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Private hire vehicle licences

Private hire vehicles:

  • must be pre-booked. They cannot be hailed in the street
  • cannot use taxi ranks
  • can set their own fares

You must have a licence to use your vehicle as a private hire vehicle.

What you will need

  • proof of insurance
  • valid MOT – unless the vehicle is exempt
  • V5 or proof of purchase
  • LOLER and weight test certificate (wheelchair accessible vehicles only)

Costs

  • £263 for a new licence
  • £194 for a licence renewal

Vehicle requirements

  • for new and transfer applications, the vehicle must be less than 5 years old from the date of first registration
  • for renewal applications, the vehicle must be less than 15 years old from date of first registration
  • it must have: no smoking signs, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher

Wheelchair accessible vehicles are exempt from the age requirements. Other specialist vehicles may also be exempt.

Licence renewals

You can renew your licence at a reduced cost if you return the application form at least 7 days before your licence expires.

If your licence has expired, you’ll need to apply for a new licence at the full cost.

It is your responsibility to check the expiry date of your licence. We will not send you a reminder or any other documentation.

Apply

Return your completed application form, supporting documents and fee to [email protected]

Or you can post them to us at:

Licensing
Environmental and Regulatory Services
Council Offices
Woodgreen
Witney
OX28 1NB

How you can pay:

  • by phone (01993) 861000
  • by cheque sent with your application form

We’ll process your application within 5 working days.

Licence transfers

You can transfer your licence to another vehicle or person. Use the form below to apply.

Transfer applications have the same requirements as new vehicles. We’ll process them within one working day.

Transfer fees:

Type

Fee

Transfer of vehicle licence to another person

26.00

Transfer of vehicle licence to another vehicle (1 year)

189.00

Transfer of vehicle licence to another vehicle (remainder of plate)

90.00

Temporary Vehicle Licence (Insurance Company)

263.00

Change of Registration Number

90.00

 

Other vehicle fees

Type

Fee

Replacement External Plate

35.00

Replacement Internal Plate

29.00

Vehicle Bracket

11.00

Administration charge for any other requests

26.00

 

We will not refund any licences.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)

If you are not a licensed driver or private hire operator with West Oxfordshire District Council, you will need to submit a basic DBS check with your application.  Please visit the DBS for further information:  https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record  These must be carried out on an annual basis.

Report an accident

You must notify us if you have an accident that affects your vehicle or customer convenience. Complete the accident form below and return it to [email protected] no more than 72 hours after the accident.