Becoming a Taxi Driver

How do I become a taxi driver?

From 1^st January 2007 all new applicants for a drivers badge with Broxtowe Borough Council are required to have passed the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) taxi test before making an application. Details of how to apply for the DSA test are available from the Licensing Section and are available as part of the Driver Application Information Pack. For further information click on the link to the DSA website.

Application packs are available upon request to the Licensing Team. Please call and make an appointment to discuss the application process.

The licence is issued under an Act of Parliament called the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and is valid for one year. To get a driver's licence the Council have to determine whether or not you are a "fit and proper person" under the terms of the Act. This involves a series of tests and checks being carried out with various organisations so that the Council can determine your application fairly and consistently. Should there be issues arising from these checks, the application is referred to the Licensing and Appeals committee which consists of local councillors who meet at the Town Hall to consider such matters. The checks and tests that we carry out are as follows:

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check

This involves a search of your individual criminal record to establish whether or not you are safe person to drive members of the public, some of which may be vulnerable, elderly, or infirm. The DBS is a central organisation that deals with all checks of criminal records for the Council. More details about the DBS can be found on their web-site.

Tax Check

From 4 April 2022, there will be a small addition to the checks we currently have in place. You’ll need to complete a tax check with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) when you renew your licence to:

• Drive taxis or private hire vehicles
• Operate private hire vehicle businesses

Please Note: We cannot proceed with your licence renewal until the tax check is completed and have received the code.

DVLA Check

This check is designed to give the Council an idea of your individual driving history. This is necessary to determine whether or not you are a safe driver and capable of driving a vehicle in the manner expected of a taxi driver. It is also used to confirm that an applicant has held a full driving licence for a period of at least twelve months. For further information about the work of the DVLA please click on the link.

Medical Examination

All applicants will be required to undergo a  Group 2 medical examination which will normally be carried out by your own doctor (if you have been registered with him for 12 months or more)or the Councils appointed Occupational Health Physician. This requirement is in accordance with government guidelines and brings taxi drivers in line with HGV and PSV drivers. Certain medical conditions may mean that you are not capable of driving professionally and it is important that the Council know about such problems to ensure the safety of the public. Please talk to the licensing section before organising a medical. For further information on Group 2 medicals please click on the DVLA At a Glance Guide to Medicals under external links..

Topography Test

In order to become a licensed taxi driver it is important that you have a good knowledge of the area in which you are going to work. The topography test is designed to find out whether you are capable of driving in a safe manner to a number of locations throughout the whole of the Borough of Broxtowe. The test consists of multi choice questions and answers .

For further information on any of the above matters please contact the Licensing Section.

National Fraud Initiative

This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you  provide on the application form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

For further information, see the National Fraud Initiative in Related Links on the right of this page or contact the licensing department. To obtain any information held about you please  contact the Procurement and Technical Officer on 0115 9173296.