You will receive email confirmation of your application submission.
To process your application, you must have:
- A full UK driving licence for Category B vehicles, which you have held for at least 12 months. If you have a driving licence issued from outside of the UK, see Exchange a foreign driving licence.
- A completed medical certificate within four months of your application date. The Council's template is in the 'Downloads' section. From 1 January 2025, all pages of the attached DVLA D4 form must be provided with your application and the medical practitioner will need your full medical records from your GP. If you experience difficulties whilst uploading the medical with the completed DVLA D4 form please submit your completed medical separately to driver.lic@wolverhampton.gov.uk with your WTP reference that will be provided once your application has been successfully submitted.
- Proof of your right to work in the UK – Here you can find the Right to Work Document Assessment form. You must upload an acceptable image of your Right to Work documentation and produce all original documents for verification prior to your licence being granted. We recommend that you send your documents evidencing your right to work in the UK to Licensing Services. Please email these to Driver.Lic@wolverhampton.gov.uk . Please quote your WTP reference number.
- You need to apply for an enhanced DBS certificate via TaxiPlus. Your DBS must include the position of ‘Other Workforce [Taxi/Private Hire] Driver’,
- When you have a DBS certificate, you must register for the DBS Update Service or you will only receive a licence for six months. You will then need to provide a new certificate after six months to receive an extension of your licence.
- Please post all pages of the original certificate to:
Taxi Licensing
City of Wolverhampton Council
Civic Centre
St. Peter's Square
Wolverhampton
WV1 1SH - Your certificate will be posted back to you at the address we currently have recorded for you.
- A completed DVLA Driving Licence check. This will complete at the same time as your DBS, if you apply via TaxiPlus.
- If your DBS certificate is not obtained via TaxiPlus Wolverhampton, you will need a DVLA Check Code.
- Satisfactory completion of our Private Hire Driver Training & Assessment Programme. You need to pass within 3 attempts and apply for a driver licence within 12 months. If you passed over 12 months ago, you may need to re-sit this. If you passed over 12 months ago, you may need to re-sit this. If you need to book this, you can book this here.
- Please note that if you are an existing licence holder, and completed this prior to 19 September 2019, you will need to re-take this.
- To book this, please contact taxidrivertraining@worcestershire.gov.uk
- Your own, individual email address.
- If you are a renewal applicant or have held a similar licence within the last 12 months:
You need to evidence your tax status via a Tax Check Code. Please see Complete a tax check for a taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence.- HMRC has powers to get information relating to your Tax status. HMRC can get information from third parties via:
- Schedule 23 of the Finance Act 2011 (Data Gathering Powers)
- Schedule 35 of the Finance Act 2008 (Information and Inspection Powers)
- This includes Licensing authorities providing information about licence applicants/holders. More guidance is below:
- PAYE information
- Registering for Self Assessment
- Corporation Tax information
- For more guidance, please visit Tax check factsheet
- HMRC has powers to get information relating to your Tax status. HMRC can get information from third parties via:
- Where a licence applicant has been outside of the UK for three or more months continuously since the age of 18, a ‘Certificate of Good Character’, ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ or equivalent is required. Please see here for further information.
Once an application has reached the front of the queue, we will process this. If the application is incorrect then it will take longer to process. There is no guaranteed time for application processing; timescales are indicative only.
Licensing Services will send you an email notifying you of how to collect your licence or, you will receive an email notifying you of the problems with your application.
We are currently processing new private hire driver licence applications received on:
Please do not contact the Council about your application if you applied after the above date. Your application is in the queue and will be dealt with as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
When will the process take longer?
We will process your application upon receipt of all correct and complete documents. You can check the status of your application here.
- Please note that your name must match and be spelt the same way on your documents. Your application will not continue until you resolve this.
- If you have any convictions/information on your records:
If there is anything adverse found as part of the checks on your application, you may get an invite for a hearing. You can check our Guidelines (in the Downloads section) to assess this. This may cause delays with your application.
Please avoid contacting Licensing until you have received an email about your application. Your application is in a queue.
You will receive confirmation of your application submission. This may divert to your clutter/junk folder.
To process your application, we need the following:
- An image of the Vehicle Registration Document (V5C), it must include all pages and both sides. If you are not the vehicle’s registered keeper, you must also provide proof of vehicle hire. If you have recently purchased the vehicle and are not yet in possession of the full Vehicle Registration Document we will temporarily accept an appropriate invoice or a completed Section 6 (New Keepers Slip) of the currently issued Vehicle Registration Document V5C.
- An electronic copy of the current Vehicle Insurance Certificate/Cover Note. This must be ready to upload. You can postdate this up to one month in the future. The cover must have commenced on the day of your inspection. During your inspection your insurance will be validated. If the quality of a paper insurance certificate is questioned please ensure you carry a digital copy with a verified source (App/Email).
- Unless the vehicle is brand new with delivery miles only, you must have a photograph or scanned copy of a valid MOT certificate issued no more than 10 days before the date of your application.
- The vehicle meets the Council’s Private Hire vehicle licence requirements policy. This can found in the ‘Downloads’ section at Taxi licences.
- We will only licence a vehicle until it is 12 years old. At the time of application, the vehicle must be no older than 11 years and 6 months. The iApply online system will not allow you to continue with your application if your vehicle is too old. The only exception to this would be for vehicles with emissions <75 CO2g/km. Please contact us on Vehicle.lic@wolverhampton.gov.uk to enquire.
- If you are not a licensed driver, you must provide a Basic DBS certificate from the UK Government. For companies/partnerships, all directors/partners must provide this. Certificates can be no older than 12 months old for new applicants. For renewal applicants, this needs to be 12 months before the licence expiry. You must provide a photograph/scan of this as part of the application process. The original DBS certificate will also be required to be seen by Licensing Services for any new certificates dated after 10 July 2024, this can be done by post or in person. Existing Private Hire Vehicle Drivers with Wolverhampton Council do not need this. If there is anything adverse found as part of the checks on your application, you may get an invite for a hearing. You can check our Guidelines (in the Downloads section) to assess this. This may cause delays with your application.
When you have completed your online application, you will receive an e-mail acknowledgement.
Once an application has reached the front of the queue, we will process this. If the application is incorrect then it will take longer to process. There is no guaranteed time for application processing; timescales are indicative only.
You will then receive an email notifying you of an appointment to collect your plates, or of any problems with your application.
We are currently processing private hire vehicle licence applications received on:
Please do not contact the Council about your application if you applied after the above date. Your application is in the queue and will be dealt with as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.