Our licensing of vehicles, drivers and private hire operators is carried out in accordance with the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

Applying for a licence

We are responsible for the licensing of vehicles, drivers and private hire operators.

If the public will have access to your premises (such as a waiting room) you must provide a Certificate of Public Liability Insurance. If you are operating from your own home, you do not need insurance.

If you are not already a Hackney Carriage or private hire driver, you will also need to provide a basic criminal record check form.

As an operator, you can now subcontract work to other operators inside or outside the town but you must:

• work from a base within Stevenage to be licensed by Stevenage.
• only use Stevenage registered drivers in Stevenage registered cars.

A full list of fees relating to taxis is available on the Environmental Health Fees and Charges page.

Equalities Act 2010

All drivers and operators are required to make provision for disabled passengers under the Equality Act 2010.

The law says that all licensed drivers are required to carry assistance dogs (such as Guide dogs and Hearing dogs) free of charge. It is an offence to refuse to carry an assistance dog unless the driver has a medical exemption certificate from us displayed on the vehicle.

It is illegal to treat a person with disabilities differently from other people, for example by charging a person using a wheelchair more than an able-bodied person for the same trip.