or more. Where an applicant has 7 or more points on their DVLA licence for minor traffic or similar offences, a licence will not be granted until at least 5 years have elapsed since the completion of any sentence imposed.

The applicant must be a 'fit and proper person' - which means their background and character will be checked. The licensing department will look at medical fitness, driving record and criminal record.

The process for Hackney carriage and Private hire drivers is the same. The applicant will need to do the following steps to complete the new driver application:

Step 1: Read the Licensing Policy

Before opening an application, the applicant must read the Licensing Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire. The applicant declares they have read and understood this document when submitting an application. If the applicant fails to meet any of the criteria in this document, they may not be granted a licence and their full application may be referred to Committee to be determined.

If the applicant has any criminal history or DVLA endorsements regardless of age or country, the applicant should refer to Appendix F of the Policy for guidance. The applicant must disclose all information on the application form.

If the applicant has any medical conditions and may not meet the Group 2 Medical standard, the applicant should refer to the DVLA guidance, ‘Assessing fitness to drive’, before applying and they must disclose all information on the application form.

Failure to disclose any information, regardless of age, will be making a false statement and will be an offence which can lead to prosecution.

Step 2: New driver application form

• Hackney carriage & Private hire driver licence application.

The applicant should fully complete the driver application form and return by e-mail to taxilicensing@tandridge.gov.uk with copy of their valid passport, DVLA driving licence and if required any work permit/visa.

The applicant should also email a photograph of themselves that will be used on the driver badge, this can be a photo taken on a phone, as long as it acceptable to be on the issued driver badge. The photograph must be recent and a true likeness of the applicant.

Step 3: New driver appointment

Once the application form has been provided and reviewed, the applicant will be invited to book a new driver appointment.

This appointment will be at the Council Offices in Oxted and can take up to 2 hours.

Missed appointments will incur a penalty fee of £50.50 payable before another appointment can be booked.

At this appointment, the following is to be completed: 

1. identity check and right to work check - The applicant’s original documents and right to work will be checked.
2. DVLA driver licence check - The applicant must have held their driving licence for 1 year or more. The applicant must  provide a DVLA licence check code for their driving licence record to be viewed.
3. HMRC tax check (if required) - If the applicant has held a licence with any other authority within the last 12 months, a HMRC tax check share code must be provided.
4. the national register of suspended refused or revoked taxi licence check - Where drivers have been licensed with any other authority, we will carry out checks with those authorities for any information that may be relevant to the application being considered. In addition, officers will use the National Anti-Fraud Network’s national register of taxi and Private hire vehicle driver licence refusals and revocations (known as NR3), to share information and mitigate the risk of non-disclosure of relevant information by applicants.
5. knowledge test – see Step 4 below for further details.
6. DBS application – see Step 5 below for further details.

The applicant must bring their original valid:

• Passport (or other photo ID).
• DVLA driver licence with their current address.
• If required, any right to work permit, visa or right to work share code.
• A bank statement or utility bill (no older than 3 months) or Council tax statement (no older than 1 year) with their current name and address on.

Step 4: Knowledge test

To ensure drivers provide a safe and efficient service and have a good knowledge of the District, the applicant must pass our knowledge test. 

The sections of the knowledge test are as follows:

1. Highway code.
2. Road signs.
3. Law, conditions & policy.
4. Numeracy.
5. Places of interest.
6. Routes. 

All drivers of Hackney carriages must pass all sections of the knowledge test which totals 60 questions and will have 60 minutes to complete all sections.

All drivers of Private hire vehicles must pass sections 1 to 4 of the knowledge test which totals 40 questions and will have 40 minutes to complete these sections.

The applicant will need to answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly in each section to obtain a pass certificate.
The cost for the knowledge test is £86.00, and each retest thereafter is £47.00.

An applicant may not sit the test more than 3 times in any 12 month period commencing on the date of their first test.

For Hackney carriage driver applicants, the guide Tandridge official guide and street plan available on our website may be of assistance, this is not definitive to what may be asked in the knowledge test. The knowledge test is to determine the applicant’s overall knowledge of the local area.

Step 5: Enhanced DBS certificate

An enhanced DBS check shows the applicants full criminal history. The DBS application will be completed at the new driver appointment.

The applicant will need to provide 5 years address history and any details of name changes.

A payment of £75.00 is required for the DBS application to the licensing department.

Step 6: DBS update service

Once the Enhanced DBS certificate is issued, all drivers must register to the ‘DBS update service’, this is currently £16 per year.

Failing to register to the update service will result in the completion of Step 5 again at a cost of £75.00 before a licence can be granted. 

Step 7: Certificate of good conduct

Currently the DBS only has details of offences committed in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Therefore, if  the applicant has lived, stayed or worked outside of the United Kingdom for more than 3 consecutive months at any time since the age of 18 years old, an authenticated certificate of good conduct from the relevant embassy will be required.

All certificates of good conduct must be submitted in English or accompanied by a translation by a certified translator.

Step 8: Medical examination report

The applicant will need to have a medical examination report form completed by the applicants own GP where they are registered and they must have full medical history.

If the medical is completed by another practice or company, it will be refused.

Until the grant of a licence, the medical is only valid for 3 months, if more than 3 months has passed and the process for a licence has not been completed, a new medical will need to be provided.

The applicant should check the DVLA assessing fitness to drive document before paying for the medical, the licensing department apply the DVLA group 2 standard, the same as bus, coach and lorry drivers.

It is advisable to book as soon as possible as there may be a waiting time of about 1 month.

Step 9: Disability Awareness Online Training

The applicant will need to complete the Disability Awareness Virtual Classroom Course online. By completing this course, the applicant will attain a certificate of completion, this will need to be provided to the licensing department.

It is advisable to book as soon as possible as there may be a waiting time of about 1 month.

Step 10: Taxi Driver Assessment

The applicant will need to complete the ‘Taxi Driver Assessment’ .

The assessment lasts 1 hour consisting of a 45 minute driving assessment across a variety of road types. During the assessment they will be asked to perform manoeuvres and to drive independently of direction for a period following road signs and directions to a particular destination.

A high level of driving competence is required. To pass, there must be no serious or dangerous driving faults.

Successful candidates will be issued with a copy of their marking sheet and certificate, this will need to be provided to the licensing department.

It is advisable to book as soon as possible as there may be a waiting time of about 1 month.

Step 11:  Taxi Safeguarding Virtual Classroom Course

The applicant will need to complete the Taxi Safeguarding Virtual Classroom course online. This must be the ‘virtual’ course offered on this website and not the ‘E-learning’ course. E-learning certificates will not be accepted.

By completing this course, the applicant will attain a certificate of completion, this will need to be provided to the licensing department.

It is advisable to book as soon as possible as there may be a waiting time of about 1 month.

Step 12: Application check and determination
Once all the steps above are complete, an Officer will review all the submitted documents.

If there is any query of the applicant being ‘fit and proper’, the whole application will be referred to the Committee who will determine the application, whether to grant or refuse.

If the application is refused, the applicants details will be recorded on the National register of refused and revoked taxi driver licences.

Step 13: Issuing of driver licence and badge

For the issue of the driver licence, the fee for the grant of the licence must be provided.

The licence fees are as follows:

• Hackney carriage and Private hire (dual) drivers licence and badge - £391.50 for a 3 year licence.
• Private Hire (only) drivers licence and badge - £285.00 for a 3 year licence.

The licence and driver badge will be sent to our supplier to be issued and will be posted to the applicants home address. This can take 7 days to be processed.

A high standard is expected for all licensed vehicles.

Vehicles must not be older than 6 years old on first licensing and may be renewed up until they are 12 years old.

Vehicles will not be licensed if they are deemed as written off by the DVSA.

On applying for a vehicle licence, the vehicle must have a new MOT that has been carried out within 28 days of the application. The vehicle will then be required to have a MOT at 6 months from the grant date for under 8 year old vehicles or every 4 months from the grant date for vehicles over 8 years.

The vehicle and all its fittings and equipment shall at all times, when the vehicle is in use or available for hire, be kept in an efficient, safe, tidy and clean condition with all relevant statutory requirement.

Accidents, however small, must be reported to the Licensing Department within 72 hours by completing the Accident report form.

To apply, the following documents must be provided:

• Hackney carriage and Private hire vehicle application form.
• Vehicle logbook (All pages). If the vehicle is newly owned, proof of purchase and green slip. If the vehicle is not owned by you, you must also provide the owner’s consent for the vehicle to be licensed.
• Insurance certificate (including correct cover e.g. Private hire or Public Hire/Hackney carriage).
• MOT certificate that has been issued within 28 days.
• Proof of road tax.
• Meter calibration certificate (for Hackney carriage only).

The MOT must be no older than 28 days prior to the application or expiry of licence if renewal. If there are any advisories on the MOT, these are expected to be rectified within 28 days of the MOT and proof of repairs provided.

A vehicle licence is issued for 1 year, and the licence will need to be renewed annually. The payment for vehicle licences are:

• Hackney carriage vehicle licence costs £459.50 for 1 year.
• Private hire vehicle licence costs £389.00 for 1 year.
•  There is 25% discount on these fees for wheelchair accessible vehicles.

The vehicle must comply with the conditions of the licence, these are details in Appendix A and B of the policy.

Once licensed, the vehicle is always a licensed vehicle until the licence expires, is surrendered or suspended. Only a licensed driver can drive the vehicle during the licence period. The plates must not be removed from the vehicle for the duration of the licence.

The vehicle must carry the following equipment, as detailed in Appendix A and B of the Policy, clearly marked with the plate number or registration of the vehicle:

• a spare wheel suitable for immediate use and properly maintained; if the spare wheel is of the temporary space saver type, it may only be used to complete the particular journey or hiring the vehicle is engaged on when the wheel change became necessary. Tyre inflation kits will only be acceptable if they are of the original manufacturer fit and unused.
• a jack and tools for changing the wheels including a locking wheel nut tool if security bolts are fitted to the vehicle.
• a warning triangle.
• a working torch.
• a high viz jacket or waistcoat.
• All drivers/proprietors must check their Insurance Policies in relation to carrying of any further equipment such as a Fire Extinguisher and First Aid Kit.

Anyone who wants to accept Private hire bookings must be licensed as a Private hire operator. By using a licensed operator, passengers can have confidence that the driver and vehicle are also licensed by us.

A Private hire operator licence may only be granted if the council is satisfied that the applicant and any other associates:

• is fit and proper to hold such a licence; and
• is an individual, he/she is not disqualified by reason of their immigration status from operating a Private hire vehicle.

To ensure this, all individuals that are part of the business must have an immigration check and a DBS check which is not more than 6 months old.

Private hire operator bases must be within the district of Tandridge. If it is based within another local authority, the operator should apply to them.

To operate a Private hire company, you may need to apply for planning permission. You will need to seek independent advice on this. You may need this even if your business is run from home, to make sure that it will not cause nuisance or obstruction to your neighbours. If your operator base is open to the public, you must have public liability insurance for the premises.

The operators name cannot be the same or very similar to other operators licensed within the district.

Please submit the operators application form with the DBS and identification and make the payment with the relevant fee. The fees are as follows:

• £300.00 for a 1 year licence.
• £1,500.00 for a 5 year licence.

Once a Private hire operator licence is issued, the operator and employees must comply with keeping records as outlined in the conditions on the licence.

The law requires an operator to be licensed by the same authority which licences the Private hire vehicles and Private hire drivers working within their control, thus a vehicle licensed by one authority can only ever be driven by a driver licensed by that same authority; both must be subject to the control of an operator licensed by that same authority.

Bookings for the services of licensed vehicles can be sub-contracted. However they remain the responsibility of the licensed operator which accepted the booking.

From 1 October 2015 the legislation has been amended to permit the operator accepting a booking to sub-contract it to any other operator, wherever they are based.

But the liability for the provision of those services remains with the original operator. In this case, the second operator, the vehicle fulfilling that booking and the driver of that vehicle must all be licensed by the same (second) authority.

If a licence holder or applicant changes their name, address, contact details including telephone number or email address, or change the operator they work for during the term of their licence or whilst their application is pending, they must inform the licensing department in writing within 7 days.

If a licence holder has any change in medical condition that could affect their driving capabilities, they must inform the licensing department in writing within 7 days.

A licence holder or applicant must notify the licensing department in writing within 48 hours of an arrest and release, charge or conviction of any offence, including any motoring offence, such as penalty points on their DVLA driver licence.

If a licence holder has an accident in their licensed vehicle, they must inform the licensing department in writing within 72 hours in writing by submitting the Accident report form.

Failure to comply with the requirements of licences will result in action being taken to review the licence and possible prosecution.