Apply for a vehicle licence
Difference between hackney carriage vehicle and private hire vehicle
Conditions | Private hire | Hackney carriage |
|---|---|---|
Pre-booked only | Yes | No |
Meter and roof light required | No | Yes |
Permitted to use hackney carriage ranks in district/plying for hire | No | Yes |
Hailing of a licensed vehicle | No | Yes |
Use Uttlesford District Council's table of fares for journeys | No | Yes |
To licence a vehicle you must adhere to our
Licensing Policy relating to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade
(PDF)
[775KB]
.
How to apply
We will only accept valid and complete applications. This means that all required documentation must be sent together in one single email to licensing@uttlesford.gov.uk
If any of the required documents are not received within the email we will reject the application and refund any monies paid.
Our aim is to issue licences within 28 days of the full application having been received. If you do not receive your licence within this time period please contact us as there may be a reason for the delay.
New/renewal/temporary vehicle application
We only accept complete valid applications. All documents (for either renewals, new or temporary replacement applications) must be attached to one email and sent to licensing@uttlesford.gov.uk If you do not receive your licence within 28 days please contact us
If you need to change your Vehicle temporarily due to either an accident or a mechanical fault you can apply for a temporary licence until your car is fixed/replaced. If your car will no longer be in use you will need to apply for a new licence. Your insurance company must apply for you if you will have use of one of their courtesy replacement vehicle.
1 Hackney carriage and private hire vehicle application form (Word doc) [64KB]
2 MOT (if applicable)
3 Compliance Test
4 V5 or, on the first occasion, the sales invoice
5 Current insurance certificates
6 Declaration for hackney carriage vehicles (Word doc) [412KB]
7 Hackney carriages only - Certificate of calibration
8 Payment - the payment for the licence should also be made upon application.
Sending your documents
Outside your vehicle application, in PDF format, please send us your insurance, MOT and interim inspection sheet.
You can use our online form to upload your documents.
Private hire vehicle plate exemption
Private hire vehicle plate exemption application form
(Word doc)
[28KB]
What are the taxi fees ?
Full list of private hire and hackney carriage fees and charges
Table of fares
Fares for hackney carriage vehicles
Find out more about hackney carriage and private hire licences
Get your vehicle inspected
You can get your vehicle inspected at any of the approved garages for vehicle testing in the district.
MOT
You must have a valid MOT for a hackney carriage vehicle from when it is 1 year old and for a private hire vehicle from when it is 3 years old.
You can check the MOT status of a vehicle on GOV.UK
Accidents
If you have an accident you will need to fill in an accident report form (PDF) [231KB] .
⚠ You must do this within 72 hours of the accident.
Send your completed form to our Licensing team by email at licensing@uttlesford.gov.uk
Change your vehicle temporarily due to an accident or a mechanical fault
You might need to temporarily change your vehicle if:
- your insurance company needs to apply for a temporary replacement licence
- you intend to use a courtesy car
- you are purchasing or have use of another vehicle which you wish to be licensed
You will need to fill; in a temporary vehicle application form (PDF) [57KB] .
Send your completed form to our Licensing team by email at licensing@uttlesford.gov.uk
You can find more information in our Hackney carriage and private hire Temporary Vehicle Policy.