How to Apply for a Sandwell Private Hire Driver Licence
Last checked: October 2026. Requirements and fees can change. Always check Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's official taxi and private hire pages before you apply or pay anything.
Eligibility
- You must be at least 21 years old, and you must have held your DVLA driving licence for at least 2 years. Sandwell Taxi Licensing confirmed both in writing in October 2026.
- You must be medically fit to the DVLA Group 2 standard.
- You must have the right to work in the UK.
- Convictions: the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not apply to private hire and hackney carriage drivers. Before you apply, check Section 7 of the Handbook (pages 99 to 121) to see whether any conviction you have could lead to refusal.
There are three types of badge: Private Hire Driver (vehicles must be pre-booked), Hackney Carriage Driver (taxi or black cab), and a Dual licence covering both. This guide covers Private Hire.
How to apply
Every Sandwell taxi licensing application has been made online since 4 January 2022. You need a My Sandwell account. Start your application at licensing.sandwell.gov.uk/apply/TaxiDriver/begin/ and choose the type of licence. The application asks questions, and when you answer "No" to a requirement, it tells you how to meet it.
Steps 1 to 5 can all be done at the same time. Steps 6 and 7 also can, if they apply to you.
Step 1: Register and start the application
Create or log in to your My Sandwell account and start the application. Answer every question accurately. For example, "Have you always lived in the UK?" is No if you were born abroad, and "Have you ever had any convictions?" is Yes if you have, including speeding points that no longer show on your driving licence.
You will receive emails with a "Resume Application" link. If you lose them, log in at licensing.sandwell.gov.uk/security/login/ and choose "Resume a previous application".
Step 2: Enhanced DBS check
Request it in Section 5 of the application. You then receive:
- an application pack by post, with instructions, and
- an email with a link to book the appointment (£56.00) where you submit your enhanced DBS application.
Take your original identity documents. The most common are your DVLA photocard licence, your passport, and a utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months. Your DBS certificate must be registered with the DBS Update Service; the information is given when you submit the application.
Step 3: Driving test
Provided by the third party The Blue Lamp Trust, with centres all over the country. Book online. The cost is £87.00.
Step 4: Knowledge Test
You must study Sandwell's Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Policy Handbook.
It is a spoken, face-to-face test at the council offices: 10 questions, and you must answer 8 correctly. Book it online in Section 5. The cost is £30.00.
Step 5: Safeguarding Test
You can take it during your Knowledge Test appointment. The first attempt is free; if it has to be repeated it costs £30.00. Read the safeguarding leaflet and booklet Sandwell provides.
It is a spoken test: 5 multiple choice questions, and you must answer 4 correctly. The possible answers are read out and you choose the right one.
Number of attempts: Sandwell confirmed in writing that the limit of 3 attempts applies to both the Knowledge Test and the Safeguarding Test. Failing either test three times means waiting 12 months before you can apply again.
Step 6: Wheelchair assessment (if applicable)
Required for all hackney carriage and dual applications, and for any private hire applicant who intends to drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle. You must attend in a wheelchair accessible vehicle, which you take yourself. The wheelchair is provided.
The cost is £35.00, cash only. Book through Sandwell Transport Department's training service on 0121 569 4331, between 10am and 3pm.
Step 7: Certificate of Good Conduct (if applicable)
If you have not lived all your life in the UK, you must provide a certificate of good conduct from every other country you have lived in. See the GOV.UK page "Criminal records checks for overseas applicants".
Step 8: Medical
Do not have the medical until you have met all the other requirements. The medical certificate is valid for one calendar month only.
It must be completed at any practice registered with the General Medical Council. This includes GPs, but it is not an NHS service, and each practice sets its own cost. The form is completed by you and the doctor. You can check on the DVLA's medical standards whether a condition would stop you getting a "fit" certificate.
Step 9: Submit your application
The application is completed online by answering the questions. You upload the documents as scanned copies of all pages, or good-quality photos:
- Proof of your right to work in the UK (a passport, or a "Right to Work" share code if you are not a British or Irish citizen)
- Your driving licence, front and back
- A DVLA authorisation code
- Your DBS disclosure certificate
- A Certificate of Good Conduct, if applicable
- A photo (a selfie or a photo taken by someone else, passport style: face and shoulders, white background)
- Your Knowledge Test, Safeguarding and Driving Test certificates
- Your Wheelchair Assessment certificate, if applicable
- Your medical "fit" certificate. For now it must be emailed once Sandwell asks for it when it starts processing your application.
Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Private hire driver licence, 1 year | £104.00 |
| Private hire driver licence, 3 years | £303.00 |
| Enhanced DBS appointment | £56.00 |
| Driving test (Blue Lamp Trust) | £87.00 |
| Knowledge Test | £30.00 |
| Safeguarding Test, first attempt | Free |
| Safeguarding Test, repeat | £30.00 |
| Wheelchair assessment, if needed (cash only) | £35.00 |
| Badge deposit, paid when you collect your licence | £30.00 |
A dual licence costs £155.00 for 1 year or £454.00 for 3 years. The medical is charged by the practice you use.
After you submit
Most correspondence is by email. If Sandwell needs more information, or to book your appointment to collect your licence, it will email you. You collect your new licence and badges at that appointment and pay the £30.00 badge deposit.
Badges are only issued once the driver has a licensed vehicle.
Once you are licensed
Sandwell uses several different deadlines, so do not learn one as a blanket rule:
- Medical condition affecting your ability to drive safely: within 1 working day (and stop driving immediately)
- Convictions, cautions or fixed penalties for sexual, dishonesty, violence or motoring offences, and any arrest (whether charged or not): within 48 hours
- Change of address or change of operator: within 3 days
- All other convictions, cautions, reprimands and fixed penalties: within 7 days
- Accident: notify within 1 working day, then send the completed accident report form within 72 hours
- Returning your badges: immediately if your licence is suspended or revoked, and within 7 days of expiry
Contact
Sandwell Taxi Licensing
Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, B69 3DE (for a sat nav, use B69 3DB)
Phone: 0121 569 6655
Email: taxi_licensing@sandwell.gov.uk
Where to go next
Applying elsewhere in the West Midlands? We have application guides for other councils too:
- How to apply in Coventry
- How to apply in Tamworth
- How to apply in Dudley
- How to apply in Birmingham
- How to apply in Solihull
- How to apply in Wolverhampton
To prepare for the test, see the PHV Prep UK app page. The app is on the App Store and Google Play.
Official sources
PHV Prep UK is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council or any licensing authority. Always check the council's official guidance for the latest application requirements and fees.