Types of taxi licence and requirements

The purpose of licensing is to ensure the safety of the public by ensuring that drivers are fit and proper and that the vehicles they drive are safe, suitable and reliable.

We are responsible for licensing the following vehicles carrying up to and including eight passengers (excluding Wedding and Funeral Cars as these vehicles are not required to be licensed as a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle).

Hackney Carriage Vehicles

London style black cabs known as taxis which are chauffeur driven hire vehicles that can ply for hire, be flagged down [i.e. hailed in street by the public] or hired at a taxi rank.

Private Hire Vehicles

Saloon and estate cars, and people carriers which are chauffeur driven but cannot ply for hire in the street or at taxi ranks and must be pre-booked via a Private Hire Operator.  Novelty vehicles including fire engines and extended limousines.

We are also responsible for licensing the drivers of these vehicles and operators of Private Hire Vehicles who work within the city boundary named as follows:

• Hackney Carriage Drivers
• Private Hire Drivers
• Private Hire Operators

N.B. Companies who take bookings for Hackney Carriage Vehicles do not have to be licensed unless they also take bookings for Private Hire Vehicles.

Our Taxi Licensing Office is not responsible for licensing the following vehicles:

• Public Service Vehicles (PSV)
• Vehicles carrying nine or more passengers
• Any other type of vehicle licence

For further information concerning these vehicles contact the West Midlands Traffic Commission at the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).