Taxi or Private Hire Drivers Licence
If you have never held a taxi driver or private hire driver’s licence before or you do not currently have such a licence you need to apply for the grant of a licence.
If you currently hold a taxi driver or private hire driver’s licence which has not expired but is due to expire then you need to apply for a renewal of the licence.
A full licence is generally granted for a period of three years although we have the discretion to grant it for a shorter period.
Before completing an Application Form please read our Guidance Notes (pdf) and Schedule of Conditions for a Taxi Drivers Licence (pdf). If applicable, you may also need to read the Rules in Relation to Disclosure of Spent Convictions (pdf).
From 1 December 2016, Right to Work checks must be carried out in respect of all applications for a taxi or private hire driver licence. Read more in Appendix 1 - Guidance Notes on Right to Work (PDF).
You can find Word and PDF versions of the application forms on our Forms page.
Renewal of a licence
Please note it is the licence holders responsibility to be aware of the expiration date of their licence and make a full renewal application a minimum of 30 days before their existing licence expires. Failure to apply in a timely manner could result in requiring a new grant application which may be a higher cost to the applicant.
DVLA DRIVERS LICENCE SUMMARY
IMPORTANT: Before you begin your online application, you will need to have a PDF version of your Driver Record/Licence Summary to upload at the start of the form. We CANNOT validate your application without this.
Instructions on how to create your summary can be found here.
You must save your Licence Summary to your device before you fill out the online form as your application cannot be submitted without it. and it must be the summary only
If you encounter a problem or don’t receive the automatic confirmation email of successful submission of the application then please contact us using the details below.
If you currently hold a taxi driver or private hire drivers licence and your circumstances/details have changed, then you need to tell us about this by completing a variation form.
Variation Form (Word) Variation Form (pdf)
New Driver Applications
Please note that all new applicants will be required to complete a Taxi / Privat Hire Drivers Test through Fleet Services. Further information is shown in the Guidance notes including how to book.
When we begin to process your application you will be sent a letter advising of what documents you will need to provide and how to send these to us.
Renewal Applications
You must send in a new photo, even if you have had your photo taken for a previous licence. We have a duty to make sure that the information we hold about you is as up to date as possible, so we need an up to date photo. We will compare it to the old one.
We will accept a digital passport style photograph. Apps are available on most phones for this purpose;
Your image and copy documents will be stored on our systems in accordance with our published retention policies.
If you are having difficulty in finding acceptable documents, or if you are unable to provide a suitable photo then please contact the licensing team for further guidance on 01343 563027.
Changes for Taxi & Private hire driver renewal applications
New tax legislation came into effect on 2 October 2023 which now requires the Local Authority to confirm that the applicant has completed a tax check before making a decision on issuing a renewal licence.
In Scotland, this applies to all renewal applications made on or after 2 October 2023
If you do not give the licensing authority a valid tax check code your licence will expire on whichever of the following dates is the latest:
- 28 days after the licensing authority asked for your tax check code
- the date your licence expires
Our guidance notes have been updated to reflect the changes and give further information.
You can complete your Tax Check by clicking the green START NOW button at the bottom of the page on this link :
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/complete-a-tax-check-for-a-taxi-private-hire-or-scrap-metal-licence
Medicals
It is a requirement of The Moray Council (TMC), as licensing authority, that all taxi/PH drivers meet DVLA Group 2 medical standards. This has been the case since November 2005 and it is a requirement designed to protect the public.
From 1st April 2018 the Council will rely on self-disclosure and, where necessary, GP or other medical professional reports to decide if a driver met Group 2 standards.
(Note that the Council has previously required all drivers to undergo a medical as part of the licence application process but this is no longer the case.)
It is the applicant’s responsibility to certify that he/she does not have a medical condition that affects their ability to meet Group 2 medical standards for driving a taxi/PH vehicle. If the applicant can make that certification then they will not be referred for a medical. However, if he/she does disclose a relevant condition then a follow up will be necessary.
In that case it will be up to the applicant to demonstrate to the licensing authority that he/she meets Group 2 medical standards. That can be demonstrated in one of two ways:
1) through your own GP;
2) through a current HGV / PSV / PCV driver’s licence summary.
Where medical evidence is required it should be lodged with the application for a driver’s licence.
Your application may be returned unprocessed if required information is not included with the application itself.
If you are in any doubt as to whether you have a reportable medical condition and/or meet group 2 medical standards please see the information provided on DVLA website – https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving and the further information specifically on Group 2 Standards herr or consult your GP.
1) Choosing your own GP
Your GP, or whichever doctor you choose, will be required to state that you, the proposed driver, meet group 2 medical standards. As the applicant you will need to produce SATISFACTORY ** evidence (see below) to the licensing authority with your application. Your GP may make a charge for this service. If you wish to use your own GP, or whomever you have chosen, it is up to you to commission and pay for this service.
**SATISFACTORY evidence is a medical report from your own GP or another fully-qualified registered medical practitioner that specifically confirms that you meet DVLA Group 2 medical standards for driving. The following wording must be included: “I certify that ….. meets DVLA Group 2 medical standards for driving”;
2) Choosing the council’s OH provider
Alternatively you can contact the Council’s licensing section to arrange a medical with
a representative of the PAM Group. You will be required to pay the medical fee (£95) to the council and the council will pay PAM. PAM will provide you with details of what you must bring to the appointment. PAM will carry out the medical to confirm whether you meet Group 2 standards. A medical appointment is typically approximately 40-45 minutes. PAM will then provide the report to the Council and the Council will confirm the outcome to you.
3) DVLA driver licence summary
If your DVLA driver licence summary confirms that you have entitlement to drive HGVs / PCVs or PSVs or any other DVLA vehicle category which already requires you to meet DVLA Group 2 medical standards then the driver’s licence summary is sufficient evidence and further checks are not necessary.
General
NOTE Group 2 medical standards are of a higher standard that those required for a normal DVLA driving licence. To be satisfactory the medical report must specifically confirm that you meet Group 2 standards. A medical report that simply says:
“(name)….. is fit to drive” does not refer to or confirm group 2 standards and is not acceptable. If evidence is not acceptable then you may be required to undergo a Council appointed medical anyway, for which an extra charge will be made (£95). You will still be responsible for any charge made by the GP.
The Council will only meet the medical charges where you have been asked to attend a medical by a professional nominated by the Council and this has been specifically agreed in advance with licensing staff.
We will do our best to process the application as quickly as possible. However, the requirement for a medical may increase the average licence processing time.
Where the medical flags up a more serious issue e.g. a heart problem then it may be necessary to refer you further to a specialist at Dr Grays. It may also be necessary to refer to the Licensing Committee for a final decision. There are processes in place to deal with these matters and please contact licensing staff.
Please note that medical self certification and/or medical evidence is a mandatory part of the licensing process. Any applicant who does not comply with these medical provisions will be refused a licence.
ALL Medical Fees
All medical fees are the responsibility of the applicant.
Data processing notice: The Council’s normal data processing notice applies. Please search the website for data protection. The Council follows a statutory process for licence applications and sharing data (including sensitive personal data) both internally and externally is a necessary part of that process. Internal agencies are other council services e.g. planning, building standards and environmental health. External agencies include police Scotland, Fire & Rescue Scotland and the public. Consultation on a licence application will include the exchange of personal information and sensitive personal information as part of the statutory process. Reports will be received by post and/or a secure method of electronic exchange. The Council will retain electronic and paper records in accordance with their records management procedures. Data subjects will have the right of access to personal data under the DPA and to medical records under the Access to Health Records Act 1990. By applying for the licence you agree to all consultations as described.
IMPORTANT
Remember it is always the applicant/driver’s responsibility to ensure that he/she meet Group 2 medical standards for the purpose of the taxi/PH driver’s licence. It is also the licence holder’s responsibility to notify the licensing authority of any change to his/her medical status (or any other circumstances) at any time during the currency of the licence.
Dress Code
Please note that a Taxi Driver Dress Code (pdf) is in place.
Current Taxi Meter Tarrif Card
PLease note it is a licence condition to have a copy of the most up to date tarrif card on display in any licensed vehicle - A downoadable Copy can be found here
Procedure
You require to sign and date the declaration at the bottom of the application/variation form. This is a very important part of the form and you should note that it is a criminal offence to make a false declaration for which you can be prosecuted and fined up to £2,500.
If you are filling out a paper copy of our application form, once completed, send it with the appropriate fee to:
Governance, Strategy & Performance, The Moray Council, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX.
After submitting your application please refer to the online facility to check and track your application. The application should appear there within a week. All licence applications are also specifically acknowledged.
Your application will be copied to Police Scotland for their observations. If no objection or observation is made on your application by the Police within 21 days, we will proceed to issue your licence.
If an observation or objection is received, your application will be referred to the Licensing Committee of the Council where elected members will consider the matter. You will be given an opportunity to attend this meeting and put your case in support of your application.