Taxi driver licences

If you have never applied for a dual driver licence then you must apply for a one-year licence.

With the application you will need to send in your:

• full driving licence
• passport or birth certificate
• recent colour passport style photo
• proof of address (household/utility bill or a bank statement which is less than 3 months old)
• right to work documents
• National Insurance number

If you were born outside the UK or you have spent 3 months or more overseas, we will need a Certificate of Good Conduct from the Embassy or Consulate of those countries where you were living. The certificate needs to be dated less than 28 days prior to the application and will need to be in English otherwise you’ll be charged the cost of the translation.

Before you apply

Before applying for a licence please ensure that you’ll be able to:

• come to a taxi surgery within 3 weeks of the application, bringing all relevant documents
• apply for a DBS - you’ll not be able to take the knowledge test without proof you have applied for a DBS
• take the knowledge test shortly after the date of the taxi surgery
• get a medical from your GP surgery within 6 weeks of your knowledge test pass date
• pass your driver assessment within 6 weeks of your knowledge test pass date

Knowledge test

Please do not apply for the licence until you are ready to take the knowledge test.

We will not licence you unless you have passed the knowledge test and a driving standards assessment with 1st Castle. 

If you do not pass the tests or complete all the requested information within 12 months, we will cancel your application. The fee is non-refundable.

Background checks

Background checks including any criminal record checks are part of the application process. If you have any convictions or cautions of any age, spent or unspent, you should contact us before applying.

We will check against the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S). This is to check if you have had a licence previously revoked, refused or suspended by another authority.

How to apply

After selecting the button below you’ll need to:

1. Create an account if you do not already have one.
2. Select licensing.
3. Select apply for a licence.
4. Select apply for a dual driver licence.
5. Select New 1 year
6. Follow the onscreen instructions.

There is a fee for this service. The fee includes the first knowledge test.

Apply for a dual driver licence

Once we have granted your application, we will produce your licence and post this to you.

Your licence includes the following:

• a licence will be sent via email with conditions which you must take note of
• 2 photo ID badges - you must ensure one is worn and clearly visible whilst you are working

From 1 April 2022 you will need to meet the new tax check rules set out by HMRC. No licence will be issued without the check code being submitted within your application. More guidance can be found on gov.uk.

On renewal of your licence you can choose either a 1 year or 3 year licence.

We need at least 14 working days for the application form to be processed.

If we have asked you to provide a DBS see our DBS section.

If we have asked you to provide a medical certificate see our medical certificate section.

After selecting the button below you’ll need to:

1. Have a credit or debit card for payment.
2. Create an account if you do not already have one.
3. Select licensing.
4. Select apply for a licence.
5. Select apply for a dual driver licence.
6. Select renewal (choose either 1 or 3 year).
7. Follow the onscreen instructions.

There is a fee for this service.

Renew your dual driver licence

You should tell us within 7 days of any change of address relating to a licence.

After selecting the button below you'll need to have:

• a credit or debit card for payment
• your plate number
• your new details

There is a fee for this service.

Inform us of a change of address

As part of the licence application we will determine if you are a ‘fit and proper’ person to hold a taxi licence, this is to protect passengers.

The relevant part of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, is:

Section 51

a district council shall not grant a licence (a) unless they are satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a driver’s licence; or (b) To any person who has not for at least 12 months been authorised to drive a motor car, or is not at the date of the application for a driver’ licence so authorised

We will check against the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S). This is to check if you have had a licence previously revoked, refused or suspended by another authority.

To determine that you are a "fit and proper" person we will ask you to:

• supply evidence of your right to work
• supply us details of your driving history allowing us to access your DVLA records
• supply evidence of your conviction history by completing an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure form
• pass the knowledge test
• pass a driving assessment test 
• take a medical carried out by your own doctor, to the DVLA group II medical standards

If you are abrupt or aggressive when talking to us, this may prevent us from approving your application.

At any point after your licence has been issued, we can suspend or revoke your licence should there be evidence to suggest that you are not a fit and proper person.

We have a legal duty to ensure that we do not issue any licences to any person who does not have the right to work in the UK. You may be asked to provide a right to work share code issued by the government - more information can be found on their right to work web page.

If you do not have any immigration restrictions then to prove your right to work status you'll need to supply ID from the following:

• passport which shows you are a British citizen or a citizen of the UK and Colonies
• a passport or national identity card showing you are a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
• a registration certificate or Document Certifying Permanent Residence issued by the Home Office to you as a national of an EEA country or Switzerland
• a Permanent Residence Card issued by the Home Office to you as a family member of a national of an EEA country or Switzerland
• a current Biometric Immigration Document issued by the Home Office showing that you can stay indefinitely in the UK or that you have no time limit on your stay in the UK
• a current passport endorsed to show that you are exempt from immigration control, that you can stay indefinitely in the UK, have the right of abode in the UK or have no time limit on your stay in the UK
• a current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office with an endorsement indicating that you are allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or have no time limit on your stay in the UK together with an official document giving your National Insurance number and your name issued by a government agency or previous employer
• a birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland together with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and your name issued by a government agency or an earlier employer
• a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen together with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and your name issued by a government agency or an earlier employer

If there are immigration restrictions then to prove your right to work status, you’ll need to supply ID from the following:

• a current passport endorsed to show that you can stay in the UK and are currently allowed to do this type of work
• a current Biometric Immigration Document issued by the Home Office which shows that you can currently stay in the UK and can do this type of work
• a current Residence Card (including an Accession Residence Card or a Derivative Residence Card) issued by the Home Office issued to you as a non-European Economic Area (EEA) national who is a family member of a national of a EEA country or Switzerland or who has a derivative right of residence
• a current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to you with a valid endorsement indicating you may stay in the UK and are allowed to do this type of work along with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and your name issued by a government agency or an earlier employer
• a Certificate of Application issued by the Home Office under regulation 17(3) or 18A(2) of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 to you as a family member of a national of a EEA country or Switzerland stating you are permitted to take employment which is less than 6 months old together with verification from the Home Office Evidence and Enquiry Unit (the application may be granted for 6 months from the date of the Certificate of Application)
• a Verification issued by the Home Office Evidence and Enquiry Unit which shows that you may stay in the UK because you have an in-time application, appeal or administrative review which is outstanding (the licences may be issued from 6 months from the date of the licence decision)

Once we have received your application, we will contact you with a date and time of a taxi surgery appointment.

At the taxi surgery we will verify your documents. Please bring originals of your:

• full driving licence
• passport or birth certificate
• recent colour passport style photo
• proof of address (household/utility bill or a bank statement which is less than 3 months old)
• right to work documents
• National Insurance number

If you were born outside the UK or you have spent 6 months or more overseas, we will need a Certificate of Good Conduct from the Embassy or Consulate of those countries where you were living. The certificate needs to be dated less than 28 days prior to the application and will need to be in English otherwise you’ll be charged the cost of the translation.

Once your documents have been verified you are able to book the knowledge test.

Rules for the test

During the test you’ll not be allowed to use any of the following:

• electronic devices including mobile phones
• study notes or books
• anything else thought unacceptable by the invigilator

During the test you must not:

• have anything written on your hands, arms or elsewhere on your person
• leave the room during the test except for emergency purposes

We will supply pens and paper if you need them.

If you fail the test

If you fail the test, then later tests are charged at our current rate which is payable in advance.

Test categories

The test has 9 categories and is an electronic multiple-choice system. To pass the knowledge test you must attain at least the minimum score in all categories. The maximum time for the test is 70 minutes to complete all categories.

The 9 categories are:

• Highway Code - 16 out of 20 questions need to be correct
• road signs - 16 out of 20 questions need to be correct
• venues - 16 out of 20 questions need to be correct
• roads - these questions will ask you to name which road joins other roads shown to you - 15 out of 20 questions need to be correct
• equality and disability - 4 out of 5 questions need to be correct
• numeracy - 4 out of 5 questions need to be correct
• byelaws - 4 out of 5 questions need to be correct
• fitness - these questions will be related to the physical and mental fitness of taxi drivers - 4 out of 5 questions need to be correct
• child sexual exploitation (CSE) and safeguarding - this will be in the form of a training course paid for by yourself. This can be taken at any time before or after passing the knowledge test. You will need to send in your certificate once you have attended the course or your licence will not be granted. Please note these courses are run by external providers so you should contact the organisation you booked with for any questions. The training you choose can be booked and paid for using the links below:
  • a West Sussex County Council webinar
  • a Blue Lamp Trust course (participants may choose which course they would prefer)

Example of knowledge test question

An example of a question you may be asked on the knowledge test will look like this.

Terms and conditions

If you fail any category of the test then you will only have to re-take the categories that you failed on. The time in which you have to take the test remains the same at 70 minutes regardless of the amount of subjects you have to re-take. The cost of the test is subject to change from 1 April each year. If you fail you will be expected to re-take further tests within one month.

You will only have one year from the date of your application in which to take and pass the knowledge test and at the end of that year the application will be cancelled. You will not be able to apply again for 6 months.

We reserve the right to cancel your application before 12 months if we consider that you have not made enough commitment to getting the licence. You will not be able to apply again for 6 months.

We reserve the right to review and change the knowledge test at any time.

Studying

We recommend that you study for at least 20 hours before sitting your test.

You’ll need to be familiar with

• the area
• the Highway Code
• our hackney carriage byelaws
• our policy Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy and Handbook 2023 (arun.gov.uk)

For detailed information look at our study pack: V7 Knowledge test study pack.docx [docx] 2MB

For a fee we can send you a printed version of the study pack. 

You'll need a credit or debit card. 

Request a printed study pack

Contact us

We’ll usually contact you within a month of your taxi surgery with a date for your knowledge test.

If you’ve not heard from us after this time then you can contact us.

You’ll need to supply a medical certificate for your first application within 6 weeks of passing the knowledge test and then every 5 years once you turn 45 years old.

Some medical conditions require a medical to be undertaken more regularly. We will inform you if this is the case.

When you turn 65 years of age, we will need a medical form annually.

The medical must be undertaken by your own doctor to the DVLA group II medical standards.

We will give you the relevant form for your GP to complete after you have passed the knowledge test.

For renewal of licences - if a medical is required we will send a reminder 2 months prior to your licence expiry date.

Once you have passed your knowledge test then you can book a driving assessment test with 1^st Castle on 01243 867 502.

After you have passed the driving assessment, we will need to see your pass certificate.

Send us a copy of your pass certificate

All fees can be found on our fees and charges page.

New applicants

Having a conviction, driving licence endorsement or fixed penalty notice is not a bar to applying for a taxi licence. You will need to contact us first to discuss your convictions.

We will check against the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S). This is to check if you have had a licence previously revoked, refused or suspended by another authority.

Existing drivers

You’ll need to let us know within 7 days if you:

• are arrested
• receive a driving licence endorsement
• receive a fixed penalty notice (FPN)
• receive a criminal conviction or caution

Tell us about a conviction, caution or FPN