Private hire and taxi vehicle licences

There are two types of vehicle that can be licensed to carry fare paying passengers:

Hackney carriage vehicles

can be flagged down by passengers and can use designated taxi ranks
the maximum fare is set by the council. Please see fare card below

PDF Icon Hackney carriage fare card - pdf - 171 Kb

Private hire vehicles

must be booked in advance of the journey
the council has no control of the fare
work for a private hire operator

Apply for a licence

You can apply for your hackney carriage or private hire vehicle licence online.

Before you make your application, please read the accompanying guidance notes and review the application process below.

Apply online for a hackney carriage vehicle licence Apply online for a private hire vehicle licence

Application process

If you are replacing a vehicle, please read the replacement vehicle information in the expanding section below.

Read the guidance notes to ensure that the vehicle complies with our policy.

PDF Icon Apply for a vehicle licence accompanying notes - pdf - 642 Kb

Approved vehicles

Hackney carriage:

Check if the vehicle being licensed is on the council’s list of approved wheelchair accessible vehicle models. If the vehicle is not on the approved list, please email licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk to arrange for an inspection to be carried out by licensing officers. We advise that this inspection is booked prior to the purchase of a new vehicle.

Private hire:

Check if the vehicle being licensed is on the council’s list of approved vehicle models.If the vehicle is not on the approved list, please email licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk to arrange for an inspection to be carried out by licensing officers. We advise that this inspection is booked prior to the purchase of a new vehicle.

MOT and fitness test

Telephone an approved testing station to arrange an appointment for the vehicle to have an MOT and fitness test:

Swanbrook on 01452 712386 (option 3) or 2)
Ubico 01242 387780

Please note: Hackney carriages should make sure a fully calibrated meter has been installed prior to the MOT and fitness test. The testing station will provide you with an MOT pass certificate and a fitness certificate.

Submit your application

Complete the online vehicle application form. You will pay the fee as part of this process, and you can upload vehicle documents here.

Apply online for a hackney carriage vehicle licence Apply online for a private hire vehicle licence

You will need to give us the following documentation either by uploading these as part of the online form, or by email to licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk. We will accept scanned copies of documents.

If you are submitting documents electronically, you must ensure that the electronic copy is clear, legible and shows the whole of the document.

V5 vehicle registration document OR bill of sale
Valid insurance certificate (public / private hire)
MOT certificate and fitness pass sheet (obtained from the testing station)
M1 certificate (wheelchair accessible vehicles only)
Meter calibration certificate (hackney carriages only)
Basic disclosure check from the DBS (unless you are also a licensed hackney carriage or private hire driver licensed with the same authority where they hold the vehicle licence)

Next steps

Once we have received all the documents above, we will determine the vehicle's fitness to be licensed. If the vehicle is fit to be licensed, the applicant will be issued with their new licence by email, and a plate and window badge by post or can be collected from our offices.

Your vehicle licence plate will be posted to you or made available for collection at our offices once your vehicle has been licensed.

Please ensure that the appropriate person is insured and licensed to drive the vehicle, as once the licence is issued the vehicle becomes a licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicle.

Fees

Fees for private hire and taxi licences

Replacement vehicle procedure

Private hire vehicle replacement

The vehicle will be issued with its own PHV number and will be licensed for one year. This allows the hire company to use the vehicle for a number of customers who may require it throughout the year. All new/replacement private hire vehicles must be any colour other than silver.

Check if the vehicle being licensed is on the council’s list of approved vehicle models. If the vehicle is not on the approved list, please email licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk to arrange for an inspection to be carried out by licensing officers. We advise that this inspection is booked prior to the purchase of a new vehicle.

Hackney carriage vehicle replacement

All hackney carriages must be fitted with a meter calibrated to Cheltenham Borough Council’s approved fares and an approved top light. If the vehicle is not already fitted with an in-built top light you can arrange to rent one temporarily from the council for a fee.

Replacement hackney carriages can be licensed either temporarily or for a full 12 months, with different requirements applying to each.

Temporary replacements: The vehicle will be issued with a temporary plate number which will be the same as the plate number of the vehicle being replaced - but please note that temporary replacement vehicles can only be licensed for a maximum of 2 months.

If the vehicle being replaced is wheelchair accessible, then the temporary replacement vehicle must likewise be wheelchair accessible. If the vehicle being replaced is silver in colour, then the temporary replacement vehicle must likewise be silver in colour.

Full 12 month replacement licences: A new hackney carriage can be licensed for a full 12 months subject to it complying with the council’s policy for new hackney carriages, including – but not limited to – the requirements that it must be wheelchair accessible and silver in colour. The vehicle will be issued with its own HCV number and will be licensed for one year. This option allows you to use the vehicle for a number of customers who may require it throughout the year.

PDF Icon Cheltenham Borough Council’s taxi and private hire licensing policy - pdf - 1.33 Mb

Vehicle renewal application - what to do next

Thank you for submitting your application online. Please carefully read this page with instructions on what you should do now your application has been submitted. The instructions below apply equally to hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licence applications.

In order for the council to determine your application, you need to supply the following documents by email to licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk, unless you have already uploaded these using the online form:

MOT certificate and fitness pass sheet (obtained from the testing station)
V5 vehicle registration document
Valid insurance certificate
A basic disclosure check from the DBS (unless you are also a licensed hackney carriage or private hire driver licensed with the same authority where they hold the vehicle licence)

You can submit these documents to us electronically as part of your online application, or by email to licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk. We will accept scanned copies of documents.

If you are submitting documents electronically, you must ensure that the electronic copy is clear, legible and shows the whole extent of the document.

What happens next?

Once we have received all the documents mentioned above, we will determine the vehicle’s fitness to be licensed. If the vehicle is fit to be licensed, the applicant will be issued with their new licence by email, and a plate and window badge by post or for collection at our offices.

Your vehicle licence plate will be posted to you or made available to collect from our offices once your vehicle has been licensed.

Once you receive your new vehicle licence plate you must return your old plate to us by post or by hand to our offices.

If you have any questions about your application, please contact us by email in the first instance at licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk quoting your submission reference number.

Taxi electric vehicle proposal – Information and FAQs

Following the announcement by the cabinet member for customer an regulatory services, the wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) policy implementation has been cancelled and replaced by an ambition to transition the licensed hackney carriage (taxi) fleet to 100% electric WAVs in the next 5 years.

It was understood that by cancelling the initial WAV policy, a number of issues would arise that the authority will need to address to assist the trade with the immediate implications, but also with the longer term plan and policy to follow.

This page therefore provides this information including frequently asked questions we have received.

Immediate implications

The decision notice has been published. The immediate implications following the decision are:

A decision to remove the WAV implementation date will also require a number of decisions to provide clarity on the interim position (i.e. the time between the decision to remove the WAV implementation date and adoption of a revised policy) that has arisen. To this end, it is also proposed that the following decisions be incorporated, that during the interim period:

That the requirement to license a WAV continue to apply to all new hackney carriage vehicles (i.e. never licensed before); and

Subject to consultation, that older and more polluting vehicles (Euro 3 and Euro 4) be phased out in by implementing a requirement that these vehicles will need to be replaced with a WAV; and
Continuation of licensing of existing vehicles manufactured to Euro 5 and Euro 6; and
Recognising that some vehicle proprietors have already converted to WAVs, that the authority will honour the maximum vehicle age limits under which they were licensed but subject to a maximum period to 2030 to coincide with the authority’s carbon neutral commitment.
The authority will, on a case-to-case basis, allow existing vehicle licence holders to, in exceptional circumstances, replace their vehicle on a “like for like” basis during the interim period. The exceptional circumstances will be limited to situations where a replacement is necessary, for example following an accident, write-off or mechanical failure.

Frequently asked questions

Licences that expire on 31 December 2021

Licensed hackney carriages that have been issued with shortened licenses will have their licence expiry dates extended and new licences and plates issued in due course. There is no need for licence holders to do anything or contact us.

Existing WAVs

We recognise that some licence holders purchased WAVs under the cancelled policy. We have therefore agreed that: "Recognising that some vehicle proprietors have already converted to WAVs, the authority will honour the maximum vehicle age limits under which they were licensed but subject to a maximum period to 2030 to coincide with our carbon neutral commitment."

If you have therefore licensed a WAV under the cancelled the WAV policy, your vehicle will be the last to need to convert to an electric vehicle.

WAVs licensed before March 2018 that were manufactured between 2005 to 2012 will be able to be renewed until they are 14 years old (from date of registration).
Converted/adapted WAVs licensed after March 2018 will be able to be renewed until they are 10 years old (from date of first registration).
Purpose built WAVs first licensed after March 2018 will be able to be renewed until they are 14 years old (from date of registration).

After your WAV has reached the end of its licensing life, you will need to comply with the policy in force at that time.

Relicensing surrendered or expired non-WAVs

We cannot relicense non-WAVs that were surrendered or not renewed under the cancelled policy. There is no legal process or discretion to relicense these vehicles other than a new vehicle application. However, a new application will require you to comply with the policy that applies for new hackney carriage vehicles including the requirement to license a WAV less than 5 years old.

Replacing vehicles

A number of licence holder have asked about replacing existing licensed vehicles in the interim period (i.e. the period between now and when a new policy has been adopted).

The following will apply during the interim period in accordance with the decision taken:

Existing WAVs cannot be replaced by non-WAVs
Existing non-WAVs can be replaced for another non-WAV in cases where a replacement is necessary, for example following an accident, write-off or mechanical failure.

Maximum age limit and emissions for private hire vehicles

Whilst the electric vehicle proposals applies to licensed hackney carriage vehicles, the authority is also mindful that attention should be given to ensuring the licensed private hire fleet is improved in line with our ambition to move towards carbon neutrality.

Therefore, the forthcoming policy consultation will also include proposal to ensure licensed private hire vehicle emissions improve to an acceptable standard.

New policy

We are currently working on a new policy incorporating the changes announced by the cabinet member for customer and regulatory services, including how this authority will transition the fleet.

This policy will be subject to consultation in due course.