Section 11: Licensing requirements and responsibilities

Section 11: Licensing requirements and responsibilities

This section provides information on renewing your licence and updating us on any changes to your personal circumstances

Renewing your taxi driver‘s licence

Your taxi driver‘s licence is valid for three years. Approximately 16 weeks before your licence expires, we will send you a renewal application pack. This will contain all the forms and information you need to get a licence for a further three years. Your customer account will also show the date your renewal is due.

You must complete and send your renewal application in good time so that it can be processed before your existing licence expires. We recommend that you submit your renewal application at least six weeks before your licence is due to expire.

Compared to renewing your licence by post, renewing online is:

• Quicker – the form takes less time to fill in and there are no p ostal delays
• Easier – on-screen help takes you through the process step by step
• Convenient – you can track the progress of your application
• Safe and secure – only you can access your account

Make sure you have all the information you need before you start your application. When you submit (send) the application, you will receive immediate confirmation that it has been received.

Remember that it is your responsibility to submit your renewal application. If you do not receive the renewal pack within 28 days of the expiry date of your licence, contact us as a matter of urgency.

If you do not submit a renewal application before your existing licence expires, you will not legally be able to work, and your insurance is unlikely to be valid. If you do not renew your licence, you can apply for a new licence at a later date, but you will be treated as a new applicant. If you have not driven a taxi for a long time (usually two years, apart from in the case of illness or other unavoidable cause) you will be required to take a new Knowledge of London test.

Arrest and release, charges, cautions and convictions

You must inform us of any arrest and release, charge, caution or conviction within 48 hours. This includes fixed Penalty notices for road traffic offences that result in penalty points on your driving licence or being disqualified from driving.

You can inform us by using our online self-reporting form or by emailing us at drivers@tph.tfl.gov.uk.

Please include details of the offence, the date it occurred, the court or police station that you at tended and any other details that you may wish to add. If you do not inform us of any arrest and release, charge, caution or conviction within 48 hours, we may review your fitness to be licensed as a taxi driver.

Online customer accounts

Online customer accounts are available for licensed taxi drivers and taxi owners at tph.tfl.gov.uk. You can check your personal details and renew your licence through your online account. Always ensure your details are correct and up to date. If you have any issues with your account, email support@tph.tfl.gov.uk.

Other changes in personal circumstances (situation)

You must tell us immediately if your personal circumstances change, including:

• If you have been disqualified from driving. Please note that you will also have to return your London taxi driver‘s licence and badge to us
• If you are the subject of a mental health order or sexual offences order
• If you are on the Adults or Children’s Barred Lists
• If you have a private hire or taxi driver‘s licence with another licensing authority and that authority has suspended or revoked your licence, or refused any new application you have made

Fixed penalties, parking offences, and PCNs

You do not need to tell us about any other PCNs or parking tickets that do not result in penalty points on your driving licence. However, if we become aware that you are getting frequent PCNs and/or parking tickets, we may take licensing action against you. This is because we expect all licensed taxi drivers to behave responsibly.

DBS Update Service

All taxi drivers must register with, and continue to have a subscription to, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Update Service.

When you renew your taxi driver‘s licence, you must confirm that you are subscribed to the DBS Update Service.

We will carry out checks with the DBS every six months to see if your DBS record has changed. If this shows any changes, you will need a new enhanced DBS check.

If you do not remain subscribed to the DBS Update Service, you will have to apply and pay for a new enhanced DBS check and register with the DBS Update Service again. This may delay your licence being renewed and could result in your taxi driver’s licence being suspended or revoked.

In rare circumstances, the DBS is unable to automatically issue a DBS certificate and will instead issue a DBS certificate manually. If you are issued with a manual DBS certificate, you will not be able to register with the DBS Update Service. This means you will need to have a new enhanced DBS check every six months.

Overseas criminal record checks

If you have lived or been outside the UK for three or more continuous months in the last 10 years, you will need to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct (CoGC) when you renew your taxi driver‘s licence.

This includes for periods of long holiday but does not include periods outside of the UK before you were 18 years old.

A CoGC will be required from every country you have been in.

If you are unable to provide a CoGC, you must explain why and we may require you to provide references from individuals or organisations who can confirm your behaviour for your time in the country. The referee must not be a family member.

Information about the changes to the requirements for notifying us about police involvement, the DBS Update Service and CoGCs is available in TPH Notice 05/24.

Right to live and work in the United Kingdom

If there are restrictions on your right to live and work in the UK, we will add an appropriate condition to your licence. If you are in this situation, you should make sure you comply with this condition and that you have a continuing right to work.

If you are in the UK on a student visa, you will only be allowed to work for a limited number of hours each week and you will not be allowed to be self- employed.

Medical conditions

Licensed taxi drivers are required to have a medical examination at the ages of 50, 56, 62, 6 5 and then annually. You will be reminded when a medical examination is due and sent a medical form. You must ensure that the correct medical form is sent to us – if you fail to do this, you risk losing your licence.

Tell us immediately if there is any change in your health, or you develop a new medical condition or start taking any medication that may affect your ability to drive.

For example:

• Heart conditions
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Psychiatric illness
• Eyesight
• High blood pressure
• Neurological conditions, including strokes
• Prescription of medication that may affect your ability to drive
• Any condition which needs to be reported to the DVLA

The above list does not include all the health conditions that drivers need to inform us of.

You will then be told what to do next. A medical condition will not necessarily stop you being a licensed taxi driver.

You should inform us by completing form TPH/210. You can find this form through your online customer account or request it by emailing drivers@tph.tfl.gov.uk.

For details of medical standards required for Group 2 driving licence holders, you should check the DVLA’s guidance on assessing fitness to drive.

Lost badge, licence or identifiers

If your taxi driver‘s badge, licence or identifiers are lost or stolen, or damaged so badly that they are no longer usable, you must report it to us immediately. Without one of these items you may not legally ply for hire. If they are lost in the street or have been stolen, you should also report it to the police.

We will issue you with appropriate replacements, but if the item is later found, you must give it to us. Do not forget that your badge and licence remain the property of TfL at all times.

Report the loss of your badge, licence or identifiers using form MHC/213. This is available through your online customer account or you can ask us for a copy of the form. We will send replacements by Recorded Delivery.

Replacement identifiers will be issued automatically if you are issued with a replacement badge.

Change of address

If you change your home address, you must inform us within seven days.

A change of address form is available through your online customer account or by emailing drivers@tph.tfl.gov.uk.

Complete the form and send it to us with your original and copy taxi driver licences. If you do not have access to your customer account, send your licences in with a covering letter.

Both copies of your licence will be reissued and sent to you as quickly as possible.

If you move home just before your licence renewal date, your renewal pack may be sent to your old address.

If you own your taxi, you must complete the back of the taxi vehicle licence and return it to us so we can issue a replacement licence.

You are legally required to inform the DVLA of any change of address and have a new driving licence issued with your new address. Details of how to do this are on the back of your driving licence.

Suspending or revoking a taxi driver‘s licence

If your licence is revoked, you must return your taxi driver‘s licence, badge and identifiers to us within seven days. Do not forget that your badge, licence and identifiers remain the property of TfL at all times. If you do not return these, or if your taxi driver‘s licence has been suspended or revoked with immediate effect, we may send an authorised officer to take these from you.

If your taxi driver‘s licence is suspended or revoked, and you are the owner of a licensed taxi, we may revoke the vehicle licence as well. We will consider doing this if there is any risk to public safety. For example, if there is evidence the vehicle could be used as a taxi by somebody who does not have a taxi driver‘s licence, or if a driver has been charged with, or convicted of, a serious violent or sexual offence.

Changes to licensing requirements

You should make sure you read all the regular Updates and notices issued by TfL. This is so you are aware of any changes to the licensing requirements and other important information.