Vehicle licence

There are two types of taxis:

• hackney carriages
• private hire vehicles  

Private hire vehicle

A private hire vehicle:

• is usually a saloon type vehicle but may also, for example, be a minibus with up to eight passenger seats
• has a plate on the front and back stating that it is a private hire vehicle
• must be pre-booked through a licensed operator
• has a door sign stating the operator that the driver is working for  
• can only be driven by a driver licensed by us for private hire 

Hackney carriage

A hackney carriage:

• is commonly known as a ‘taxi’.  
• is either purpose built 'London style' cabs (often called 'black cabs', but sometimes a different colour) or saloon cars with a sign on the roof stating 'Taxi'
• will have a plate on the rear of the vehicle stating that it is a hackney carriage 
• can operate from taxi ranks within North Somerset or can be 'flagged down' in the street
• can only be driven by a person licensed by us with a combined driver badge

We require applicants for vehicle licences to undertake a basic disclosure from the DBS. You must ensure that a check is undertaken annually. 

Any individual may apply for a basic check. The certificate will disclose any unspent convictions recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC).  

If the vehicle owner

•  holds a valid combined or private hire driver licence with us and;
•  the DBS twice-yearly checks are up to date and acceptable

then no additional check will need to be provided should you apply for a vehicle licence. 

Vehicle age and MOT

We will not grant first time vehicle licences for vehicles older than five years from the date of first registration of the vehicle.

Vehicles will also not be granted a first time licence unless it meets the Euro 6 emissions standards. 

A licensed vehicle shall be tested once per year until it is eight years old. 

A vehicle older than eight years of age shall only be licensed for six months. These vehicles will require two vehicle tests per year. 

The testing will consist of a full MOT test and a vehicle compliance check at the council’s nominated testing facility.  

Details of fees for this licence can be found in our fees and charges booklet. 

You must submit these details with your application form:

• type of application – renewal or first grant 
• vehicle details 
• vehicle owner details 
• appointment details of the compliance test date 
• current V5 documentation 
• certificate of insurance or cover note 
• current MOT (less than one month old)  
• bill of sale for the vehicle (first time applications only) 
• a basic DBS disclosure (if the owner is not a licensed driver) 

Applications must be submitted a minimum seven days before they are booked for compliance testing. Please submit them via email to our Licensing team.

Applications for the grant or renewal of a vehicle licence will be dealt with in a timely manner.