Grant of New Licences
Private hire vehicles are vehicles used for hire or reward purposes which are capable of carrying a maximum of 8 passengers. In order for a vehicle to be used as a private hire vehicle it must first be licensed by the relevant Licensing Authority. Wirral Council is the Licensing Authority in respect of vehicles to be operated from Wirral.
Private hire vehicles licensed by Wirral Council must be pre-booked through an operator licensed by Wirral Council and driven by a private hire driver also licensed by Wirral Council.
Note that only vehicle makes and models approved by Wirral Council can be licensed as private hire vehicles. Applicants should ensure the vehicle make/model they wish to licence is approved before making any purchase or signing up to any form of financial agreement.
Vehicles must meet the private hire vehicle criteria in order to be considered for a licence. The criteria are contained in the Statement of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy below.
Before an application can be made to licence a vehicle it must have passed a compliance test and MOT test at one of our authorised testing stations. The vehicle compliance testing document details the checks that will be carried out by the testing station. Note that both of these test passes must be dated no older than 1 calendar month of a licence being granted.
Once a vehicle has passed the compliance test and MOT an appointment for a face-to-face appointment must be made to submit the application. To make an appointment applicants should send an email to taxilicensing@wirral.gov.uk and provide their full name and contact telephone number.
Applicants for a new private hire vehicle licence must bring the following to the appointment:
- completed application form
- V5C (or new keeper slip) showing applicant as registered keeper
- purchase invoice from motor trader (if V5C not returned from DVLA)
- compliance test pass certificate
- MOT pass certificate
- insurance certificate / cover note (printed certificate/cover note or emailed in advance of appointment. Insurance cover must include 'use for hire or reward purposes' and be valid at the time of application)
- proof of address for each applicant - utility bill, bank/credit card statement, or central/local government document - must dated no more than 3 months old
- DVLA Check Code (important - these codes are case sensitive)
- licence fee (payable by credit/debit card)
Renewal of Existing Licences
If you are the holder of an existing private hire vehicle licence and your licence is due for renewal please note that the Licensing Authority will post your renewal application form to your address approximately 6 weeks prior to the expiry of your licence.
The renewal notice will contain information to assist you in the renewal process, including advice on how to make an appointment to renew your licence.
Applicants for the renewal of a private hire vehicle licence must bring the following to the appointment:
- completed application form
- V5C (or new keeper slip) showing applicant as registered keeper
- compliance test pass certificate
- MOT pass certificate
- insurance certificate / cover note (printed certificate/cover note or emailed in advance of appointment. Insurance cover must include 'use for hire or reward purposes' and be valid at the time of application)
- proof of address for each applicant - utility bill, bank/credit card statement, or central/local government document - must dated no more than 3 months old
- rear private hire vehicle licence plate
- DVLA Check Code (important - these codes are case sensitive)
- licence fee (payable by credit or debit card)
If you require any further information or guidance please email taxilicensing@wirral.gov.uk
Fees
A list of fees is included in the policy document below.
Statement of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy
Wirral Council has a policy which is intended to advise and assist applicants and licence holders on the law relating to the operation of hackney carriages (taxis) and private hire vehicles and to the administrative procedures involved in applying for and renewing licences.
The overall policy contains lots of information including the criteria for licensing private hire vehicles, private hire vehicle conditions, and a list of fees and charges.
The PDF file below may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices.