Taxi driver licences

If you want to drive a private hire taxi or hackney carriage vehicle you need to have a valid licence issued by us. Unlicensed drivers will be prosecuted. You may not drive a private hire/hackney carriage vehicle until your application has been granted and a licence has been issued to you. All applicants and licence holders must familiarise themselves with Council policies and conditions attached to licences. Please see the policy document in the Taxi driver licence documents section below. The telephone line is staffed between 9.30am and 12 noon Monday to Friday (01254 267 666) . Outside these hours please contact us by email (licensingteam@blackburn.gov.uk).

Taxi driver tests

Information about the practical driving test, driver training/knowledge test and knowledge retests.

Change of personal details

Once you have been granted a licence, you must notify the Licensing Authority within 14 days, if you change your name or address.

Payments

How to pay for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing services.

Disclosure and barring service (DBS) certificates

All convictions (except protected cautions and convictions), irrespective of when the offences occurred, remain "live" for the purpose of a hackney carriage or private hire drivers licence as these are exempt from the concept of "spent" convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the ROA (Exemptions Order) 1975.

Motoring or criminal offences

Licence holders must notify the Licensing Authority without delay of any cautions, convictions, pending court cases for criminal or motoring offences or new penalty points on your licence.

Medicals

A group 2 medical will be required for all new applications.

Report a taxi accident

If your hackney carriage or private hire vehicle is involved in an accident, you must report full details of the accident to the Council within 72 hours. 

Suspension lift

You can use our online form to request a suspension lift on a vehicle