Hackney carriages and private hire

Things you need to know before you start. You must:

• Be 21 or over
• Be eligible to work in the UK
• Have held a driver’s licence for 2 or more years

If you meet the above criteria, you need to have all the relevant documents before you apply. The documents are listed below:

• Driving Standards Assessment Certificate – refer to our guidance for new applicants document below for details on how to obtain this
• Current DVLA drivers’ licence
• Current passport – if you have one
• Proof of right to work – if your passport is not British you will need to prove this another way, please refer to our guidance for new applicants document below for a link to the.GOV website to see what documents you can use
• Proof of National Insurance number
• Recent passport-sized photograph

If you have lived outside the UK for more than 3 continuous months, since the age of 18, a Certificate of Good Conduct is required. Please refer to our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy for more information.

In addition to the above, you are also required to obtain the following:

• DBS Certificate and Driving Licence check – available from TaxiPlus (previously known as Personnel Checks) on their website, You must sign up to the DBS Update Service with your certificate, within 30 days of the issue date on it. Failure to do so will result in a new DBS being required.

TaxiPlus - licence check website 

• Group 2 Medical – the D4 Medical form we require is the same one used for bus/lorry drivers and can be downloaded here:

D4 Medical form – Download   

If you are unable to access your GP for your medical due to COVID, you can book obtain one with a private company.

Whether you are having a private medical, or you are attending your normal GP surgery, you must have a GP/Doctor Declaration completed to confirm whether you have met the Group 2 Medical Standards. The declaration form can be downloaded here:

• GP/Doctor declaration form

Once you have all the required documents, please email: newdriverapplications@oldham.gov.uk and a member of the team will advise you of the next steps.

As part of the application process you will be required to attend Driver Awareness Training. This training is provided by our Licensing Officers and will take place virtually via Microsoft Teams. It is recommended you attend the training on a PC, Laptop, iPad or Tablet to benefit from the presentation. You may attend on your mobile phone, however, visibility may be reduced due to the small screen.

Following your training, you will also undergo a Knowledge Test. This test is comprised of two parts, Section A and Section B. There are 15 questions in each section and you must get 10 questions right (in each section) in order to pass.

The questions in Section A are based on driver and vehicle licence conditions, child sexual exploitation, and basic numeracy skills.

Section B is based on locations. You will be provided with a list of destinations and you will be required to identify the street where each location is situated. 

Full details on the application process, a list of knowledge test locations, and useful links and information regarding documents can be found in our Guidance for New Applicants document here -

• Guidance for new applicants - Download

Dual Driver Licences are issued for a period of 3 years unless otherwise approved.