5. Renewal of hackney carriage vehicle licence
A hackney carriage vehicle licence runs for one year. You'll need to apply to renew your licence each year at least 4 weeks before it expires. We try to remind licence holders when their licence is due to expire but it is the responsibility of each driver to re-apply for their licence before it expires.
How to apply
Apply online by clicking on the blue Start button below. We can only renew your licence if all of your other documents and vehicle checks are up to date. Your renewal email will tell you which documents you are due to send us. This could include:
- A current completed original vehicle inspection report form. The form will only be accepted it is has been printed on double sided and is stamped with the garage's official authentication stamp. If your vehicle is less than 8 years old it needs to have this inspection yearly. If it is over 8 years old, it'll need a vehicle inspection every 6 months.
- A current insurance certificate or cover note (to be a minimum of £1,000,000). This must show the vehicle registration number, the name of any persons insured to drive the vehicle and must specify that the vehicle can be used as a hackney carriage.
If your vehicle is more than 1 year old you'll need to make sure it has a valid MOT. We will check this, and your vehicle tax online.
If a vehicle proprietor or private hire operator does not already hold a hackney or private hire driver licence, that person will have to provide a basic DBS certificate no less than 1 month old.
If you are not able to apply online using the Start button below, you can download, complete and sign a hackney carriage vehicle renewal application form and send this to us along with the documentation above to licensing@eastdevon.gov.uk or by post to Blackdown House, Border Road, Honiton EX14 1EJ.
Vehicle inspection
You'll only need to bring your vehicle in for inspection if it's over 14 years of age or if a licensing officer has asked to see it.
If your vehicle is over 14 years of age, it cannot automatically be renewed and will need to be inspected by a licensing officer. If your vehicle is over 14 years old please telephone us to book an appointment.
If when the vehicle is inspected it isn't considered to be of sufficient standard, it will be referred to the Licensing Sub Committee.
At the time of inspection, the vehicle will need to have:
- A taxi roof sign which meets our requirements
- A taxi meter which must be calibrated to our fares chart
- A fire extinguisher
- A first aid kit
- No smoking signs clearly displayed inside the vehicle
If any of these are missing, the officer won't be able to issue your licence renewal.
Payments
You will need to pay a fee for your hackney carriage vehicle licence. If you apply online using the Start button below, you will be required to pay using a debit or credit card when you submit the application. Otherwise, we will accept a cheque, or you can either pay over the phone, or request a payment link to be emailed to you, that you can use to make payment online with a card. Please make sure you are aware of how much this will cost.
Data Protection
Any personal information which you provide will be held and used by East Devon District Council for the purpose of the Licensing Service to process your hackney carriage licence vehicle application(s) and administer any licence(s) which are granted. Your information may also be shared within East Devon District Council for the purposes of carrying out our lawful functions. Your personal information will not be disclosed to anybody outside East Devon District Council without your permission, unless there is a lawful reason to do so, for example disclosure is necessary for crime prevention or detection purposes. Your information will be held securely and will not be retained for any longer than is necessary. There are a number of rights available to you in relation to our use of your personal information, depending on the reason for processing. Further detail about our use of your personal information can be found in the relevant Privacy Notice.