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Apply for a hackney carriage vehicle licence
Hackney carriages (taxis) may be hailed, hired from a taxi rank or pre-booked. Licensed taxi vehicles have a roof sign and a white licence plate on the rear. All taxis must be the distinctive Guildford Borough Council teal colour (Pantone 321) and have approved markings.
Use our
Hackney Carriage vehicle licence form [225.2KB]
to renew your licence, change the vehicle on your licence or to license a new vehicle. Use our
transfer a vehicle licence application form [228.13KB]
to transfer a licence from one proprietor to another.
Licences for hackney carriages will only be granted to vehicles that meet the
vehicle specification guidance [337.95KB]
.
Applying for a licence
To apply for a hackney carriage vehicle licence, you will need:
- completed
application form [225.2KB]
- correct licence fee, payable by credit or debit card
- valid certificate of insurance covering the passenger for hire and reward and third party risks
- vehicle registration document V5 (necessary to prove the details of the vehicle) or new owner tear off slip
- proof of ownership (Bill of Sale)
- hire purchase agreement (if your vehicle is on hire purchase)
- MOT test certificate (required when 12 months old)
- HPI report (for pre-owned vehicles)
- European whole vehicle type approval certificate
- mechanical test certificate passed within the last month. You can book your vehicle in online at Woking Road Depot (see our MOT testing page)
- certificate showing the meter has been calibrated and sealed.
Renewing a licence
To renew your hackney carriage vehicle licence, you will need:
- completed
renewal application form [225.2KB]
- the correct fee, payable by credit or debit card (see Licensing fees page)
- a certificate of insurance covering the passenger for hire and reward and third party risks, valid for the date the licence is due to commence
- vehicle registration document V5
- MOT test certificate (required when 12 months old) valid for the date the licence is due to commence
- mechanical test certificate, passed within the last month.
Taxi livery
On 9 December 2015, we updated our
Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy [406.72KB]
and now all hackney carriages must have the Guildford Borough Council livery.
- See the details of the
taxi livery specification. [223.08KB]
- We have a
list of providers of the livery [16.25KB] and provide specifications for this, but each supplier will set their own charges for the livery.
- Providers are not endorsed or recommended by the Council.
- Any provider is able to contact us with a request to be included on our list, providing they are able to meet the Council's specification.
Once the vehicle is licensed as a hackney carriage, it may only be driven by a driver holding a hackney carriage driver's licence issued by the Council, even when the vehicle is off duty.
The vehicle must also maintain its appearance as a hackney carriage at all times, including displaying any signage, roof sign and plate.
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