Driver licence

To apply for a dual driver licence, you will need to:

• complete the online application form
• provide the additional supporting documents
• pay the application fee of £207 (we will contact you to take payment, or you can call us)

You must then:

• complete the initial training course with Green Penny Ltd, (which you need to arrange and pay for yourself) and a geographical test (consisting of routes, roads and points of interest)
• complete the refresher training course (if you have already completed the initial training course)

If you are renewing your licence, you will need complete the refresher training course but not the geographical test. You can view an example geographical test paper.

Once you have completed the initial training, you must:

• complete an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service
• complete a medical examination form (every three years, or yearly if you are over 65) and send us the entire form with your application

If your GP doesn't complete a medical examination, you should produce a summary of your medial history to the examining medical practitioner.

Supporting documents

The supporting documents you need are:

• proof that you are entitled to work, or remain and seek work in the UK
• proof of an enhanced DBS check (and proof that you have signed up to the DBS update service)
• proof you have completed the training with Green Penny Ltd
• a completed medical assessment form (we advise seeking this after you have completed the training)
• two passport size colour photos
• a copy of your complete DVLA driving licence
• a copy of your passport, or at least two other forms of identification such as your birth certificate or utility bills
• a Certificate of Good Conduct, if you have lived anywhere other than the UK for six or more consecutive months in the last five years
• a signed and completed declaration (you must be aware of and comply with the licence conditions)

You will need to submit these supporting documents as part of the online application form.

As part of our Taxi Licensing Policy, you must complete an initial training course.

You must book this training with Green Penny Ltd and pay them directly. You will also need to complete a geographical test (consisting of routes, roads and points of interest).

You can view an example geographical test paper.

New applicants and existing drivers must complete this training course by 31 January 2023. 

Refresher training

If you are renewing your licence, you will need complete the refresher training course but you won't need to complete the geographical test.

Your driver licence is valid for three years from the date we granted it.

You need to renew your licence every three years, before the current licence expires. If your licence expires, you won't be able to work until we issue you with a new licence.

We will send you a reminder to renew your driver licence, usually around two months before it is due to expire.

To renew your licence, you will need to:

• complete the online application form
• provide the additional supporting documents
• pay the renewal fee of £204
• complete an enhanced DBS check
• provide a completed and current medical examination form
• provide a refresher training certificate that you have obtained three months before renewal date

Once we receive your renewal application, we notify you of our decision.

If you are 65 or older, you will need to provide a new medical assessment form every year.

The application fee for a new driver licence is £207. The cost to renew a current driver licence is £204.

You can pay by phone or bank transfer. 

We don't store your payment details when you contact us to make a payment. You will need to have your card details available each time you contact us to make a payment.

By phone

You can pay the application or renewal fee by calling our Licensing team on  01245 606606.

By bank transfer

You can pay by bank transfer. Our bank details are:

• Account name: Chelmsford City Council
• Sort code: 60-05-13
• Account number: 55600018

You need to include the cost code as the reference when you pay by bank transfer.

The cost codes are:

• 2083-10467 (for a new application)
• 2083-10466 (for a renewal)

We do not store your payment details. We only use the details you provide to make the relevant licence payment. Once the transaction is complete, we destroy any record of your payment details.

We advise you to complete the training course before carrying out the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or completing the medical examination form.

You must get an enhanced DBS check with Taxi Plus and sign up to the DBS update service through them.

DBS update service

When you request your DBS check with Taxi Plus you can sign up to the DBS update service. This must be done within 28 days of the enhanced DBS certificate being issued. You will need an email address to sign up. 

You must sign up to the DBS update service through Personnel Checks as they will manage the service between us on your behalf. Find out how to get an enhanced DBS check through Taxi Plus.

For us to use your update service account, you must provide us with the latest copy of your DBS certificate.

You must make sure to maintain your annual subscription to this service, including paying any ongoing subscription fees. If you don't, you will have to undertake a full enhanced DBS check every six months at an additional cost.

For new applicants, we advise you to complete the training course before getting an enhanced DBS check and signing up to the DBS update service.

If you have any convictions, we may not grant you a licence. You can download our guidance on convictions to check your likelihood of getting a licence before you apply.

In addition to convictions checks (DBS), we will carry out checks of points on your domestic driving licence. We will also check your application against a National Register of Hackney and Private Hire Vehicles Revocations and Refusals (NR3). 

You can download a copy of the NR3 data sharing agreement.

These checks are to ensure you are a 'fit and proper' person to hold a taxi licence.

Regardless of your nationality, if you are applying for a driver licence you must prove your right to work in the UK.

You can either:

• download the UK Immigration: ID check app and provide us with a share code, or
• provide us with copies of relevant documents attached to your application (we may request video contact to confirm) 

UK Immigration ID check app

To prove your immigration status, you can download the UK Immigration: ID check app and provide us with a share code. You can get a share code on GOV.UK.

To do this, you must have settled status or have applied for a visa.

To get a share code, you will need:

• details of the identity card you used when applying (for example, passport, National ID card or biometric residence card)
• your date of birth
• access to the mobile number or email address you used when you applied (you will have received a code for logging in)

You then need to provide us with a share code and your permission to make the check.

Provide us with copies of the documents

If you want to attach documents with your application, you must provide two of the following documents:

• your passport showing your right to work, or
• a National ID card, or
• a Biometric residence card, or
• an immigration document issued by the Home Office stating the right to work

A National Insurance Card on its own is of no value. If you don't have any of the necessary documents, you can contact us and we can help you.

You can submit the documents online or post them to us.

If you have lost or misplaced your taxi driver licence or vehicle licence, you can request a copy.

If you drive a hackney carriage we regulate the fare you can charge your customers. You can view our hackney carriage fares.

If you drive a private hire vehicle, we do not regulate the fare you can charge your customers. The fare should be agreed between the operator and the customer when booking.  

You will also need to complete a tax check. The tax check will ask questions about how you pay any tax on income you earn from your driver licence.

After you have completed the tax check, you will receive a nine-character tax check code.

You will need to give the code to us when applying for your licence, so we can confirm you have carried out a tax check.

Find out what you need to do before you can renew your licence on GOV.UK.