With a dual driver licence, you can drive both hackney carriages (taxis) and private hire vehicles. The licence lasts for 3 years and you must comply with the licensing conditions:- Hackney Carriage and Private Hire
Important Changes
Please be aware, from 1 April 2022 changes came into force in relation to the Council's Taxi and Private Hire Policy and Licensing Conditions. This includes a new assessment of criminal convictions.
If you are renewing your licence or if you currently hold or have held a driving licence with another local authority within the last 12 months you will need to get a HMRC Tax Check code. This code will consist of 9 figures and must be provided with your application. The Licensing authority are not permitted to grant a licence without this code.
New applicants only need to be aware of the above requirement and are not required to provide this code.
DBS and right to work in the UK checks
As part of your dual driver licence application, you must have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is to help us make informed decisions before issuing a dual drivers licence. We must assess if you are a ‘fit and proper’ person to hold a taxi licence. This check will provide us with details of any criminal convictions against you, whether spent or unspent. Having a criminal record does not stop you from applying for a licence. We may discuss any matter revealed in a check with you, in confidence, before we reach a final decision.
Your right to work in the UK will be checked as part of your licence application. This may include checking your immigration status with the Home Office and we may share information with the Home Office. You must provide a document or document combination that is stipulated as being suitable for this check. If there are restrictions on the length of time you may work in the UK, your licence will not be issued for any longer than this period. In such circumstances, the check will be repeated each time you apply to renew or extend your licence. If you are disqualified from holding a licence during this period because you have not complied with the UK's immigration laws, your licence will lapse and you must return it to us. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.
You can get a DBS check by using the Personnel Checks website, complete their online form, pay the fee and following the instructions on how to provide copies of the required documents to them. When you have completed the form and paid the fee, Personnel Checks will send your information to the Disclosure and Barring Service to carry out the check. Once the DBS have carried out the check, they will notify us. You will then receive a paper certificate at your home address which you should copy to us at licensing@maldon.gov.uk. You must then sign up to the DBS 'update service' within 28 days of the certificate being issued. This will allow us to check for changes, if there are no changes there will be no further requirement for additional checks in the future.
Driving licence
We need to check your driving licence: to do this, you will need to give us consent and provide your email address and National Insurance number.
Medical examination
All applicants must undergo a medical examination and a doctor must complete a medical report. If you are over 65, you will need to have an annual medical examination. Applicants should be prepared to supply a summary medical history if required by a medical practitioner where that practitioner is not their own GP. The Licensing authority does not require a full summary to be made available.
Driver Training
All drivers need to successfully complete an approved training course and test on application (including renewal). New drivers are also required to undertake a geographical test of the local area. Details of the training and the current costs can be found on our training provider's (Green Penny) website.
Driving Training - what to expect - provides more information on what the course covers and you can also view a geographical test example.
All those renewing their licence between 1 April 2022 and 31 January 2023 will have their licence renewed, but the licence will only be issued until the end of January 2023. Once drivers have successfully completed the training, the licence will be extended to the full three years. All drivers renewing their licence from 1 February 2023 must complete the training before their licence is renewed.
All existing drivers do not have to undergo the geographical test. This only applies to new drivers.
Licence fee
Application
To apply for a new licence or to renew your existing licence, please complete this online form. You will need to submit the following with your application:
- enhanced DBS certificate that is less than 28 days old (you will still need to provide your certificate so that we can use your unique reference number to access your online account. If the DBS is pending, please provide once obtained.
- if you have lived outside the UK for 6 or more consecutive months, a Certificate of Good Conduct (if no DBS equivalent). Please visit this website for more information.
- proof of entitlement to work in the UK, usually a passport, residence permit, settled status certificate or UK birth certificate
- copy of your full UK driving licence (which you must have held for at least 1 year) and evidence of a full driving licence held elsewhere if less than 3 years
- medical certificate (yearly from the age of 65)
- training certificate if already obtained (initial or refresher). If not, please provide this upon completion of the training.
- passport style photograph
- 9 figure HMRC tax check code
- payment
You may provide copies of essential documents unless requested otherwise.
Existing dual licence holders must register for tax with HMRC.
If providing a birth certificate or adoption certificate to show right to work in the UK, this needs to be a full birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK which includes the name(s) of a least one of your parents or adoptive parents plus an official document issued by a Government agency or a previous employer giving your permanent National Insurance number and name.
Your application will not be considered valid until all necessary information and documents have been produced.