Vehicle Application Guidance

Town Police Causes Act 1847
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licenses

Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence Fee:
New: £145
Renewal: £115 

Private Hire Vehicle Licence Fee
New: £135 
Renewal: £110

If you wish to bring a new vehicle onto the fleet either as a replacement for an existing licensed vehicle or as a new private hire or hackney carriage vehicle, you must contact the Licensing Unit on 01772 625 625 to make an appointment for one of the Council's Licensing Officers to inspect the vehicle, before you begin the application process.

Completed renewal applications must be submitted before the current licence expires. If not, the licence will lapse and a new application will be required.

Once vehicles fall outside the Age Limits or Accessibility Policy they will not normally qualify for a new plate.

However, in exceptional cases, applicants may request the General Licensing Committee consider licensing their vehicle on a case by case basis.

Applicants must:

• Complete on-line application form
• Produce original evidence of the V5 (log book) Where the vehicle is newly purchased applicants must produce a bill of sale and proof that a new V5 has been applied for at the point of application. As soon as the V5 is issued in the applicants' name, they must bring it to the Civic Centre.
• Produce original evidence of a valid certificate of insurance for the vehicle that includes public/private hire cover, as appropriate.
• Produce original evidence of a Roadworthiness Test Certificate issued within the last 4 weeks that confirms the vehicle is fit.

In all other cases applications and all expired plates should be returned to the Licensing Authority at the following address; South Ribble Borough Council, Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland PR25 1DH

We aim to process complete, valid applications within 4 working days.

We do not send licences out in the post. Once granted, licences will be available for collection from the Councils Gateway team. No appointment is necessary, although you may wish to ring ahead to confirm that your licence is available for collection.

The Licensing Authority reserves the right to refuse to automatically renew applications, where issues come to light that would question the suitability of the vehicle.

Age Limits

South Ribble Borough Council Executive's decision taken in 1st April 2022 introductory date:

The changes see certain types of vehicles being able to be licenced for longer providing the new vehicles meet certain emission ratings, as per the criteria below;

When first licenced;

a) up to 4 years old - all vehicle types

b) up to 6 years old - Vehicles with a Euro 6 Rating for emissions, or a hybrid or electric vehicle.

Vehicles will continue to be licenced until;

a)   Up to 8 years old - all vehicle types

b)    Up to 12 years old - Vehicles with a Euro 6 Rating for emissions, or a hybrid or electric vehicle.

Any vehicle current performing "special educational needs school transport" may be granted the exemption from being categorised into (a) where its euro rating does not comply with euro 6.

Wheelchair accessible vehicles

General Licensing Committee - 21/10/14

The Committee was requested to determine whether or not to amend the committee decision made on the 14 April 2005 that all Hackney Carriages that reach the council's age policy limits after the 1 April 2015, must be replaced with wheelchair accessible vehicles. The Committee have therefore decided to vary the original decision dated 14 April 2005, so that there remains a requirement for all new Hackney Carriages to be wheel chair accessible, but with an indefinite exemption to current Hackney Carriage proprietors. The decision is to be reviewed 5 years, with officer's findings to be presented to the General Licensing Committee. This will allow the authority to keep a watching brief not only on the number of vehicles which are wheel chair accessible but also if there is a balance of vehicles for all taxi users, and thus if the authority is complying with its equality duty.