Licensing Vehicles as Taxis
What are the vehicle requirements for using a vehicle
as a taxi?
Your vehicle (as well as the driver or
the operator)must be licensed with us. Under the law, there are
restrictions on the age, type, size and mechanical condition of
vehicles, in the interest of public safety and comfort.
Do I need a brand new vehicle?
Your vehicle needs to be 3 years old or younger from the date
you first register it. You must re-licence the vehicle every year,
with an accompanying compliance check for the vehicle.
How often do I need to renew my vehicle?
Once a Hackney Carriage has been registered, you can continue to
re-licence the vehicle until it is fifteen years old. However, once
the vehicle is ten years old, it will need to have a compliance
check twice every year.
For Private Hire Vehicles, you can apply to re-licence the
vehicle up until the car is six years old.
The age restrictions do not apply for
vintage and classic vehicles.
What type of vehicle can I register?
There are vehicle specifications for
licensed vehicles. A Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle must
have:
- An engine capacity of not
less than 1550cc
- At least four doors, and
sufficient capacity to accommodate the number of passengers stated
on the licence (from four up to eight persons)
- A back seat of at least 50
inches / 127 cm wide from side to side, and 18 inches / 46.1 cm
from front to back, with 12 inches / 30 cm minimum leg room
- A vertical distance from the
seat to the roof of 34 inches / 86.8 cm
- Sufficient seatbelts for the
number of passengers the vehicle is licensed to carry
- Adequate reasonable luggage
storage for the passengers the vehicle is licensed to carry
Private Hire Vehicles must not be of a design and
appearance that could mislead customers into thinking that the
vehicle is a Hackney Carriage.
How do I apply to register my vehicle as a Hackney
Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle?
Get your vehicle tested
Firstly, please contact us stating
your intention to license your vehicle – we will then book a test
with our Compliance Centre, and inform you of the time and date of
the test, and the location of the centre. You must then take your
vehicle to the test.
The fee for ONE test is
included in the Vehicle
Licence Application fee which you pay when you lodge your
application. If your vehicle fails the test, and you need to get it
re-tested, there will be a fee for each re-test of
£48.
What do I include with my application?
Once your vehicle passes its test,
you can lodge your application with us. You must bring the
originals of all documents, which we will need to photocopy, to the
licensing desk at the Maidstone Gateway (open 10:00-13:00,
Mon-Thurs). The Gateway is on King Street, Maidstone, ME15
6JQ.
Your application must include:
- Your compliance certificates from
your vehicle test
- Your V5 registration document for
your vehicle or registered new keeper documentation
- Your insurance documentation – your
vehicle needs insurance specified for use of the vehicle
for hire and reward
- A cheque for the licence
fee, made payable to Maidstone Borough Council
The vehicle
licence application form and guidance
notes are available to download. Most applicants prefer to
fill it in on the spot at the Maidstone Gateway when they come to
submit their documentation, and hard copies will be available
there.
Once you have submitted your application, if
everything is in order, your licence plate will be issued. You may
need to come back to collect your vehicle plate later at the
Gateway, between 10:00-13:00 Mon-Thurs, unless you have made an
appointment to collect it.