Apply for a Licence

Initial Application (Drivers)

Initial Application (Drivers)

Before a person can drive a licensed vehicle, whether it be a Hackney Carriage or a Private Hire vehicle they must fulfil the following criteria:

  • Be over 21 years of age
  • Have held a full DVLA driving licence for three years or more and meet the Previous Convictions Licensing Standards 
  • Pass a medical examination of fitness to drive (Group 2 standard)
  • Complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check and meet the Previous Convictions Licensing Standards 
  • Pass certificate for a driving assessment for taxis and private hire vehicles

Before making an application, you must read about:

  • Our Driver Training and Safeguarding requirements
  • The criteria relating to convictions and Disclosure
  • Immigration and Right to Work in the UK
  • Medical Requirements

These and other important information can be found in the Hackney Carriage Taxi & Private Hire Policy - Feb 2022

 

Application Process

All applicants will be required to submit the following (please note there are specific criteria related to some of these):

  • An application form
  • A Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) form together with three forms of identification
  • Proof of right to work
  • Proof of English certificate if appropriate
  • Medical fitness certificate
  • DVLA check code
  • The appropriate fees
  • Pass certificates for a Disability Awareness and Safeguarding courses and produce the original certificate as proof of attendance from one of our approved providers
  • Pass certificate for a driving assessment for taxis and private hire vehicles by one of our approved providers

Applicants for a Hackney Carriage Licence will be required to sit a knowledge test, based on the Castle Point area.

 

Before you apply

  • We will not accept applications that are incomplete or do not contain all the required documentation. We will return incomplete applications.
  • We cannot control how long your DBS takes or the waiting times to obtain any of the required certificates.
  • If you have any previous convictions or driving endorsements you may not be granted a licence.
    You should consult our policy to ascertain if a licence will be granted. If you wish for Officer guidance you may email licensing@castlepoint.gov.uk with a full explanation of your convictions or endorsements.
  • If you intend to work as a private hire driver you should ensure that there is an operator licensed by Castle Point Borough Council who is willing to provide you with work and will confirm this in writing.
  • You should not take steps to licence your vehicle until your driver licence (badge) is granted. Licensing your vehicle too early may mean that you are unable to drive it, you lose time on your licence or you have to pay additional costs.

 

How to apply

We ask all new applicants (whether Hackney Carriage, Private Hire or Restricted Private Hire) to attend in person at the Council Offices in Kiln Road, Benfleet on a mutually agreed date with the team to discuss the application process, understand the legal and Council requirements and collect the relevant documentation to progress with the application.

We do not send the application forms and supporting documentation via email or post.

To book an appointment with a member of the team, please email licensing@castlepoint.gov.uk

 

Fees and Charges

Our fees and charges can be found via https://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/licensing Some fees are paid directly to the service provider and the Council have no control over the charges made.

 

Processing and timescales

Although we are dependent on other agencies providing us with information, we aim to determine your application as soon as possible.

Renewal applications will be processed within four weeks of a complete application being received.

New applications will be processed within six to eight weeks of receiving a complete application and all tests being passed.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I contact the team?

Please e-mail licensing@castlepoint.gov.uk 

You may also call the Council's general switchboard and ask to be put through to the Licensing team. However, we receive a large number of calls and often cannot deal with your query without checking other documents. It therefore saves you time by emailing us with your query. Please do not email asking for us to call you as without knowing what it is about we may not be able to resolve your query with one call.

I have a conviction - will I be granted a licence?

We have a policy which sets out our considerations.  Any conviction (even if spent) must be declared to us. When considering individuals with convictions we will look at the nature of the offences, the number of offences and the time that has passed since they were committed. 

Individuals who pose any danger to the public, such as those with convictions for serious violent offences or sexual offences, will not be licensed. 

I have been disqualified from driving - will I be granted a licence?

If your licence was revoked due to drink driving, dangerous driving or similar we may not licence you until some considerable time has past since the return of your licence. Serious matters will however result in no licence being granted.