Private hire driver licence: guidance

The DBS Check enables us to find out if there are any previous criminal convictions/cautions recorded against you. You have a duty to tell us about any convictions in order to help us decide whether you are “fit and proper” to hold a licence.

All DBS checks will be to an enhanced level and will be checked against the children and adult Barred Lists. These checks take place every 6 months.

You will be required to subscribe to the DBS update service once you have completed an initial DBS application form.

Any DBS check will be rejected if it’s over 3 months old.

If you have a conviction

If you have any cautions or convictions recorded against you, it might affect your application for a licence.  This is because we have to be satisfied that you are “fit and proper” for the safety and protection of the travelling public. We may take into account spent convictions if appropriate.

When considering an application for a driver’s licence and the test of “fit and proper”, we will consider if we would allow a person to travel alone in a vehicle driven by you at any time of day or night. If the answer to the question is “no”, we will likely consider that you should not hold a licence.

You can view more information about our policies on convictions.

Overseas convictions

A certificate of good conduct will be required from any applicant who has lived overseas for any period of time since the age of 18. Further information on criminal record checks for overseas applicants can be found on GOV.UK.

The certificate must include both criminal and motoring matters and be translated into English. Only original documents will be accepted.

Relevance of convictions

You can view further information about the rehabilitation periods for convictions and the relevance of convictions or behaviour when considering applications.

DBS privacy policy

DBS have produced a number of privacy policies in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). These explain how they will use your personal data within each of their services and outline your rights.

When making your application for a licence and undertaking a DBS check, it is important that you make yourself aware of the relevant privacy policies before you submit an application.

You must have held a full driving licence for a minimum period of 2 years.

Applicants and current drivers will be required to produce their Photo ID Licence (or paper licence) for verification. You will also be required to provide a summary of these details directly from DVLA – you can download a summary of your driving licence from GOV.UK. This summary must be provided no later than 48 hours after you have downloaded it.

Contact the DVLA directly on 0300 790 6801 if you have any problems with your licence.

You must be at least 21 years of age before we can grant you a driver’s licence. There is no upper age limit for drivers provided you continue to be medically fit to drive.

You must produce a medical examination report that shows you are medically fit to drive. We will provide this report to be signed by your own GP or one with access to all your medical records and history.

You are required undergo a medical when:

• first applying for a licence,
• at the age of 45,
• then every 5 years up to the age of 65,
• then annually thereafter.

We may also ask for proof of medical fitness at any other time if appropriate.

Your doctor will charge you for a medical, as this is a private arrangement with you and your GP.

If your GP is unable to verify that you are medically fit, we will refer details to our medical referee for further advice and guidance. You will need to pay any fees for this consultation.

If your medical condition changes

You are required to tell us immediately of any medical condition that might interfere with your ability to drive on a professional basis.

Drug screening

You must produce evidence of a negative drug screening as part of your overall medical fitness.

These screening checks are required:

• when first applying for a licence
• and every 3 years after.

However, you may be required to take a drug screening outside of these times, either by request from an authorised officer or following an instruction by the Licensing Committee.

Screening is normally required for the following drug types:

• Amphetamines (to include methamphetamines)
• Cocaine
• Opiates
• Cannabinoids
• Benzodiazepines
• Methadone

We may also screen for other drug types if appropriate.

Drug screening locations

The licensing service doesn’t currently provide drug screening facilities, but you can make arrangements to use other service providers subject to certain conditions.

Applicants can use the Recovery Hub for screening purposes. You can find this at:

The Recovery Hub
44-46 Elm Grove
Southsea
Hants
PO5 1JG

You can call them on 023 9229 4573.

In accordance with the DfT statutory guidance, you will be required to undergo safeguarding training which includes education on types of exploitation and modern slavery.

• Module 1 – Complaints and conditions of licence and disability
• Module 2 – Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) which includes CSE presentation and guidance
• Module 3 – Safeguarding

In addition, you will be tested on both oral and written English skills to ensure that you have enough knowledge to help protect children and vulnerable adults. Language skills are necessary to be able to identify potential exploitation when communicating with passengers.

If you demonstrate a repeated knowledge or English test failure rate, it may result in a decision to refuse your application.

You will need to demonstrate that you have sufficient practical driving skills to a recognised standard.

The assessment will cover topics such as:

• Driving standards and practical assessment
• Disability and wheelchair awareness training

You will need to pay for this training directly to the service provider.

All applicants must produce evidence of their right to work and live in the UK.

Your right to work in the UK will be checked as part of your licence application. This could include checking your immigration status with the Home Office. Therefore, you must provide documents that are suitable for this check. You can view a list of these documents here.

You must go to the licensing office and provide the original documents (such as a passport or biometric residence permit) for the check.

The documents will be checked in your presence. They will be copied and we will keep the copy. The original document will be returned to you.

Your application will not be considered valid until all the necessary information and documents have been produced.

If you produce a document from List A, you won’t be required to produce the document again at any subsequent renewal.

However, if there are restrictions on the length of time you may work in the UK, your licence will not be issued for any longer than this period. In this case, the check will be repeated each time you apply to renew or extend your licence.

Close links are maintained with the local visa and immigration staff from the Portsmouth office. Regular and routine liaison between licensing and immigration staff is encouraged and maintained. Copies of documents provided by applicants in support of any licensing application may be given to Home Office and/or immigration staff upon formal request.

It is mandatory for all licensing authorities in England to use the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S).

We must record refusals, suspensions and revocations of taxi and private hire driver licences relating to safeguarding or road safety reasons. We must also search the NR3S database for every application or renewed taxi and private hire driving licence and have regard to any information found.

The reason for using the NR3S database is to identify whether an individual has had a licence refused, revoked or suspended and, which licensing authority took the action.

Applicants should be aware that their personal data will be placed on the database if their licence is revoked, suspended or an application or licence renewal is refused.

The legal basis for processing this information is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of our official authority. The purpose is to assess whether an individual is a fit and proper person to hold a taxi or private hire driver’s licence.

All data processing and sharing will comply with the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). It is not intended that any NR3S data will be transferred out of the United Kingdom.

You have various rights in relation to your data:

• The right to request access to your data
• The right to rectification or erasure of your data
• The right to restrict processing of your data, and
• The right to object to the processing of your data for this purpose. The licensing authority will consider any such requests and respond within one month.

If you wish to raise any issue related to the data protection legislation, including relying on any of the rights afforded to data subjects under the GDPR, you can do so by contacting the authorities Data Protection Officer at foi@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. This includes submitting a subject access request.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Licensing authorities are required to undertake a tax check with HMRC when licensed drivers and private hire operators make application to renew their licences. The licensing authority has to get confirmation from HMRC that the applicant has completed the check before being able to consider their renewal application.

First-time applicants are required to follow HMRC guidance about their potential tax obligations and confirm that they are aware of the guidance before we can consider their application.

Further information on your tax responsibilities when you apply for a driver’s licence is available on GOV.UK

Please see Private hire licence fees page.